ROCK ISLAND

This page will cover what I have of the old Rock Island Railroad.  The Rock Island covered much of the middle of the US and was on hard times when I visited the railroad in the late 1970's.  It eventually shut down in the early 1980's.   I am not overly familiar with the railroad, but I am presenting my photos for your enjoyment.

The Rock Island used the LaSalle Street Station in downtown Chicago for their passenger trains.  Metra continues to use this depot for the commuter service to Joliet.

  This view is from 1976 and two old green coaches are the only things around on this quiet Sunday morning.

      Metra F40's replaced the old and worn out Rock Island E8's along with newer double deck cars.

  An old EMD SW-1 switches some Metra cars.

  Viewed from the Roosevelt Road overpass as a train departs LaSalle St.

  Looking south from Roosevelt Road over the RI piggy-back terminal finds an old Union Pacific GP9 in the yard.

        Freight units at the Blue Island engine terminal.  March 1976.

   A rare Alco C-415 switcher in the yard.    A SW-1 moves through a sea of company cars.

  E8 652 on the eastbound Quad-Cities Rocket.    A very ratty looking unit on a Joliet local.

663 with a two car local at Joliet station.  I'm sorry the photo is dark.  Someone talked me into using Ektachrome film at the time and it was the worst mistake I could have made.  Most of the pictures taken on my March 1976 trip came out underexposed with a heavy bluish hue.  A computer photo editor can do many things, but an underexposed image is tough to fix.  Nonetheless, it is an image now long gone.

  A Metra train in 1992. crossing the Sante Fe main at Joliet.

  Morris, Illinois.  October 1992.

      Train # 12 passes through Seneca, Ill on what has to be some of the worst mainline track I have ever seen.  Sure hope the few passengers didn't eat anything before riding!  March 15, 1976.  I believe the depot is still there.

   U25B 235 and its train are parked on a siding near Ottawa, Ill.

    Blue 4508 and two other GP7's bring an eastbound past the Ottawa, Ill depot.

  Peru-LaSalle station.  March 1976. 

         Bureau Junction is where the Peoria branch joined the mainline.  The left image looks east from the branch.  You can see the old signal mast that protected the junction.  The center view looks west.  The mainline curves to the right and the branch to Peoria is to the left.  The right image is from the mainline side of the station.  October 1992.

  The RI depot in Chillicothe, Ill.  1992.

  Peoria, Ill.  1992.

  Silvis was the main locomotive shop for the railroad and was located at Davenport, Ill.  Many old derelict diesels could be found here as the poor railroad salvaged parts to keep the better ones running.

   This old Union Pacific U25B with the original high short hood is an example of such a salvage effort.

   The nice surprise of the day was this F3 still in service. March 16, 1976.

  Switcher 906 on a local job in Des Moines. Iowa.

  GP35 311     1342 in the original maroon paint    1345 in maroon and silver.   All three at the Des Moines engine house.   March 1976.

  909 at Albert Lea, Minnesota.  March 1976.

  U33C 4590 moves interchange cars through Newport, MN.  Note those semaphore signals !

  SD40 4792 is right behind the 4590 at Newport.  Both March 17, 1976.

  GP40's 349 and 377 at St. Joseph, Missouri.  March 20, 1976.

      Kansas City, MO engine facility.  March 21, 1976.

  An old Alco RS-2 with a kitbashed GP7 long hood at Kansas City.  That Ektackrome dark image problem again.

Re-painted 4422 at Memphis, TN in 1977.      4544 with a matching caboose presented a bright image for dying railroad.

Two GP38's are ready to depart Memphis and cross the Mississippi River enroute to Little Rock, AR.  March 31, 1977.

         El Reno, Oklahoma was a major point on the RI system.

         An outbound train for Kansas City is waiting for two westbound  trains before leaving the yard.  382 brings the first train in to the yard.

      Two U33C's have a good roll on the other train coming down from Kansas City under a dramatic mid-western sky.  This was train number 23.  All El Reno shots are from April 3, 1977.

  I just missed his arrival at El Reno, but the pot of gold at the end of this rainbow was not to be found for the Rock.

For a look at what El Reno looked like in 2010, click this link:

 http://www.abandonedok.com/crip-rock-island-rail-diesel-repair-shop/

        Fort Worth, Texas is a sea of bright blue on April 2, 1977.

  4433, another GP7 and a switcher bring a very, very long drag through Dallas, Texas.

  Passing through what is left of Dallas Union Station while an Amtrak train waits and waits and waits.........

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