Rock Island Steam Roster: Post 1900

Published: March 19, 2025

In the modern steam era the Rock typically utilized 2-8-0s and 2-8-2s for freight service while 4-4-2s and 4-6-2s handled passenger trains.

Beginning in the 1930s, John Dow Farrington's leadership brought about a system-wide infrastructure improvement program by replacing ties, pouring tons of new ballast, rebuilding bridges, laying heavy, 112+ pound rail on main lines, straightening bottlenecks, purchasing diesels, and expanding centralized traffic control/automatic block signaling systems.

In doing so, 4-8-4s purchased in 1929-1930 extended their reach beyond Chicago - Des Moines; Chicago - Dalhart, Texas; and Herrington, Kansas - El Reno, Oklahoma to Denver, Tucumcari, Fort Worth and Kansas City - Twin Cities. Steam survived on the Rock Island until 1953-1955 when the final 4-8-4s were retired.

Rock Island 2-10-2 #3033 leads a westbound freight near Tucumcari, New Mexico on May 4, 1940. American-Rais.com collection.

Switchers

Wheel Arrangement	Class	Road Number(s)	Quantity	Builder(s)	Completion Date	Retirement Date	Notes
0-6-0	S-23	12	1	CRI&P, Baldwin	1901	1936	-
0-6-0	S-23	53, 55	2	Baldwin	1910	1936	-
0-6-0	S-23	57-61, 65-75, 85-99, 101-110	38	CRI&P	1900-1903	-	-
0-6-0	S-29	111-130	20	Brooks (Alco)	1903	1936-1943	-
0-6-0	S-29	131-148, 195-196	20	Richmond (Alco)	1905	1937-1951	-
0-6-0	S-25	175-183	9	Baldwin	1901	1934-1936	-
0-6-0	S-21	184-194	11	Brooks (Alco)	1900-1936	-	Formerly Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railway #10-20.
0-6-0	S-29	220-229	30	Baldwin	1905-1907	1937-1943	-
0-6-0	S-33	230-259	30	Richmond (Alco)	1913	1940-1953	-
0-6-0	S-33	275-284	10	Pittsburgh (Alco)	1919	1953	A USRA design.
0-6-0	S-53	300-309	10	Brooks (Alco)	1925	1953-1954	-

Passenger Locomotives

Wheel Arrangement	Class	Road Number(s)	Quantity	Builder(s)	Completion Date	Retirement Date	Notes
4-4-0	E-18	674, 677, 682, 683	4	Baldwin	1902	1934	-
4-6-2	P-28	801-830	30	Brooks (Alco)	1903	1935-1936	-
4-6-2	P-32	831-861	31	Schenectady (Alco)	1905	1936-1950	-
4-6-2	P-31	862-894	33	Schenectady	1909	1939-1953	-
4-6-2	P-33	895-944	50	Schenectady (Alco)	1910	1939-1953	-
4-6-2	P-40	950-979	30	Brooks (Alco)	1913	1939-1952	-
4-6-2	P-46	999	1	Brooks (Alco)	1924	1939	A 3-cylinder design.
4-4-2	A-23	1001-1003	3	Brooks (Alco)	1900	1934	Formerly Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railway #75-76.
4-4-2	A-24	1004-1010	7	Brooks (Alco)	1900	1934	-
4-4-2	A-24	1011-1020	10	Schenectady (Alco)	1905	1935-1937	-
4-4-2	A-29	1040-1041	2	Schenectady (Alco)	1909	1936, 1937	A 4-cylinder simple design.
4-4-2	A-24	1042-1049	8	Baldwin	1905-1906	1935-1942	A 4-cylinder compound design.
4-6-0	28B	1225-1242	17	Baldwin	1900	-	A Vauclain compound design.
4-6-0	T-27	1291-1299	9	Baldwin	1902	1934-1936	-
4-6-0	T-27	1301-1322	22	Brooks (Alco)	1902	1934-1935	Formerly #1472-1493.
4-6-0	T-26	1323-1337	15	Brooks (Alco)	1902-1903	1935	#1333-1337 were formerly #1494-1498.
4-6-0	T-23	1340-1341	2	Baldwin	1900	1934	-
4-6-0	D-23	1351-1355	5	Baldwin	1900	-	Vauclain compound designs. Formelry #1201-1205.
4-6-0	T-28	1401-1471	71	Brooks (Alco)	1901-1902	1935-1941	-
4-6-0	T-28	1472-1488	17	Baldwin	1900	1934-1942	Formerly #1226-1242.
4-6-0	D-28	1490-1499	10	Brooks (Alco)	1902	-	Formerly Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railway #200-209 (Class 54B).
4-6-0	T-28	1501-1520	20	Brooks (Alco)	1901-1902	1934-1944	-
4-6-0	T-31	1521-1535	15	Schenectady (Alco)	1905	1936-1949	-
4-6-0	T-31	1550-1587	39	Baldwin	1905	1936-1953	-

Freight Locomotives

Wheel Arrangement	Class	Road Number(s)	Quantity	Builder(s)	Completion Date	Retirement Date	Notes
2-6-0	G-24	748-750	3	Baldwin	1901	1935	-
2-8-0	S-39	400-499	93	Brooks (Alco)	1903-1904	1936-1942	Formerly Class C-39.
2-8-0	C-39	1601-1700	100	Brooks (Alco)	1903-1904	1952	Most were reclassed as S-39.
2-8-0	C-43	1701-1783	83	Baldwin	1906	1936-1953	-
2-8-0	C-46	1799 (1st)	1	Baldwin	1906	-	Sold to New York, Susquehanna & Western.
2-8-0	C-46	1799 (2nd)	1	Baldwin	1907	1939	Renumbered 2200, then later numbered 1784.
2-8-0	C-26	1807-1810	4	Baldwin	1901	1934-1952	Formerly Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf Railroad #207-210.
2-8-0	C-28	1812-1840	29	Baldwin	1899-1901	1933-1941	Formerly Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf Railroad #261-289.
2-8-0	C-31	1852-1878	27	Baldwin	1902	1936-1947	Formerly Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf Railroad #290-316.
2-8-0	C-34	1880-1882	3	Lima	1910	1943-1949	Formerly St Paul & Des Moines Railway #206-208.
2-8-0	S-32	1888-1899	12	Baldwin	1901-1902	1937-1942	A Camelback design. Formerly Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf Railroad #150-161.
2-8-0	C-43	1901-1930	30	Brooks (Alco)	1907	1936-1952	-
2-8-0	C-41	1931-2064	134	Brooks (Alco)	1909-1910	1937-1952	-
2-8-0	C-43	2100-2144	45	Schenectady (Alco)	1907	1937-1953	-
2-8-2	K-55	2300-2319	20	Baldwin, Schenectady (Alco)	1919	1948-1953	A USRA design.
2-8-2	K-60	2500-2642	143	Baldwin, Schenectady (Alco), Brooks (Alco)	1912-1923	1936-1953	Four examples were later sold to the Soo Line in 1941.
2-8-2	K-60B	2643-2678	36	Brooks (Alco)	1923	1948-1953	-
2-8-2	K-64B	2679-2688	10	Brooks (Alco)	1926	1952-1953	-
2-8-2	K-67B	2689-2713	25	Schenectady (Alco)	1927	1948-1953	-
2-10-2	N-78	3001-3035	35	Schenectady (Alco), Brooks (Alco)	1918-1925	1939-1952	-
4-8-2	M-50/M50a	4000-4061	62	Brooks (Alco), Schenectady (Alco)	1913-1927	1939-1953	Seven examples (4006, 4007, 4015, 4022, 4023, 4028, 4031) later sold to the St. Louis Southwestern Railway in 1941.

Rock Island 4-8-2 #4059 at Council Bluffs, Iowa, circa 1950. American-Rails.com collection.

Dual Service

Wheel Arrangement	Class	Road Number(s)	Quantity	Builder(s)	Completion Date	Retirement Date	Notes
4-8-4	R-67B	5000-5064	65	Alco	1929-1930	1951-1953	-
4-8-4	R-67B	5100-5119	20	Alco	1944, 1946	1953-1955	-