The Rock Island in Film
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- čas přidán 24. 04. 2021
- OK, Rock Island fans, this one's for you. From the late 40's to the late 70's, the video has a variety of steam, slant-nosed TA's and E6's, FT's, a Whitcomb 70 tonner, a Lima switcher, "Christine"- the EMD repowered DL109, Alco RS-3's and C415's, the E6B's with control cabs, the Aerotrain, GE U Boats, long distance and commuter passenger trains, and freights. The first scenes are from a Rock Island promotional film, edited down and with the soundtrack replaced. The clips appear in rough chronological order by era and paint schemes. Sounds are from my video library and Arkay records. Enjoy!
- Auta a dopravní prostředky
Yes the Rock island was a mighty fine line !!
Was thinking of that some myself.
Wow. Rock Island running at speed on well maintained track. Not the image most of us carry of the end days RI.
“Well I maybe right and I maybe wrong I bet you gon' miss me when I’m gone!”
I just love the CRI&P!! May its memory NEVER fade!
Well technically it’s been back since 2017 as a short line owner, took over the midland railway in Kansas not too long ago as another line under their belt.
Edit: I am NOT affiliated with them but Rock Island Rail (RILX, RI, CRI&P reporting marks) have the Mississippi Delta Railroad, Great River Railroad, Gulf and Ship Island Railroad, and the Ottawa Northern Railroad (Midland Railroad).
Locomotives list: NW2 #767 (ex BN) GP38-2 #4310, 4373 (not the originals), GP15-1 #1106, SD38-2 #1555, 1559, C40-8 #2127 (upgraded to C42-8 prior to purchase), all locomotives owned by the Midland Railroad and a few more that I may have missed. They also have at least 6 cabooses (cabeese) that they use regularly as shoving platforms.
Personally I waiting for them to see what they do about the THIRTY some odd hoppers that were being stored for another railroad by the previous owner that are now very much trapped due to the sate of Mississippi paving over a grade crossing. Though I can unfortunately only watch my my home in Tennessee but I hope to make a trip sometime soon.
@@retr0bits545you seem to really like Rock Island Rail, I think you'd be a great employee for them.
I live four blocks from the Englewood Station in Chicago, Illinois. Our apartment was at 61st. and Princeton Street are windows could see the ROCK ISLAND, ROCKETS as well as THE NEW YORK 20TH CENTURY, PENNSYLVANIA, BROADWAY LIMITED, SANTA FE, all the CHE
great video. Had the privilege of actually operating and working on the #630 and the #652 E-units when they were both in Baldwin City, KS on the Midland railway.
Absolutely fantastic footage! You're the best with old and rare footage from the Golden Years of Railroading!
Thanks for the post 👍 we had #9 r.r. pass thru MSP when I was a punk:1949-1976 watching the Rock island come thru St Paul left us all smiling👋rs3,Es,fs😊
For my seventh birthday in 1960's Chicago, I received, for Christmas, a Marx HO Rock Island F7 A&B Model Train Set now long gone. This started my lifelong love affair with Railroads. I have since purchased two original 1960's Marx R.I. sets in good working order. Now, I'm happily back on track.
I will always be a Rock Island fan. When I was a boy in the 50s, the Rock Island went through my grandparent's town. I was mesmerized by them. I used to hang out at the depot just to wait for trains to pass by. I miss seeing the E6s and F7s in the Rock Island Maroon color that was used.
Thanks a million for the footage of the storied RR that inspired a song with the lyrics, "Rock Island Line is a mighty good road." I like the burgundy colors of the locomotives, as they were similar to the Pennsylvania RR's locomotives and passenger cars. Just seeing the color home movie footage is nostalgic enough. It feels like yesterday instead of years ago. What a treasure this is.🙂
Thank you. This footage is priceless.
Amazing footage, precious pictures 👍
Your videos are like a trip back in time I’m glad your putting this content out there I was born 1995 so these videos are before my time so I’m glad to see them and I subscribed
R.I.P Rock Island Railroad 1852-1980.
Really nice. Thanks! I grew up on the Rock double-track main well west of Chicago: farm country. Both passenger and freights in the 50s and 60s would run 70+ mph out in the open spaces. Sometimes a flag-stop passenger such as the Peoria Rocket would slightly overshoot some of the small-town stations. Oops. It seems the Rock had at least one or two of nearly every model diesel ever made. Sometimes we couldn't figure what was up front pulling a freight train.
Ahh the good old Rock Island, wish I was alive back then to see it in its glory days!
What a great film of poor old Rock. Love the shots of the EMD re-engineering Alcoa. Those smokin’ RS3’s pulling commute must have missed a trip to Silvia shop to have their 244’s pulled. Anyone take note of the rare Alco DL-107/9 with the raised roof to accommodate its replacement engine? It is shown in one shot pulling TOFC trailers. Good video, and much appreciated.
Brave of the filmer to ride on a car heading down a hump yard!
Once hopped a freight with my friends going home from Blue Island...that thing started high balling by time it reached Robbins...almost too scared to jump off
Rode it many times between Lasalle-Peru and Chicago from 66-70. THe line ran through the property of our school and we would walk back and watch trains (and smoke and throw rocks). There was a cut the tracks ran through that was overgrown with brush so we could hide in there and do our evil deeds unseen. In those days we walked the tracks often and never had a problem with RR police, we were careful to get away when a train came by.
My grandfather was probably the engineer.
IDOT wants to revive the QC and Peoria Rockets.
IMO, both would be bad investments, but you'd be the second passenger on the Rockets maiden voyage cuz I'd be its first.
But I want the good old dirty dingy passenger cars.
Let's really bring it back! LOL
That’s the way I like videos. No one around; just stack talk or railroad related sound.
A million thanks for uploading this! Wish there were a few more Pullman Jct. scenes.
I have always wanted to see the Golden State passenger train pulled by Rock Island E-7’s because most pictures show the Southern Pacific units. It was also great to see the DL-109, l have one in N scale in that same paint scheme. Thanks for posting!!
Relatively rare color film in good condition with appropriately arranged sound effects. Excellent!
Lionel Electric Trains made a pair of Rock Island Alco diesels in 1952. They remain some of the most sought after diesels to this day.
A company called Unique Art made lithographed o scale FP7s in about 1950 in the original rocket paint scheme. Pity hey never made any cars to go with them. If you search unique art rock island here on CZcams you’ll find videos about them.
I miss the constant-lit searchlight signals. There was something comforting about them when I was doing night photography.
Because it's not ril tracks lmao
Anyway my old man was a brake man in ElReno. I remember things from 2 yo. Was very last of the steamers. Diesel took over immediately and they cut up the steamers just as fast. Thanks for the post!!
I was born right at the time steam officially ended. Growing up I seen the best and miss those days.
Thanks for posting this. Alas, for I was born too late!
B-eautiful. Brings back memories to a Chicago area boy❤️👍🏻
I can't thank you enough for doing this, excellent work compiling the videos and audio! I've been a Rock Island fan all my life, this just pleases me to no end to watch.
There used to be a rockisland 53' trailer off a semi here in my hometown of leesburg va never knew why it was here didn't think the rock came to VA
@@kurt8986 you will find bits of the Rock Island scattered around the country. Usually in the form of hopper cars still serving.
And 40 years later after the Rock Island went bankrupt in 1980, it would be resurrected in 2020 as a shortline in Mississippi.
did not have to go bankrupt it was the clerks 1st. they were stupid and ask for back pay after get a raise. JImmy carter 2nd ended the strike when the rock was doing fime and making money. have the fed gov run it a year untill\ the dumb fed gov lost more money in 1 years then it gave the rock island in 40 years. over 60% of the rock island still in use today
Well it’s a different company that named itself after the original.
@@deepspire ditto that
Iowa Interstate ain't The Rock but they trying. They got nice heritage units as a salute.
😂
This video is fantastic!! I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen the “Jet Rocket” actually moving, I’ve only read about such things! Love there’s passenger trains in here!
Thanks for sharing, putting together and other work to make this. Love it!
Awesome footage! Love the steam and early diesels! 1920s through the 1960s. Great channel! 👍
Thank you for providing these great videos.
Thank you for this video. Excellent as always.
THANK YOU...for sharing. Watched and very much enjoyed.
CNW was the hometown road but due to having extended family in Marseilles Illinois the Rock was a second hometown road.
Having gotten my driver's license with 2 years left to the Rock I do regret not taking advantage of my newfound freedom to record the working museum that was the Rock commuter operation.
Tremendous stuff, really enjoyed that. There were a few things on there I've never seen before and all in such good quality.
Neat to see the multi-track, city passenger terminals - Little Rock and I believe at 15:58, that's the Omaha Union Station. Some Union Pacific passenger cars in the background. Rock Island had some sleek streamliners in the 50s and 60s. Looks like they kept them up.
superb film and great job on sound effects!
14:07 That Aerotrain is really bookin'
Just love these old diesels. Happy days.
Mighty machines of superior engineering!!
Great vid! Thanks for posting!
Some nice shots, would like to have seen more consist and train shots.
I see that here. Thanks.
All good stuff! Thanks for sharing! Tony
Great footage! I loved the train at about the 14 minute mark. Super Diesel.
I love the Rock Island in the 40's!
Amazing
Once again the Classics, Wow
Great footage and syncing of sound.
As a film maker, (and train nut) I can say "Fmnut" did a wonderful job, "editing the film down"on his Rock Island RR film. And the new sound is wonderful. -Robert Burrill 🎥Moooose69
LONG LIVE THE ROCK ISLAND!
My grandfather would be ESTATIC if he was still living. He spent many years on the Rock Island's Board of Directors including three terms as chairman.
I presume he would be even more pleased that the line has been revived as a short line holding company and is doing well (and looking for new employees due to their expansion).
The footage is magnificent I love old footage with sound. I only saw so far one clip I think it was the California limited.
I meant the Golden State limited pardon me.
The E6B with the control cab reminded me of the Alco DL500's that ran on the NSWGR in Australia.
Thanks for sharing!
I have seen some of these , but there are quite a few clips I haven’t seen! @ Timestamp 38:50 the E unit passing the lagoon is Oak Forest , I lived few blocks away. Great job as usual FM!
Great Show!
Nice to see e-units pulling freight in their twilight years.
Incredible!
Holy
The Rock island line is a mighty good road.
Ah yes. The Rock Island that was terribly in bad shape that avoided bankruptcy until 1980. As the railway is now a fallen flag, the newly formed short line, the IAIS, operates segments of the former Rock Island tracks that are still in good condition. In fact, Metra operates its commuter trains to Joliet Union Station from La Salle Station.
was turning around the Fe Gov mess over the rock island 2 times
Great memories,I remember that locomotive at 14:12.Seeing it in Blue Island
What an interesting view of the humping. Imaginative idea to put a camera on a car going over the hump.
nothing like being in a car the lower tier of bridge with a Zillion Ton locomotive and freight cars rolling overhead.
Rode the Twin Star Rocket between Houston and Des Moines three times. The last two weeks before it was cut back to Dallas.
Nice video!
very cool.
Ah yes The good old Rock Island Railroad Reminds me of the Long Island Railroad during the 50s
It would be great if we knew where the locations are taken.
Yes, it would. Unfortunately I am from the east coast so I have no idea on most of them.
I recognize clips from at least 2 other movies: "Rock Island Road of Progress" and "Mainline USA".
I think I saw Clark Kent running next to one of these trains...
Nice action
8:05 Samson of the Cimarron. Bridge east of Liberal, Kansas.
At 5:54.... FARMALLS! Looks to be a flat load of M's. Quite a bit of farm equipment going over that hump. Rich, you have outdone yourself again. I thoroughly enjoyed this great video. Thanks!
Is that CWP&S #42 at 32:57? If so, I wonder if it was on its way to US Steel as IH only owned it for about a year.
Ok, maybe you or someone who runs across this question would know.... why does it seem like The Rock has enough different paint jobs on their engines to have one for every day of the year?? Can't say that I can think of another railroad that had so many different ones.
Lehigh Valley, for one. I think they were desperate for an image that would turn their fortunes around.
Thx.
Some of these were used in the promotional film "Wheels of Progress"
That's where I got them from.
@@fmnut A ahane that John Farrington worked so hard to put the Rock Island back together and those that followed let it fall apart again :(
great videos and congratulations on your channel, today I posted on my channelmore a video of the locomotives of the logistical course in Araraquara s.p - Brazil, thanks..
Thank you times one thousand! The footage of Englewood and Vermont Street are priceless. Is there additional footage to look forward to?
Nope, that's all I have for now . At least until I come across more.
Hey Jeff you sound like you know a lot about that area. My father worked for the Rock 22 years until shut down mostly Blue island, 95th street and I think it was 12th street I got to ride in the funny looking switch engines that looked like caboose. I wanted to work for the Rock but after a 8 year hitch in the Army it was gone. Man them were good people all.
Thank you video brings alot back. By the way I still own property where the Rock is mainly where it passes the Auburn Lagoon and Hamilton Park. Alot of the viaducts are still marked ROCK ISLAND.
@@gmac8852 Yes, so many good people indeed. I was a fixture on the last remaining Rockets in 1977 and 1978. Often times, the crew outnumbered the passengers. It was like having our own full sized toy train then. Once the crew got to know you, you could stand in the open Dutch door and enjoy the liberty. I was once asked why I even bothered to buy a ticket, as they would just let you on near the end just to have some company I think. Cheers!
@@gmac8852 That's awesome! I understand they are building a replacement station for the old Hamilton Park stop (71st & Stewart?). I search the web for interior shots of Englewood Union Station and they are more than scarce.
To me, you can't beat stuff like this, when it comes to old railroad vids.
Weren't those yellow E8s the ex-Union Pacific passenger locomotives that Rock Island purchased?
Correct.
can't beat delicious chocolatey brown and gold, but please tell me why is it going backwards at 32:20 ?
Push pull set. The engineer runs from a control cab in the end car in one direction. Eliminates running around the train at each end of the run
Hey, fmnut, just curious... Does FM stand for Fairbanks-Morse? Or is it something else?
Yes, Fairbanks Morse.
1:20 rock island 4-6-2 Pacific
1:28 rock island 4-8-2 Mountain
2:25 the rock island EMC TA!
21:04 35:03 35:18 39:10 the rock island AB6!
37:20 rock island bicentennial e unit
Neat pictures of Omaha at 16:40!!
Rock Island made Penn Central look good.
The road to ride
8:37 Fairport, IA fish hatchery
3:20 - is that the Ft. Madison bridge?
I don't think the Rock used the Fort Madison bridge. That was the Santa Fe mainline.
What's that funky looking engine pulling the commuter train at 21:06?
Yes, it is an E6 B unit with a control cab in one end, designated an AB6. RI had two custom built for the Rocky Mountain Rocket. At Limon, Colorado, the train would split into two sections, one for Denver and one for Colorado Springs. The E6A would take the Denver section while the AB6 would go on to Colorado Springs. This meant that while the train was running from Chicago to Limon, the train's streamlined lines would be unbroken by a second A unit in the power consist. Of course, by the 60's all that attention to aesthetics went out the window and most consists were a "dog's breakfast" of power and paint schemes. In later years after most long distance trains were discontinued, the AB6's were demoted to Chicago commuter service, as seen in the film.
21:04 is that a cabbed B unit? It looks rather odd
Yes, it is an E6 B unit with a control cab in one end, designated an AB6. RI had two custom built for the Rocky Mountain Rocket. At Limon, Colorado, the train would split into two sections, one for Denver and one for Colorado Springs. The E6A would take the Denver section while the AB6 would go on to Colorado Springs. This meant that while the train was running from Chicago to Limon, the train's streamlined lines would be unbroken by a second A unit in the power consist. Of course, by the 60's all that attention to aesthetics went out the window and most consists were a "dog's breakfast" of power and paint schemes. In later years after most long distance trains were discontinued, the AB6's were demoted to Chicago commuter service, as seen in the film.
A Johnny Cash music video!
Well, the The Rock is in the Delta of Mississippi! How do yah like dat??????.👍
like train
The Rock Island railroad was in terrible shape in the early 1970’s. Their last 2 Rocket passenger trains which were the Peoria Rocket & the Quad Cities Rocket made their last runs on 12/31/1979. On 3/31/1980 Rock Island ceased operations. It tried in the 1960’s to merge with the Union Pacific in 1964, but that process dragged out in courts & the Union Pacific said no to the merger in 1974. The Rock Is,and should have tried the merger in the 1950’s when it was in much better shape. I tree merged as a short line in Mississippi in 2020.
the rock island was turning around in 1979 but Jimmy carter mess it up
@@dknowles60 that as well as the harsh winter of 79, the fuel prices and just inflation
Downing Jenks and Jervis Langdon sure let this line go to smack :(
Wrong. the Fed gov Mess over rock island 2 times
@@dknowles60 Downing Jenks was Prez in the late 1950's and Jervis Langdon was Prez mid to late 1960's, no Giv, takeover until 1980
@@Robbi496 wrong. fed gov mess up the UpRR merger
@@dknowles60 So Downing Jenks and Jervis Langdon had nothing to do with letting track and trains fall below standard? How old are you??
@@Robbi496 Jimmy carter was the final nail in the coffin. the stupid clerks were the other Nail. Google it its on google. rock island was moving 87% of its traffic with 3% of its workers. After Carter got Spanked by the !978 N&W Rr clerks strike he was hoping not to get spanked again. He got spanked again and By IRAN for 444 days. again how young are you