This forum has now gone for over a month without a single post Last topic: New Rock Island Shirts from JTW on July 28th
Any photos / stories you can share. If so, please start a topic. :lightbulb: :lightbulb: :lightbulb: :lightbulb:
31 Aug 2006 During my early yers in the US Air Force, I rode as many trains as possible between assignments and when on leave. I was still single and could 'railfan' at will. In Nov of 1955, I had been transferred from Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Tx to Amarillo, Tx. Instead of going direct to Amarillo, I made the trip via Augusta, Georgia (home), then to Amarillo - all via rail. My train from Atlanta arrived at Memphis Central Station about 6 PM. After a layover of about two hours (same station), the Rock Island train for Amarrillo departed. The train arrived in Little Rock, Ar about 2 AM and Amarillo in the afternoon. This was an overnight and most of the next day train - not the Choctaw Rocket. I never did get the train numbers or a name of the train, if any for my records. Should any one out there have information about this train, please post. Larry @ SCRS
Only have one resource that's close. A 1959 Official Guide. It shows trains 51, 52 as the Choctaw. No mention of Rocket. Was that dropped? It also shows a daily train from Memphis, through Amarillo, as being Number 15. No train name carried. Boxcab E50
When I was about 13 I used to railfan the Rock in Minooka IL. Took slides with my 110 camara. Still have a couple somewhere! Used to waite for their E/F units especially! I will always be a fan! Rob
There was the Cherokee, train #111 that left Memphis at 7:30 PM, out of Little Rock at 10:45 PM and into Amarillo at 4:15 PM. That was for June 1955.
31 August 2006 Thanks Boxcab and Russel. Russell. Train #111 has an arrival time in Amarrillo that was about correct. The time peroid schedule of June 1955 would probably be the same in November 1955. The big problem is Little Rock. I had some relatives (then and still now) living in North Little Rock. I gave them a telephone call about 2 AM. We later had a lot of conversations about that early AM call. THe train I rode apparently left Memphis about 9:30 to !0:00 pm as four to 4.5 hours should have been more than enough time between there and Little Rock. The train did not travel very fast (one locomotive) and stopped many times between Memphis and Little Rock (and Amarillo). Boxcab. it could have been #15 that some how caught up with #111 about Ft. Smith or Oklahoma City, where the trains were combined then continued on to Tucumcari, NM. Larry @ SCRS
I have two time tables, June of 1955 and June of 1956. Both show only two trains between Memphis and Amarillo and no change in times. Train 51, the Choctaw Rocket and 111, the Cherokee. 51 left Memphis at 9 AM and took 2 hours 35 minutes to go the 132 miles to get to Little Rock. 111 left at 7:30 PM and took 2 hours 55 minutes having two more stops between those points. At 1:51 AM the 111 made a stop in Booneville, Arkansas. Maybe you somehow made the call from there thinking you were in Little Rock?
It's interesting how my 1959 O Guide shows it only as The Choctaw. While a couple others still shows as being Rockets. I wonder hwne/why they dropped Rocket from that train? Too slow to use it any more? mg: Boxcab E50
SCRS, in November,1951, I and my sister went to a wedding in Memphis. We lived in McAlester, Ok on the RI Choctaw Route, our dad worked on the Katy, we were traveling on passes which means the slowest trains. Our trip from Memphis departed about 8 pm and, like yours , made many stops. We arrived in McA OK about 5 am. We rode the RI other times west, but never on the Rocket. Walter Boatner
Walter- Wouldn't it be great, if we could download our memories to a home computer? I'd love to see your RI travels. Boxcab E50
The Choctaw Rocket was never a ROCKET in the implication of speed. The RDC's operated the line and were actually known as "Rockettes" due to the diminutive size of the train (not due to their legs and dancing ability).
I AM FOR ONE AM A BIG ROCK ISLAND FAN . i hope to see more corespondence among railfans and if i could get my stuff together i would share some photos that i have acquired. look forward to discussing the rock island later on.
5 Sept 2006 Good morning all. Russell. Train #111, the Cherokee had to be the train. Somehow, I have too be off on my 'Little Rock' time. It was the Little Rock station from where I made the call. The train had to be late as it was definiatly after midnight, That single BL-2 locomotive just did not move the train very fast. My watch was probably still set on Eastern Standard time which would made it more like 12:30 to 12:45 A.M. After the train arrived, I walked around the station checking it out for about 20 minutes. When I looked out front, I found that the station set behind another building. On the track side, to the left and down the tracks was a bridge. I know I debated for a while after arrival before making that call - as it was late. When they did answer the phone, I had just a few minutes to talk, as the conductor began waving and calling for all of us - mostly Airman to get back on the train. He was ready to go. That would put the train out of Little Rock about 0100 - a good two hours late departing. Walter. Like you said, the train stopped many times. Another item of interest that took place in Ok. - about 8 AM. A local sheriff met the train at a station stop. With him, was a young girl - about 16 to 18 years of age. He met with the conductor, gave him some papers and after talking for a few minutes (with the conductor), the conductor had her board the train, showed her to a seat and told her not to leave the car. Somewhere before Amarillo, she left the train and met a number of people who were waiting for her. It had been a long - slow ride from Memphis, when the train arrived in Amarillo. My biggest regret is that I did not make written notes of that trip and GET A TIMETABLE. Thanks to all for the information. I hope my grandkids will somehow enjoy reading about my travels during "my early days". Larry US AIR FORCE, Retired (now more than 31 years).
