Nostalgia & History > Rock Island E6 630 at Joliet

Sept 77
After dropping off its evening commuter train consist, 630 crosses the Santa Fe/ICG line at UD Tower headed to the engine facilities.
A little "scruffy" but always fun to see this unit.

Gary

---

---

That's the Rock of my youth -- fondly remembered -- warts and all.

Thanks for posting.

-John

Sorry, love the Rock also but that is just too S and Scrufty does not cover it.

Bob

Wow, talk about need a bath.

Good to know this unit still exists today.  Great pictures.

Rich

Where was the diesel facilitylocated that the E6 was backing to?   (And running east on the normal westbound main.)

- Norm

-------------------------------------------------------
> Where was the diesel facilitylocated that the E6
> was backing to?   (And running east on the
> normal westbound main.)
>
> - Norm
The Eng house and turntable were about a mile East across (North) the tracks from MC Tower.
In order for UD to give them a signal, it required MC to pull a lever and "give them the hook" on the Westbound.
zr190

Wasn't the engine house known as the "Rocket House"?

raytc1944 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wasn't the engine house known as the "Rocket
> House"?

I always thought the "Rocket House" was in downtown Chicago.

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> raytc1944 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Wasn't the engine house known as the "Rocket
> > House"?
>
> I always thought the "Rocket House" was in
> downtown Chicago.
Yes the Rocket House was the one in Chicago.
zr190

The Rocket House was at 48th Street. Some affectionately called Joliet the Joliet Rocket House.
It was a two stall engine house. As the brakeman I would cut the power off the commuter and line it out to the main to go back east to the enginehouse by the northwest side of Joliet yard. The commuter cars were parked on the two elevation storage tracks and one track down below the elevation.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Good to see #630 running.
Thanks for your posting.
ALLEN

How good it is to see an old friend. How sad it is to see her in such shape.
Bob

Excellent!  I love the eng. watching rearward out the side window.  Probably a cold chore in winter.

The Joliet enginehouse is still there, just east of the J crossing, visible on Google aerial.

Andy

Excellent work!  I saw that second shot years ago and it always stuck with me.  It is artistic, sad, endearing, and classic.  

Wow that engine was grungy and the main tracks lumpy, badly beat down joints. 
Great images of a railroad in bad shape.
Gonut

Thanks for the interesting photos of fan favorite famous Rock 630.
Was the nose herald removed to protect it or was it stolen?

Seventyfive Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for the interesting photos of fan favorite
> famous Rock 630.
> Was the nose herald removed to protect it or was
> it stolen?

I think the heralds on E-units were removed because they
did not conform to the new Rock logo.

There was once an eagle mounted on top of the lower headlight.
It was stolen and replaced and perhaps stolen a second time.