Originally posted in Pass Consist yahoo group, August 6, 2007

On August 24, 1968, the reelection campaign of Arkansas Governor Winthrop Rockefeller operated a special train from Little Rock to Texarkana over Missouri Pacific, then north from Texarkana to Winthrop, on the Kansas City Southern. At Winthrop (used by the WinRock campaign because of the town name), a picnic was held near the station before the train returned to Little Rock.

This 21-car train was the last big campaign train in Arkansas, and probably along the entire Missouri Pacific, before the start of Amtrak 2 1/2 years later. All equipment was freshly painted for the event, providing a classy “last hurrah” during that dark period when station walls were otherwise papered with train-off notices following RPO route curtailments, and when the demise of the Pullman Company was only three months away. With nearly a thousand people on the train, the diner served only as the staging area and refrigeration for box lunches and drinks, which were delivered to your seat by campaign volunteers. Tables were removed and supplies were stored there, and no “Eagle” china or silver was to be seen.

One Pullman, Eagle Path, was added at the last minute to accommodate additional VIP riders, and it had not received the wash/paint jobs of the remainder of the equipment. Two of the sleepers, Eagle Bay and Canyon Ridge, had already been withdrawn from Pullman lease, but Eagle Path was still leased to Pullman and part of the Pullman pool. It would be interesting to know whether a Pullman porter was assigned to that car – I don’t recall, although I do know that the attendant on car 9 let a few of us ride part of the way back to Little Rock in that car, since all the VIPs had left the train at Winthrop.

Thanks to passenger train historian John Mills, who not only rode this political special but also noted the car numbers, the consist of this 21-car train has been preserved.

CEI 43 E9Am ex C&EI 1102
MP 38 E8A ex MP 7018
TP 35 E8A ex T&P 2015
TP 456 ex T&P 456 – 60 seat deluxe coach
TP 453 ex T&P 453 – 60 seat deluxe coach
MP 403 ex MP 634 Eagle Village – 76 seat coach
TP 457 ex T&P 457 – 60 seat deluxe coach
MP 406 ex MP 632 Eagle Country – 76 seat coach
MP 411 ex MP 664 Eagle Rock – 76 seat coach
TP 409 ex T&P 681 Eagle Trail – 76 seat coach
MP 462 ex MP 831 – 60 seat deluxe coach
TP 454 ex T&P 454 – 60 seat deluxe coach
MP 467 ex MP 862 – 64 seat divided coach
MP 40 ex MP 845 – 32 seat diner/18 seat lounge
TP 405 ex TP 635 Eagle Flight – 76 seat coach
MP 410 ex MP 651 Eagle Creek – 76 seat coach
MP 488 ex MP 777 (originally MeC 247) – 56 seat deluxe coach
TP 407 ex TP 682 Eagle Watch – 76 seat coach
TP 475 ex T&P 400 – 64 seat (divided) deluxe coach
MP 486 ex MP 775 (originally MeC 246) – 72 seat deluxe coach
TP 671 Eagle Bay 14 rmte-4 DBR (withdrawn from Pullman lease June 4, 1968)
MP 610 Canyon River 10 rmte-6 DBR (withdrawn from Pullman lease June 4, 1968)
TP 625 Eagle Path 10 rmte-6 DBR
TP 9 ex T&P 1 – business car

On the KCS between Texarkana and Winthrop, KCS power substituted for the three blue Mopac E-units. Unlike the Mopac locomotive and cars, the KCS power had not been refurbished, providing a rather bedraggled representation for the KCS.

KCS power included
12 – E7A in Southern Belle colors
? – F7B in red
? – F7B in red
32 – F7A in red

Bill Pollard

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