Rock Island Steam Roster: Post 1900
Published: March 19, 2025
By: Adam Burns
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. |
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 | - |
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