Part III: B&N Railroad — The management team
For the past 115 years the Bauxite & Northern Railroad (B&N) has been a vital part in the success of the mining industry in Bauxite and Saline County.
Soon after the B&N’S incorporation in Arkansas on November 13, 1906, John Rison Gibbons became the mastermind in overseeing the construction of a three-milelong track necessary to accommodate the steam powered train. He was instrumental in organizing and planning annual stockholders’ meetings to elect officers necessary for its day-to-day operation.
George R.
Gibbons was secretary of the organization.
Each annual meeting was announced in the state newspaper,
Arkansas
Gazette.
Earliest historical records regarding the management team of Bauxite & Northern Railroad were found in the February 1944 issue of the Pick and Shovel concerning J. A. Waggener, Vice President of the B&N Railroad.
Waggener had been an employee of Alcoa in the Engineering Department since February 1919. He was sent to Dutch Guinea in 1923 to oversee Alcoa mining operations.
Returning to Bauxite two years later, Waggener became superintendent of the B&N and was later named Vice President of the company. He remained in that position until his retirement.
In 1954, B&N President, James Davies, Sr., announced the appointment of James Davies, Jr., of Holly Grove, Arkansas, as Assistant General Manager of the B&N Bauxite operation.
The background story of
the long line of “James” Davies includes the first one, who was James Ernest Davies. James Ernest lived in Bogota, Columbia, South America, and was manager of Bogota Street Railway.
His son, James Davies, Sr., born in Bogota, came to the United States in 1900. He became president of Bauxite
& Northern Railway in 1936, in addition to being president of four other lines.
His son, James Davies, Jr., was formerly employed in the Engineering and Accounting Departments of Alcoa Mining offices in Bauxite. During that time, he met and married a teacher in the Bauxite School District. They moved away for many years, but later returned to Bauxite with their four children, which included James “Jimmy” Davies, III, plus Ann, Billy and Beth.
James Davies, III, was an outstanding athlete for the Bauxite Miners during his high school days at Bauxite High School, graduating in the Class of 1960. After a stint in the U.S. military, Jimmy did not enter the railroad business. He is now retired after a career as a school teacher.
Several people in Bauxite were employed by the B&N Railroad during the Waggener and Davies era., including the engine crews, hosting crew, track maintenance and clerical staff.
John Doyle, who was the B&N agent for many years, will be remembered by many. He also served as interim superintendent prior to Davies’ appointment. Doyle’s wife, Eura, was employed as an office clerk for the B&N before becoming the secretary at Bauxite High School, a position she held until her retirement.
Other members of the early B&N office staff included Lucy Faye Styles, Joy Westbrook, Tessie Ann Austin, Arvie Williams, Lois Henthorne, Lillian Moore, to name a few, plus Mrs. Alma Emery, who kept the office “spic and span.”
One lady, who was an employee of the B&N during World War II, deserves special recognition. Mrs. Florence Barron, a former school teacher, found that teaching did not exactly suit her as a profession. When she learned that the B&N in Bauxite was considering hiring women as yard clerks, she made application for the job.
Barron was employed by the B&N on May 24, 1943, as
yard clerk working the 12:00 midnight to 8:00 A.M. shift.
She later admitted that she approached the job with great apprehension common to any female. She soon learned her concerns were unfounded.
Barron was finally transferred to the 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. shift. Her duties involved checking both B&N and
Rock Island yards, carding all inbound and outbound boxcars and making switch lists. During war time, both the B&N and Rock Island yards were especially over crowded. The area checked by Barron on a daily basis was eight to ten miles. She never missed a day of work because of sickness.
There were no records available showing Florence Barron’s length of service at the B&N.
Over the years, other B&N general managers, agents and superintendents have included the names of J. A. Ford, John Barlow, Charles Rule, Clifton Sheridan, Jim Cain and the present General Manager,
Ryan Richardson.
In the early 1980’s, Alcoa condemned the B&N office building and requested the building be vacated. An office area was established in the present building on Cynamide Road. The old B&N office building was then rented by Alcoa to the Arkansas Forestry Service until it was demolished in the late 1980‘s.
The B&N office is now located in Malvern where
Ryan Richardson is General Manager. He is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the facilities and two-man crew on Cynamide Road, as well as other tasks assigned by owners, Genesee & Wyoming Corporation.
The B&N train conductor is Nick Allredge who relays directions to the train’s engineer, Jody Bramlett. This two-man crew moves many boxcar loads of alumina, clay and cement from the Almatis plant site to connect at the Bauxite Junction with Union Pacific Railroad for various destinations.
The B&N has come a long way since 1906 with the mighty steam and coal powered engines requiring a seven man crew to operate. Upgrading to diesel engines in 1947, and presently to the B&N Big Orange #1594 diesel-electric, multi-purpose 1500 horsepower, the machine is run by only a two-man crew.
Be cautious and look both ways as you approach the crossing on Cynamide Road. Listen for the crossing bells and the train’s whistle..
“Railroad crossing, watch out for the cars; can you spell “that” without any “R”s?” This little rhyme has been one of my favorite childhood Miner Memories, and some of them are not so minor.