The Rocky Mountain Rocket, Rock Island's First Long Distance Rocket

The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, better known as simply the Rock Island was a legend even during its own time (the railroad even had a song named after it!). And perhaps this is what makes it’s ending so depressing. For all of the railroad’s fame and recognition, this did not translate into wealth and power. Several times throughout the railroad’s history it would go into receivership, its last in 1975 when it would be liquidated five years later in 1980.

Through the early 1900s the Rock Island would continue to grow, build, and acquire railroad lines through either construction or outright purchase of other smaller railroads. The railroad gained its final name as the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad in May of 1866 when the railroad set out to complete its subsidiary, the Mississippi & Missouri Railroad, to Omaha, Nebraska to connect with the newly created Union Pacific Railroad which was building west to link with the Central Pacific Railroad to complete the Transcontinental Railroad (the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was also created as a holding company for both the C&GI and M&M). At the peak of the railroad’s size it operated over 8,000 miles of track between cities such as Chicago, St. Louis, Dallas, Denver, and Memphis.

The Rocket passenger trains received their name, interestingly enough, from the first steam locomotive to ever operate on the Rock Island known as the “Rocket.” The Rocket fleet has its beginnings in 1937 when the short, regional services began, serving several different cities. These first five trains named the Peoria Rocket, Des Moines Rocket, Texas Rocket, Denver Rocket, and Kansas City Rocket (named for the city they served) were completely streamlined and powered by a unique Electro-Motive Corporation TA-model diesel locomotive (forerunner to the successful E series) that pulled a four-car consist. So successful were these daily services, which featured a beautiful livery of handsome maroon and bright silver that the Rock Island decided it would branch out into true, long-distance passenger service.

The first of these services was the railroad’s Rocky Mountain Rocket, which competed directly with the Union Pacific’s City of St. Louis and City of Denver, Missouri Pacific’s Colorado Eagle, and the Burlington’s Denver Zephyr. Needless to say, competition was very stiff. However, this train, which debuted on November 12, 1939 and featured all stainless-steel equipment from Pullman-Standard and the Budd Company, pulled by Electro-Motive E-series diesels, held its own for many years with these other trains (part of the Rocky Mountain’s success came from the fact that its route was densely populated).

However, despite its highly populated route and good service the Rocky Mountain Rocket was the weak link in the chain and simply could not effectively compete with the faster running times of the competition (not to mention that the Rock Island was in cash crunch for much of its life from the 1950s through its final liquidation in 1980), along with a general loss in traffic to highways and airplanes. After only 27 years of operation the Rocky Mountain Rocket was officially discontinued by the Rock Island in October of 1966.

For a more reading about the Rock Island consider the book Rock Island Lines: The First Century from authors William Hayes and Arthur Large. The book gives a fine history of the Rock through its first century of operations and anyone interested in a history of the railroad and how it ultimately put together its historic system should very much enjoy the book.

Also, for more reading on streamliners like the Rocky Mountain Rocket you might want to also consider the book Streamliners: History of a Railroad Icon from renowned author Mike Schafer who covers in detail most of the well known and remembered “classic” passenger trains to operate in the country. If you have any interest in such you should very much enjoy Mr. Schafer’s book.