You wouldn’t know it to see it today, but Train 39, westbound near Herington, Kansas, was once the Imperial, a secondary but important passenger run between Chicago and Southern California. But ... (more)
A baggage-express car, a coach and a snack-lounge behind a lone E-unit: This is all that’s left of the once-great Rocky Mountain Rocket by late September, 1966. Hard-pressed Rock Island lopped o... (more)
Rock Island Train 18, "Twin Star Rocket," barrels eastward out of North Topeka, Ks. on time on Union Pacific track en route to Kansas City where it will return to home rails. Operating from Hous... (more)
Led by an F and two E units, Rock Island's "Golden State Limited" rushes into Topeka, Kansas where it will cross the Kansas River and enter Union Pacific trackage rights for the run to Kansas City... (more)
With E8 653 and a passenger Geep, Rock Island's mail Train 39 "Imperial" with one coach leaves Topeka, Ks. on a dreary Nov. 5, 1966. At Tucumcari, N.M., Rock Island will hand the train over to SP... (more)
John was in Davenport for a 3-week training at the RI Arsenal in 1967 and took advantage of his off time to capture images around the area. In the small town of Geneseo the Golden State Ltd. is a... (more)
The Golden State Ltd. is on borrowed time but looking sharp as it turns into downtown Davenport off the Golden State main, approaching Rockingham Rd. John was in Davenport for a 3-week training a... (more)
After leaving its last stop at Topeka, Ks. with three E7s, Rock Island's Train 4 Golden State Limited is eastbound passing by "Calhoun Bluffs" on Union Pacific trackage rights en route Kansas City... (more)
A typical midwestern scene -- Rock Island mail train No. 39 with a single coach on the rear leaves Herington, Kansas on May 31, 1965 to continue its run to Tucumcari, N.M. to be handed over to the... (more)
A veteran Rock Island E6 is stopped in Amarillo with train 22. This oddball train ran all the way from Tucumcari, NM to Memphis, TN.
Scanned from unmarked Kodachrome Slide from personal collection.
A nice E8. E7B, E7A set heads up the westbound GOLDEN STATE about to stop at Joliet. Someone was busy with the red paint in Chicago.
An E8, E7B and FP7A are teamed up on the Rock Island / Southern Pacific GOLDEN STATE departing LaSalle St. station.
Rock Island Train No. 21, station stop, Amarillo. (No. 21 originated in Memphis, Tennessee, and is en route to Tucumcari, New Mexico.)
Westbound