For the last several years, D&R has moved unit tie trains from a treatment plant near their North Dardanelle yard to the UP interchange in Russellville. The trains, which run perhaps 15-18 times a year, comprise 60 older, mix-n-match BNSF hoppers loaded with freshly treated ties headed for hand-off by UP to BNSF in North Little Rock. Current practice has BNSF power running down to the transload yard south of AR7 to wait for the train to be built. That starting point gives the crew a little bit of a run before the tough climb northbound begins. However, when the trains were initiated (in 2013, I believe) the track south of Bibler Lumber was not adequate for the big C-Cs, so they waited at Bibler for switchers to make-up the train. That meant that the whole train was hanging on the tough grade between AR7 and 19th Street, which made starting difficult, even with 8,000+ horsepower. The answer was to put one or two of D&R's switchers on the rear and push, which is what is happening in the photo, as the switchers are a bit north of AR7T and passing the caboose collection. I was hoping for some smoke, but I think for the first few hundred feet, the switchers weren't running at much more than idle. Probably around the curve, the show got better.
