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Monument showing the Rocket routes in 1952 at the former Rock Island Lines Passenger Station in Rock Island, Illinois

The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Rockets were lightweight, streamlined diesel-electric passenger trains built by the Budd Company. These six trains were the first streamlined equipment purchased by the Rock Island, as well as being its first diesel-powered passenger trains. Four of the trains consisted of three cars each, the other two each had four cars.

Train design

The stainless steel trains were each powered by an Electro-Motive Corporation model TA locomotive. Unlike many other early streamlined trains, the locomotives were not permanently attached to the trains.

The trains were articulated except for the observation cars. Later, as the railroad streamlined more trains on more routes, the list of "Rocket" trains grew.

List of trains

The six trains as originally assigned were:[1][2]

Texas Rocket
Denver Rocket, east of Denver, Colorado, November 25, 1937
Kansas City Rocket

References

  1. ^ "Rock Island Rockets". Railway Classics. December 16, 2009.
  2. ^ "Streamliners Now Obsolete With 1937 Model on "Market"". Reading Eagle. October 16, 1936. Retrieved March 28, 2012 – via Google News.
  3. ^ Hansen 2017, pp. 76–77

External links


North American lightweight passenger trains by manufacturer
Named trains of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
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