Wheels of Progress - A 1950 Rock Island Railroad Film Pt 2

This film was produced by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific (Rock Island) Railroad in 1950 to educate customers how their railroad operates and what services are offered as well as new innovations the raillroad has incorporated. This film is a great capture of railroading at its finest with both steam and early diesel locomotive power shown.

The Rock Island Railroad... Home of some of the fastest passenger trains in the US known as "The Rockets" that traveled up to 100mph out of Chicago. The 1950's looked promising for the railroad, but steadily the overall decline of both freight and passenger traffic by rail led to the decline of The Rock Island. Between 1975 and 1980, the Railroad went went through three bankruptcies and finally ceased operations and was liquidated.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• railroads
• trains
• Rock
• Island
• transportation
• steam
• diesel
• locomotives

[hallsflat]

cool video

[LordoftheKaty]

@swingrfd You're a fucking dumbass, and probably a socialist progressive idiot. Aside from intolerent racism, these were America's greatest years of economic prosperity.

[thejustinamk]

they were the best of times...they were the worst of times

[LycoValleyRRFan]

@LordoftheKaty Damn right. Train build the country not trucks. Also if not for the RRs WW2 would of been lost. To bad people want to see rails turn into trails.

[LordoftheKaty]

Too bad government regulation ruined this line and many other railroads.

[swingrfd]

@LordoftheKaty: Of course it was the era of segregation and the cold war. I lived through those time and I am glad we have moved on.

[colinroxanduknowit]

Cool! thanks for posting

[Dogsledfan]

Then the highway and air lobbies managed to get the lion's share of government funding. Thanks to the Staggers Act (deregulation), the rail industry is total crap now. Can anyone say "mass abandonments"?