One week before Christmas 1977, a single Rock Island E8 is seen pulling a long string of 1920s-built "Capone" commuter cars through cold, snowy Blue Island. Tom Golden photo.

Only a month after it's demotion to a no-name train, Rock Island's train #7 gets ready to depart for Council Bluffs/Omaha. The photographer grabs a shot at the platforms of the depot in Davenport ... (more)

Repowered with EMD V16-567 power, a westbound freight has manifest behind it as it slips by on the KC Terminal trackage outside of Union Station just a few blocks.

The last remnant of Rocky Mountain/Corn Belt Rockets, a month after being demoted to nameless train #7, departs Council Bluffs for the Omaha side of the river. The announced loss of it's primary ... (more)

A three week assignment at the RI Arsenal meant the godfather had some downtime to capture the flavor of Midwestern railroading surrounding the area. This was taken in the terminal trackage at the... (more)

Rock Island EMD GP40 sits at the joint facility operated with Rio Grande at North Yard in Denver, Colorado, in August 1979. Rio Grande No. 131 is a SW1200, while the nose of an SW1000 is visible, ... (more)

Rock Island 216, a U25B and GP40 mate get a free wash job with cold March rain at their Inver Grove diesel service facility in March 1973. Finding sunlight on the Rock seemed impossible.

Rock Island E8A 652 and E6A 630, now owned by the Manly Junction Railway Museum/Iowa Northern Railway, make their public debut at the Hub City Heritage Corp. Railway Museum's 2017 Railroad Days ev... (more)

Rock Island E8A 652 and E6A 630, now owned by Iowa Northern Railway, make their public debut at the Hub City Heritage Corp. Railway Museum's 2017 Railroad Days event.

Rock Island E8A 652 and E6A 630, now owned by Iowa Northern Railway, make their public debut at the Hub City Heritage Corp. Railway Museum's 2017 Railroad Days event.

A Rock Island F7A leads a pair of bilevel commuter coaches west toward Joliet. Note the 1930s-era "Capone" coaches in the background that were in use until the railroad's demise. Tom G... (more)

Well, it has been a long time coming, but the Rock Island E's at MAC have finally shown themselves in the sunlight outside of the shop. My grandpa worked on both of these engines when he was worki... (more)

A northbound Rock Island merchandise freight is rolling downgrade off Concho Hill.

Rock Island F9M 4162 was born in 1948 as a Union Pacific F3A unit. UP rebuilt this and some other F3s into F9Ms in the late 1950s and eventually sold some to Rock Island. The 4162 is shown a littl... (more)

The dilapidated but sill standing Rock Island Freight House soaks up the last rays of the day before sunset adjacent to the UP Trenton Yard.

4-27-16
Trenton, MO