Why was the Rock Island Railroad important?
In Arkansas, the Rock Island of the 1910s was a well-built, well-connected railroad. The company’s Choctaw Route stretched from Memphis to Little Rock to Tucumcari, New Mexico. It carried significant amounts of agricultural products from the Grand Prairie and the Delta.
What year did the Rock Island Railroad go out of business?
1980
A proposed merger (1960) with the Union Pacific was vetoed by the Interstate Commerce Commission, and the Rock Island entered its last receivership in 1975. This time reorganization was impossible, and the company shut down in 1980.
Where was the Rock Island Railroad?
Territory. The Rock Island stretched across Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas. The easternmost reach of the system was Chicago, and the system also reached Memphis, Tennessee.
What happened to the Soo Line Railroad?
It was discontinued in December 1963, and the western Canada cars were handled on the Winnipeger for two more summers before they too were pulled. The Soo Line’s last passenger train was the Copper Country Limited, a joint service with the Milwaukee Road inherited from the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic.
Is the Rock Island Railroad coming back?
Now, more than 160 years later, the Rock Island Railroad is gone, but that original route retains the Rock Island name, as Metra’s Rock Island Line.
Who wanted a railroad built from his hometown of Chicago to San Francisco?
Asa Whitney. One of the most prominent champions of the central route railroad was Asa Whitney. He envisioned a route from Chicago and the Great Lakes to northern California, paid for by the sale of land to settlers along the route.
When did the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad open?
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (commonly called the Rock Island) was an Illinois railroad that gained access to Arkansas in 1902.
How many miles does the Rock Island Railroad run?
It came to operate a network of 2,075 miles, nearly double that of Chicago & North Western (1,053 miles). One of Rock Island’s “Aerotrain” sets works suburban service on the Beverly Branch in Chicago on December 31, 1964.
When did the Rock Island Railroad start using diesel?
The Rock Island ran both limited and local service on those routes as well as locals on many other lines on its system. In 1937, the Rock Island introduced Diesel power to its passenger service, with the purchase of six lightweight Rocket streamliners .
When did Rock Island Railroad stop in Tomball Texas?
Rock Island GP35 #301 is ahead of a northbound freight on the Fort Worth & Denver stopped at Tomball, Texas during August of 1977. Gary Morris photo.