Western Railroad Discussion > 35 Years Without the Rock Island

On March 31, 1980, the Rock Island RR ceased operation, marking today as the 35th anniversary of this sad day in railroad history.  Seeing that my grandpa was a longtime RI employee and my dad is a lifelong fan of the road, I felt that it was only right for me to go out and photograph what I could of the line today, showcasing both its history and its current vibrancy across the Sunflower State.

Photo 1: The plan was to drive up to the tracks in Topeka after work and just wait for the first westbound to come by to chase.  Sure enough, just as I arrived at SJ Jct. there was a westbound pulling onto the ex-RI Golden State Route, so our first stop was at MacVicar Ave. in Topeka where we came across the UP 5402 west with a trainload of autoracks.  This was the A-AMPX running out of the Rock's Armourdale Yard in Kansas City, KS towards Phoenix, AZ.

Photo 2: Moving about 30 miles to the west, my goal for the day was to photograph the ex-RI depot in Paxico, KS.  Here, the A-AMPX rolls by again, after having met an eastbound in the siding at Maple Hill.  Paxico is mp119.9 on the UP Topeka Sub.

Photo 3: A mere 15 minutes after the 5402 went by, I heard the detector go off as I was finishing up my look around the depot so I set up just east of the depot to get the UP 6918 leading this westbound baretable past Paxico's signature grain elevator.

- Jeff Carlson   

---

---

---

Photo 4: My last look at the Golden State for the day, was fittingly during the Golden Hour.  Just before the baretable arrived, the UP 7987 pulled up to the end of the siding here with an eastbound manifest.  Following the baretable's passage, the 7987 got on the move towards Topeka and Kansas City, making for the fourth train I had seen on the ex-RI line in just 60 minutes.  

While the Rock Island itself may have left us years ago, many of its components are still around and thriving all these years later.  One is left to wonder what could have been, had the RI lived to see the Staggers Act, that came into being just a few months after shutdown.  Regardless, it was a mighty fine line, and I'm happy to get out there and photograph its remnants anytime I can.   

- Jeff Carlson



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/15 21:44 by bnsfsd70.

---

Nice work in Paxico Jeff. A good many components of the Rock Island are still today operating under other road names, nice that you caught this little area of it.
Brian Stevens

Unfortunately, also 35 years and 2 weeks without most of the Milwaukee too. Truly depressing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/01/15 05:49 by loopy7764.

Great photos Jeff.

Ronda Thomas

Is it just me that thinks of the principal from Beavis and Butthead every time I hear the street name MacViccar.

Posted from Android

Thanks for the comments, everyone!

- Jeff

Posted from iPhone

Jeff,
What happened to the right half of the roof over hang in your second pic.? upkpfan

upkpfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jeff,
> What happened to the right half of the roof over
> hang in your second pic.? upkpfan

You know, I'm not quite sure.  Its certainly got a roof, but the end has certainly been lost a bit on the west side.  Here are two other views of it.

- Jeff Carlson

---

---

loopy7764 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Unfortunately, also 35 years and 2 weeks without
> most of the Milwaukee too. Truly depressing.

And unnecessary too.  That transcontinental abandonment was a real crime.

Ahh yes, good call.  I certainly don't know my way around the MILW as well as the Rock, so that one slipped by me.  From the Twin Cities west, how useful would that line be today, should it have survived?  I'm assuming that any and all trackage through the Bakken area would be appreciated, as would another route through the rockies for intermodal and grain to/from the ports.

- Jeff Carlson

WP-M2051 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> loopy7764 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Unfortunately, also 35 years and 2 weeks
> without
> > most of the Milwaukee too. Truly depressing.
>
> And unnecessary too.  That transcontinental
> abandonment was a real crime.