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Old Train Thursday, Rock Island Edition
Bustednuckles
Documenting The Death Of America
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I used to know a retired Rock Island operating engineer and after it cratered, I ran into him and said, man, Rock Island went down fast. I thought he’d be sad about it, but his face lit up and he flashed a big grin and said, yeah, it really did, didn’t it? He was like a kid excited about seeing a train wreck.
R.I.P. Ray. I hope the fishing’s good up there.
“Down the Rock Island Line she’s a mighty good road
The rock Island Line it’s a road to ride
The rock island line it’s a mighty good road
Well if you ride you got to ride it like you find it
Get your ticket at the station for the Rock Island Line.”
– Johnny Cash, The Man in Black
Grew up in RI and we rode the train to Chicago and Kansas City many times. Sad to see it go. Painter and news reporter in Davenport, Iowa painted a series of Rock Island RR station that sold very well. Mom had them on the wall and I still have them.
17 – Looks like a snowmobile I used to own, as a kid.
Probably almost as heavy.
Leigh
Whitehall, NY
Thanks for posting these. My grandfather worked on the wrecker crew for Rock Island. The railroad would pay for his teams dinner when they overnighted, so he had an address book listing every restaurant that served steak in every town that he ever overnighted at.
Only rock island I like is the armory
I’m sure thousands of artillery men passed through that Lawton depot
Arsenal?
Yep thanks