PAUL MEINCKE of WHBF-TV in Rock Island, Ill, His special he made right after the Rock Island Lines shut down in 1980. I was at the auction in Silvis but did not buy a caboose but did pickup a lot of cool Rock memorabilia.
Thanks for posting, fascinating video for me. My grandfather worked for the rock in silvis for years, was yardmaster at some point. He died as well as the railroad before i was born. I grew up in the silvis area in the late 80’s-90’s. Spent a lot of Saturdays as a young boy walking what remained of the silvis railyard.
I want to say thank you. I wish this was around when I was college studying Transportation/Logistics. This is a gem. We should learn from this. Amazing the airlines could get bailouts since 9/11. I went to the library reading the annual reports from the Rock Island. But collage of TV segments from the Quad Cities are priceless. Thank you for posting this.
Christopher, I'm glad you enjoyed it. It is interesting to watch but also sad in the same way no what the fate of the railroad was. Thanks for watching. Tony
Thank You 😊 for this excellent footage !!! My connection to the Rock Island Railroad was when the RTA had taken over the commuter service & my grandfather had 2 GP-38’s in HO Scale. Since then, I’ve been a RI Junkie reading 📖 & collecting anything about the RI !!! Thank You again for this treasure !!!
Thanks so much for posting this! I grew up in Silvis post-Rock Island Railway and was always told of the streamliners and steam trains that used to travel our rails. Fortunately the railway never fully died and train horns can still be heard everyday in the Quad Cities. I'm so glad the historical society is taking over the Silvis yard now - can't wait to go home and see live steam in the QCA again!
Thanks for posting this. I have a copy of this same video. Love the run by and the yard shots. Hard to watch the reaction of those employees. But this is documentation that isn't doctored, it was the real news at the time. Still hard to believe they would let a class 1 railroad just fade into history. Thanks again for posting. Cheers!!
Thank you for putting this video up. I grew up in Missouri and as a young kid, there was nothing more thrilling to me than to see a Rock Island freight come thundering over a trestle near Gerald or skirting around Owensville out to the clay factory. I was 13 when the Rock's flag fell for the last time...but I still remember it fondly, so this video was very much appreciated and really hit home.
My father was a very proud Brakeman here.....there still is a hole in my families heart in my house, my mother still has his retro pay check that bounced 4 times....my uncle was a flagman here for 3 years to pay for his collage.....
So many railroads can lament the same tune. Most of the employees, back in the day, took pride in their work and were careful with the equipment, unlike these days. No matter how frugal the employees were and how much they sacrificed, it was *always* management that sold a railroad "down the river" whether it be by boldface lies, closed door deals, or under-the-table pay offs. With every new contract the employee was left with less again, again, and again. Quarter after financial quarter the railroad boasted "record profits", but when it came to a pay raise for the employees they were always met with the same words, "Sorry, boys! The well is dry".
Hi Tony - I appreciate you posting these news clips .......... very interesting and yet sad to watch at the same time. I'm glad to have experienced the Rock Island in the mid-to-late 1960s in central Iowa at a time when the railroad was somewhat of a going concern. I have many great memories of those cherished experiences. Thanks!! Mike
MIke, I agree interesting to watch but sad and at the same time as we know what the fate of the railroad was. I guess we can have a better fate for the Rock Island through our memories and model railroading. LOL! Thanks for watching! Tony
MIke, I know I would take a caboose, I have room in my backyard. Yes, a shame is correct and it hard to tell what could have been if the Rock Island was still around today when I see so many off-spring shortline railroads that are making a go of it on once Rock Island rails in Iowa. Thanks for watching! Tony
I know at one time (20 years ago) RITS had copies they were selling that is probably were better quality. I'm not sure if there are still some around. Tony
I just turned 1 when The Rock was shut down, I wish I could have something from them. At least a friend I know did bring The Rock back from the dead, even though it's in Mississippi.
I remember the bad track at Danville Arkansas and 10 mph speed limits. I asked the engineer how long it took to get to Little Rock, he said one time they had two derailments and it took 3 days to go 100 miles.
@ 17:16... listening to that, i would say that statement is 100% CORRECT... we operate in a free market capitalistic system, it's not the governments responsibility to prop up failing industries
It’s sad to know she would never be the same line, at least there is 2 railroads that live on in her memory, Rock Island Rail and Iowa Interstate, The Iowa Interstate Logo is the same logo as the Rock Island Pelt Logo, Iowa Interstate has a HU from them, 516 is kinda a knockoff Rocket Paint Scheme. And I kinda see the similarities between The Iowa Interstate paint scheme and the rock Island Route Of the rockets paint scheme. And rock Island Rail is the new rock Island, it will never be the “Rock Island” but it’s the closest we will get
Capitalist sharks ate all the meat and left nothing but the bones. An all too common occurrence in the history of American railroads. Thanks for the video. 🚂🚃🚃🚃
PAUL MEINCKE of WHBF-TV in Rock Island, Ill, His special he made right after the Rock Island Lines shut down in 1980. I was at the auction in Silvis but did not buy a caboose but did pickup a lot of cool Rock memorabilia.
Paul Meincke ended up at ABC 7 in Chicago. Even old C&NW engineers said the Rock's locomotives were junk. I love the engineer interviews.
Amazing how much of the "redundant" Rock track is still in service. Thank you for compiling this Tony.
The stuff still in existence is profitable. The stuff that lost money is gone. It’s not rocket science.
@@douglasskaalrud6865 How profound. What's with the attitude?
No kidding 😂
A railroad is a business like any other if they can’t turn a profit they go bankrupt plain and simple !
Tough way to say goodbye to a career and friends. The Rock Island was a great railroad.
Thanks for posting, fascinating video for me. My grandfather worked for the rock in silvis for years, was yardmaster at some point. He died as well as the railroad before i was born. I grew up in the silvis area in the late 80’s-90’s. Spent a lot of Saturdays as a young boy walking what remained of the silvis railyard.
I want to say thank you. I wish this was around when I was college studying Transportation/Logistics. This is a gem. We should learn from this. Amazing the airlines could get bailouts since 9/11. I went to the library reading the annual reports from the Rock Island. But collage of TV segments from the Quad Cities are priceless. Thank you for posting this.
Christopher, I'm glad you enjoyed it. It is interesting to watch but also sad in the same way no what the fate of the railroad was. Thanks for watching. Tony
Thank You 😊 for this excellent footage !!! My connection to the Rock Island Railroad was when the RTA had taken over the commuter service & my grandfather had 2 GP-38’s in HO Scale. Since then, I’ve been a RI Junkie reading 📖 & collecting anything about the RI !!! Thank You again for this treasure !!!
Rock management “We’re going to drive this railroad into the ground..”
Milwaukee management “Hold my beer.”
The Rock Island depot in Pipestone Minnesota still stand. The only depot left from 4 different lines. The Rock Island left Pipestone in 1969.
Thanks so much for posting this! I grew up in Silvis post-Rock Island Railway and was always told of the streamliners and steam trains that used to travel our rails. Fortunately the railway never fully died and train horns can still be heard everyday in the Quad Cities. I'm so glad the historical society is taking over the Silvis yard now - can't wait to go home and see live steam in the QCA again!
Thanks for posting this. I have a copy of this same video. Love the run by and the yard shots. Hard to watch the reaction of those employees. But this is documentation that isn't doctored, it was the real news at the time. Still hard to believe they would let a class 1 railroad just fade into history. Thanks again for posting. Cheers!!
"And it all seemed so unjust, for a railroad that was once such a proud winner, to die a loser."
Thank you for putting this video up. I grew up in Missouri and as a young kid, there was nothing more thrilling to me than to see a Rock Island freight come thundering over a trestle near Gerald or skirting around Owensville out to the clay factory. I was 13 when the Rock's flag fell for the last time...but I still remember it fondly, so this video was very much appreciated and really hit home.
I never got to see the Rock Island, but I surely will never stop being a fan
My father was a very proud Brakeman here.....there still is a hole in my families heart in my house, my mother still has his retro pay check that bounced 4 times....my uncle was a flagman here for 3 years to pay for his collage.....
So many railroads can lament the same tune.
Most of the employees, back in the day, took pride in their work and were careful with the equipment, unlike these days.
No matter how frugal the employees were and how much they sacrificed, it was *always* management that sold a railroad "down the river" whether it be by boldface lies, closed door deals, or under-the-table pay offs.
With every new contract the employee was left with less again, again, and again.
Quarter after financial quarter the railroad boasted "record profits", but when it came to a pay raise for the employees they were always met with the same words, "Sorry, boys! The well is dry".
Hi Tony - I appreciate you posting these news clips .......... very interesting and yet sad to watch at the same time. I'm glad to have experienced the Rock Island in the mid-to-late 1960s in central Iowa at a time when the railroad was somewhat of a going concern. I have many great memories of those cherished experiences. Thanks!! Mike
MIke, I agree interesting to watch but sad and at the same time as we know what the fate of the railroad was. I guess we can have a better fate for the Rock Island through our memories and model railroading. LOL! Thanks for watching! Tony
Thanks for sharing Tony. Some great memories...
Thank you for watching! Tony
Thanks Tony the whole thing is and was a shame !!! How funny at the end " Why would you want a caboose? "
MIke, I know I would take a caboose, I have room in my backyard. Yes, a shame is correct and it hard to tell what could have been if the Rock Island was still around today when I see so many off-spring shortline railroads that are making a go of it on once Rock Island rails in Iowa. Thanks for watching! Tony
Depressing.
Sounds like the C.M.St.P.&P. end …
Sad!!! Like the story of America!!! Bye bye Rock.. bye bye America!
interestingly enough, the Iowa interstate, which runs much of their track through Iowa, is a going concern
My home town of Geneseo got a shout out at 9:49 great video thanks for sharing
I'm glad to see Geneseo's Depot is still standing to. Thanks for watching! Tony
A good chunk of Rock Island tracks are owned by Iowa Interstate Railroad. But it was four years after this film.
This is amazing footage. I wonder if the original recordings exist. Thanks for sharing this.
I know at one time (20 years ago) RITS had copies they were selling that is probably were better quality. I'm not sure if there are still some around. Tony
@@CornCountryRails , the scene of the reporter walking by the burned up E7 about made it rain indoors here.
The Rock Island Railroad faltered after simply being left to rot in the 1970s and 1980.
Must have been a sight to see in its heyday.
Yes sir ❗ 1949 1st sight of twin star rocket @stpaul depot,chased r.i.till 1980 last freight MSP we had 9 r.r.chased em' all
I wish i was still in Illinois at the time and a rail nut. Well i came back to Illinois in 83 then became a rail nut.
I just turned 1 when The Rock was shut down, I wish I could have something from them.
At least a friend I know did bring The Rock back from the dead, even though it's in Mississippi.
The railroad has been revived in shortline form
John Dow Farrington rebuilt the railroad during the depression and Downing Jenks, Jervis Langdon and yes, Bill Gibbons and John Ingram wrecked it
I remember the bad track at Danville Arkansas and 10 mph speed limits. I asked the engineer how long it took to get to Little Rock, he said one time they had two derailments and it took 3 days to go 100 miles.
@ 17:16... listening to that, i would say that statement is 100% CORRECT... we operate in a free market capitalistic system, it's not the governments responsibility to prop up failing industries
Hence why you country is a falling apart mess.
It’s sad to know she would never be the same line, at least there is 2 railroads that live on in her memory, Rock Island Rail and Iowa Interstate, The Iowa Interstate Logo is the same logo as the Rock Island Pelt Logo, Iowa Interstate has a HU from them, 516 is kinda a knockoff Rocket Paint Scheme. And I kinda see the similarities between The Iowa Interstate paint scheme and the rock Island Route Of the rockets paint scheme. And rock Island Rail is the new rock Island, it will never be the “Rock Island” but it’s the closest we will get
I know how those railroaders feel. Lost my job over a mandated jab. Complete political BS.
Capitalist sharks ate all the meat and left nothing but the bones. An all too common occurrence in the history of American railroads. Thanks for the video. 🚂🚃🚃🚃
us blue collar workers are going the way of the R ock island...thanks to AI