RocK Island in El Reno

Rock action in the mid-70's around El Reno. Note the power around back then.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• CRIP
• rock
• rock island
• trains

[UnionPacificBNSF]

The Rock lives on parts of the lines belong to Union Pacific, Iowa Interstate, and several shortlines. Believe Iowa Interstate owns the most former Rock Trackage. I know UP owns some in Arkansas.

[dbmcg2000]

UP also owns the Spine Line from Minnie to Ft.Worth/Dallas. They also got the Golden State line from St. Louis to Santa Rosa N.M. when they took the SP.

[alecifel]

yeah the Rock abandoned one of those E's in El Reno. I remember running around the engine compartment as a teenager.  Don't know where it went from there, disappeared in the 90's. Guess they scrapped it.

[maniacmarklewin52]

cool video great shots

[BNforever2009]

@UnionPacificBNSF I grew up near the RI in Chicago---in the Beverly area. Those tracks were horrible and im surprised that a commuter train did not derail at all. I got to see almost every availiable power and those E units actually shook the ground and they were just awesome to hear. What if the RI survived the 80's?

[retrovetteguy]

There is a good book called Route of the Rockets I'm reading right now, you should check out...it's on ebay for about 40 bucks...you would get a kick out of it

[retrovetteguy]

the Minnie to Dallas bit is not all in one piece as original Rock track though...it's all broke up...and Ameren owns most of the STL / KC line now...they use it to run fiber optic cables...it was never technically abandoned but if you want to run a train on it you will need a chainsaw...

[txxxvvvttt]

RI's Southern Division was my playground. I rode the Twin Star Rocket from Houston to Kansas City as a kid.

Dad was the last RI employee in Texas. He closed the Dallas office, shipping to the Chicago home office all the relics that are now collectibles.

UP took some trackage; KCS and BNSF some; some was abandoned. All of the New Mexico roadbed is gone. A commuter line uses the 38 miles from Fort Worth to Dallas.

[retrovetteguy]

UP owns most of it from the SP and CNW mergers...Iowa Interstate owns the orginal main from Chicago to Omaha...

[Landaux]

1:58, I always wondered because I was almost 12 when RR went out, was that BROWN or MAROON paint? It looks like the logos did not last long, the paint sure seemed to deteriorate fast.