| Posted by FSWood on April 20, 2020 | |
This livery and the original red, black, white stripes, silver trucks "Rocket Freight" livery are my 2 favorite Rock Island color schemes for freight locos. The red, maroon, silver, passenger livery is also a favorite.
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How are they able to use that name and paint scheme, or are they legally an entity of the Rock Island company that was the famous Rock Island (CR&IP)?
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Jim, the owner of this railroad purchased the rights to the use of the rock island images and name
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| Posted by FSWood on April 20, 2020 | |
Playing in Google found this in the Federal Register, "Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, LLC-Lease and Operation Exemption-Rail Line of Coahoma County, Miss., Near Swan Lake, Miss. A Notice by the Surface Transportation Board on 06/07/2019" (I don't know if URL are allowed to exterior websites, but, hey, it is a US government regulatory agency, they 'should' be legit) https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/06/07/2019-12009/chicago-rock-island-and-pacific-railroad-llc-lease-and-operation-exemption-rail-line-of-coahoma
Google also found the company's Facebook page & a LinkedIn listing for at least one company official."
Google Maps Street View verified the office address of 165 W S St, Suite 210, Hernando, MS. As it happens, BLE & Trainmen Union is in Suite 206 at that address.
Also found, website named "Buzzfile, The Most Advanced Company Information Database" which says, "
Business Description
Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railroad is located in Hernando, Mississippi. This organization primarily operates in the Railroads, Line-haul Operating business / industry within the Railroad Transportation sector. This organization has been operating for approximately 3 years. Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railroad is estimated to generate $101,056 in annual revenues, and employs approximately 2 people at this single location."
And that generally supports the un-footnoted Wikipedia statement of, "In 2018, a new startup company that currently claims to own the rights to the Rock Island name has been operating in the southern United States. The new Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad LLC is primarily a shortline holding company, while also providing numerous other railroad services, such as switching, railroad management, railcar fleet management, railcar storage, and locomotive maintenance. The company acquired their first railroad in early 2019 with the acquisition of the Mississippi Delta Railroad."
That's the best documentation I can find tonight to offer.
Now, back to playing Trainz A New Era.
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Robert is legally an entity, He is now the new Rock Island Rail Company, www.rockislandrail.com
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Jim, a Gentleman named Robert J. Riley owns the Rock Island name and logos. This is the "new" Rock Island and is a shortline. He's post in a lot of the Rock Island groups on facebook over the last couple of years about this and has been very transparent about it all. No, this isn't a heritage unit. This is the "new" corporate paint scheme for his new operation. Check out his website: www.rockislandrail.com
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| Posted by SES on April 21, 2020 | |
I don't know all the ins and outs of using a former railroad name but I do know the Rock Island name is free gratis as far as I know. Union Pacific almost took up the Rock Island name in its heritage series to have legal rights to the name of the railroad but apparently decided against it since the UP never officially took over the bankrupt "Rock" but only acquired parts of the system after after liquidation. However, since the UP painted one unit up in the livery of each of their other acquisitions & mergers - MKT, C&NW, Missouri Pacific, etc- those names are legally owned by the Union Pacific and can't be used without permission. This caused a serious rift for awhile in the model railroad industry back in the late 1990's as the railroad actually charged a small fee to allow models to be painted in UP or any of the predecessor road livery. Union Pacific dropped that practice after a few years but as far as I know they have legal rights to those names.
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Way to go Bailey! What a great day yesterday!!
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Thanks very much to everyone who helped out here! It still seems strange how one could buy corporate rights from such a big, well-known company such as CRI&P for so little, but this is an interesting history. I'd love to see the red and yellow paint scheme....Thanks again to all!
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Zoom in a bit and you will see that 4310 is named "The American Railfan"!
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