The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Rockets were lightweight, streamlined Diesel-electric passenger trains built by the Budd Company. These six trains were the first streamlined equipment purchased by the Rock Island, as well as being its first Diesel powered passenger trains. Four of the trains consisted of 3 cars each, the other two each had 4 cars.
The stainless steel trains were each powered by an Electro-Motive Corporation model TA locomotive. Unlike many other early streamlined trains, the locomotives were not permanently attached to the trains.
The trains were partially articulated, however the observation cars were not articulated with the rest of the trainsets.
The six trains as originally assigned were:
- The Peoria Rocket, Chicago, Illinois to Peoria, Illinois
- Articulated 3 car set:
- 32 seat Baggage-dinette-coach #400 Joliet
- 60 seat coach #306 Ottawa
- 76 seat coach #300 La Salle
- 32 seat, 1 drawing room, parlor, buffet, observation car #450 Peoria
- Articulated 3 car set:
- The Des Moines Rocket, Chicago, Illinois to Des Moines, Iowa
- Articulated 3 car set:
- 32 seat Baggage-dinette-coach #401 Norman Judd
- 60 seat coach #307 Grenville Dodge
- 76 seat coach #301 Henry Farnum
- 32 seat, 1 drawing room, parlor, buffet, observation car #451 L M Allen
- Articulated 3 car set:
- The Texas Rocket, Fort Worth, Texas to Houston, Texas
- Articulated 2 car set:
- 32 seat Baggage-dinette-coach #402 Dream Lake
- 76 seat coach #302 Mesa Verde
- 28 seat coach, lounge, observation car #452 Centennial
- Articulated 2 car set:
- The Rocky Mountain Rocket, Kansas City, Missouri to Denver, Colorado
- Articulated 2 car set:
- 32 seat Baggage-dinette-coach #403 Bear Lake
- 76 seat coach #303 Mount Evans
- 28 seat coach, lounge, observation car #453 Pikes Peak
- Articulated 2 car set:
- The Kansas City Rocket, Minneapolis, Minnesota to Kansas City, Missouri (2 trainsets)
- Articulated 2 car set:
- 18 seat Baggage-dinette-coach #404 Arrow Head
- 76 seat coach #304 Chippewa
- 28 seat coach, lounge, observation car #454 Minnesota
- Articulated 2 car set:
- 18 seat Baggage-dinette-coach #405 Mesabi
- 76 seat coach #305 Ioway
- 28 seat coach, lounge, observation car #455 Missouri
- Articulated 2 car set:
Famous quotes containing the words rock, island and/or rockets:
“My spirit looks to God alone,
My rock and refuge is His throne,
In all my fears, in all my straits,
My soul on His salvation waits.”
—Isaac Watts (1674–1748)
“He is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)
“The Thirties dreamed white marble and slipstream chrome, immortal crystal and burnished bronze, but the rockets on the Gernsback pulps had fallen on London in the dead of night, screaming. After the war, everyone had a car—no wings for it—and the promised superhighway to drive it down, so that the sky itself darkened, and the fumes ate the marble and pitted the miracle crystal.”
—William Gibson (b. 1948)