I've compared the map of the Rock Island Lines of 1964 with maps of various regions in the "Official Railway Guide" 2004 Issue and gathered the following current railroads and their former Rock Island routes: CSX Transportation (Chicago-Bureau IL) Iowa Interstate (Bureau/Peoria IL-Omaha NE) Iowa, Chicago & Eastern (Clinton IA-Chillicothe MO) Iowa Northwestern (Cedar Rapids-Nora Springs IA, Estherville-Allendorf IA) Kyle Rys. (Maheska NE-Limon CO) AT&L RR (Bridgeport-El Reno OK) Arkansas-Oklahoma RR (McAlester-Howe OK) Fordyce & Princeton (Fordyce-Crossett AR) Union Pacific (Chillicothe-Kansas City MO, Des Moines IA-Faribault MN [indirect gap included], Hallam-Fairbury NE, Kansas City-Vaughn NM, Wellington KS-Corsicana TX, El Reno-Oklahoma City, Brinkley AR-Memphis TN) Have I omitted any railroad or Rock Island route that needs to be included?
By chance have you checked with the Rock Island Technical Society? I'd not be surprised to learn they have this information available. Boxcab E50
The BNSF runs what was the old BRI or Burlington-Rock Island route from Dallas to Houston. It was a joint line owned 50/50 by the Rock Island and the CB&Q.
Don't forget the OUCH - - The Ouachita Railroad Company (El Dorado, AR - Lille, LA) Also, the LWRN - - The Little Rock and Western Railway (Danville, AR - Pulaski, AR, then trackage rights on UP to North Little Rock, AR)
I understand it's the Iowa Northern Ry. between Cedar Rapids and Nora Springs. Wasn't it the Iowa Northwestern RR between Estherville and Allendorf? Whatever happened to that segment?
The "genius" running the Iowa Northwestern pulled up all the rails except for a small section, last I heard he was in deep doo doo for that manuver.Also Chicago Rail Link, Chicago Short Line, Metra up here in Chi town. AOK in Oklahoma, Farmrail also in OK, Denver and Rock Island in Denver Co.Actually Clinton Iowa was the Davenport Rock Island and Northwestern,their line was from Bettendorf to Clinton,Milwaukee shared trackage rights on that segment as well then moving its operations after cutting back its line on the Illinois side ( now ICE Nitrin Line cut back to Cordova)So ICE/DME/Angry Beaver runs the former Rock tracks from Nahant ( Old Missouri Div Jct) to Muscatine to Washington.At Washington its old Milwaukee to Ottumwa and down to Chilli.Oh and Burlington Junction in Burling ton Iowa runs whats left of the BCR&N in Burlington. Interchanging with the BNSF, Progressive Rail also has a section in St Louis that was part of the former St Louis KC segment.Kaw River or is it Kaw Jct railroad has some KC trackage.
Seems like I'd read somehwere that roughly two-thirds of the Rock Island was still in some sort of rail use.
As mentioned before, Farmrail uses a small chunk of the Choctaw Route in western Oklahoma. A-OK also operates between Oklahoma City and Shawnee, OK. The section between Shawnee and McAlester is inactive due to washouts in several places. IIRC, part of the Choctaw Route is still used on the east side of Amarillo, TX, if only to access a car repair facility, and for freight car storage. Texas Northwestern still runs on par of the trackage around Etter, TX (north of Amarillo). And how could you forget the part of the Rock between Topeka, KS and Tucumcari, NM? It was originally purchased by SP after the Rock folded, rebuilt & rehabbed to a fine Class 1 railroad, and became part of the UP when the SP was merged/Borged. The nickname for this section was the "Cotton Rock", after the operator (Cotton Belt was the designated operator).
In my further research, major railroads had acquired portions of Rock Island's lines; but I could not find when they did so. They are the following: - Chicago & North Western (in Iowa): Carlisle-Indianola, Des Moines-Mason City, Iowa Falls-Forest City, Hampton-Estherville, Bricelyn (MN)-Ocheyedan-Sibley, and Palmer-Royal. Did it acquire these lines in June 1983 or later when it acquire the Twin Cities-Des Moines-Kansas City "Spine Line"? - Milwaukee Road (before Iowa, Chicago & Eastern): Clinton IA-Chillicothe MO-Kansas City - MKT: Ft. Worth-Dallas TX, McAlester-Council, Okla City-Shawnee, Holdenville-McAlester OK - MP: Hazen-Little Rock, Haskels-Hot Springs-Malvern AR - BN: Dallas-Houston-Galveston Also please let me know where the sources or references contain such acquisition information, whether online or books.
Well, there's a story in this. The MILW actually had it's own line to KC, Mo. But the RI and Milw had roughly more or less parallel tracks, and were using portions of each others lines. If I recall correctly, this was because both were run down enough that the previously mentioned exercise helped better things, somewhat. What I remember is after the RI quit, MILW went back and rebuilt essentially most of their own line to KC. I'm trying to think of where to look for this info...
Milwaukee used some of those lines while the Rock was still around IIRC. Why they left the Rock tracks at Washingotn and used their own to Chilli is beyond me. Cut out Rutledge Hill and its easeier operations.Plus most of the Rock was ABS and CTC,Milaukee was TTTO and slow as molasses Also the Milwaukee ran from the Quad Cities to Iowa City during daylight then the Iowa RR was allowed to run that trackage at night. When IAIS came about they had to force the Milwaukee to get off the line.
Forgot to add Union Pacific's acquisition of the Rock where I can't find any further information: Chillicothe-Kansas City MO, Des Moines IA-Faribault MN (with indirect gap), Hallam-Fairbury NE, Wellington KS-Corsicana TX, and Brinkley AR-Memphis TN.
