Handsome Rock Island 4-6-2 No. 922 steps across the Pennsylvania Railroad diamonds at Englewood Union Station as it departs with a Chicago-Blue Island suburban train in July 1952. W. H. N. Rossiter photo
Rock Island class R-67 Northern 5114 has just passed Joliet (Ill.) Union Station and crossed the GM&O/ATSF diamond as it steams toward Chicago with an eastbound freight in fall 1951. Wallace W. Abbey photo
Rock Island 4-6-2 916 on an outbound suburban train meets RS3 488 with an inbound on the bridge above 89th Street at Gresham on the South Side of Chicago on May 26, 1952. John F. Humiston photo
Rock Island FA diesels 151 and 145 doublehead with 4-8-4 5119 on a westbound freight at Joliet, Ill., in fall 1951. The train is passing JD tower, where RI crossed the Santa Fe and GM&O. Wallace W. Abbey photo
In 1937 EMC built six early streamlined TA diesels for the Rock Island, Nos. 600-605. Here, 604 is mated to an F7B at Omaha in July 1953. Brian M. Schmidt collection
The brightly painted depot at Bureau, Ill., matches the third unit on this eastbound freight led by U25B No. 230 in July 1976. The first cars behind the power are likely 57-foot PFE mechanical reefers like the car that the story follows. Randy B. Olson, David P. Oroszi collection
This westbound Rock Island freight near Utica, Ill., is likely to terminate at Silvis on this September 1972 day. Motive power is an F7 and Geep. Randy B. Olson, David P. Oroszi collection
A Pacific Fruit Express mechanical reefer rides first out behind four E units at Bureau, Ill. In the 1970s, as passenger service dwindled, the Rock shifted some of its E units to freight service, especially on weekends when Chicago commuter operations were lighter. Philip A. Weibler
A U33B-slug-U33B set in the Rock’s late “bankruptcy blue” scheme has a block of reefers in tow at Bureau, Ill., in 1978. The lettering on the side of the slug dubs it “The Great American Energy Saver,” a nod to the newfound energy conservation movement of the decade. Mark Llanuza
Iowa Interstate ES44AC No. 513 has emerged from the paint shop at Mid-America Car wearing Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific colors. The unit will serve on Interstate’s ex-Rock Island route between Blue Island, Ill., and Council Bluffs, Iowa. Mid-America Car photo
Chicago’s Metra has painted a MotivePower MP36PH into the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad’s red and yellow livery. The red-and-yellow color scheme was designed by Philip Weibler and placed in service on the Rock Island in 1969. Metra also consulted Electro-Motive Diesel, now Progress Rail, which manufactured the first locomotives featuring this color scheme, on the exact color specifications. Metra photo
Rock Island locomotives displayed a remarkable lack of diversity in the steam era. In contrast, during the diesel era, the Rock hardly met a locomotive model it didn’t like.
In the 20th century, the Rock made heavy use of the 0-6-0 (171), 2-8-0 (562), 2-8-2 (234), 4-6-0 (242), and 4-6-2 (175), types. Perhaps the best-remembered of Rock Island steam locomotives were 85 4-8-4s from Alco, immortalized by Lloyd Stagner’s expansive March 1981 study, the last delivered 1944-1946.
In the mid- and late 1920s, the Rock converted to oil fuel south and west of Kansas City. Thereafter most orders for locomotives were divided between coal burning and oil burning. The last appearance of steam in revenue service was in July 1953.
The Rock Island began buying diesel switchers before World War II, then received several sets of EMD FT cab units in 1944-1945. The arrival of more F units, along with Geeps and Alco RS and FA diesels, put an end to steam operations in 1953. Diesel builders represented on the road’s roster included Alco, Baldwin, Davenport, Fairbanks Morse, General Electric, Lima, and Whitcomb. Second-generation diesels arrived beginning in the early 1960s from both EMD and GE, but the Rock Island was struggling financially by that time.
The railroad ceased operations on March 31, 1980, but many of its diesels went on to operate on other railroads.
