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Trains 501, 502, 503, & 504, Chicago-Peoria Rockets, became Jet Rockets; Trains 509 & 510, the Kansas City Rocket between Minneapolis and Kansas City, had by 1957 been extended to Ft. Worth, replacing trains 31 & 32, the Kansas City-Ft. Worth Firefly.
The first are the Rock Island Rockets, which were transitional trains between the early Burlington Zephyrs and later full-sized streamliners such as the Santa Fe Super Chief. Inaugurated in 1937, the rockets consisted of three- and four-car Budd-built articulated trains, similar to the original Zephyr, but without an articulated power car.
The Rocky Mountain Rocket was no longer operating, nor was any Rock Island passenger train to Colorado, yet table one in this timetable is titled “Chicago – Denver – Colorado Springs.” In fact, trains in the table only go as far as Omaha.
On Board the Rock Island Rockets. While the Pere Marquette and Empire Builder were the first post-war trains, the Rock Island holds the honor of being the only railroad allowed to introduce a new passenger train during the war.
Click image to download an 1.2-MB PDF of this 4-page timetable. Trains 5 & 6, once called the Des Moines Rocket, had been cut back to Rock Island. Yesterday’s timetable still had two trains a day between Chicago and Omaha, 7 & 8, the Corn Husker, and 9 & 10, the Corn Belt Rocket.
Rock Island 1938 Timetable. Ranging from Chicago to Denver and from the Twin Cities to Galveston, the Rock Island Railroad had an extensive network of Midwestern rail lines.
The railroads ordered two streamlined trains from Pullman, one that would be owned by the Rock Island and one by the Southern Pacific. This is one of three sets of E7s delivered to Southern Pacific in the Golden Rocket/State color scheme.
Rock Island 1964 Timetable. Just like the 1957 timetable, this one has 20 pages with its red cover on the back. But there are a lot fewer trains in this edition. Click image to download a 14.4-MB PDF of this timetable.
In 1951, the Rock Island’s passenger trains were completely Dieselized while it still used both steam and Diesels for hauling its freight trains.
In October, 1958, General Motors sold both trains to the Rock Island Railroad, which used them in commuter service between Chicago and Joliet. Although the railroad hoped its passengers wouldn’t be too uncomfortable at the lower speeds of a commuter train, both trains ended service in 1966.