Des Moines Rocket

Former passenger train in Chicago

Des Moines Rocket

Legend

|  |  |

|  | Chicago

|
|
|
|

|  |

|  | Englewood
|  |

|  | Joliet
|  |

|  | Ottawa
|  |

|  | La Salle-Peru
|  |

|  | Bureau
|  |

|  | Moline
|  |

|  | Rock Island
|  |

|  |

| Illinois

Iowa

|  |

|  | Davenport
|  |

|  | West Liberty
|  |

|  | Iowa City
|  |

|  | Marengo
|  |

|  | Grinnell
|  |

|  | Newton
|  |

|  | Des Moines
|  |  |  |  |  |

The Des Moines Rocket was a named passenger train of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. It in initially ran between Chicago, Illinois and Des Moines, Iowa. The service was named in honor of the new lightweight, streamlined diesel-electric trains introduced in 1937. Service was suspended on August 21, 1960, in defiance of the Interstate Commerce Commission's orders to keep it running.[1] Passenger extras were run between Davenport and Des Moines until the following year when an eastbound Golden State was offered as a replacement (without a westbound counterpart).[2]

## Rolling stock

[edit]

The train was introduced with one of the new Rock Island Rockets trainsets built by the Budd Company. The initial consist was:[3]

* 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

## See also

[edit]

* Quad Cities Rocket

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "List Income Of $96,000 On 2 Trains". The Rock Island Argus. The Rock Island Argus. September 29, 1960. p. 33. Retrieved August 22, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
2. ^ "R.I. Lines Announces Switch Plan". The Daily Times. The Daily Times. February 3, 1961. p. 13. Retrieved August 22, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
3. ^ "Rock Island Rockets". Railway Classics. December 16, 2009.

## External links

[edit]

* "Des Moines Rocket Consists". Rock Island Technical Society. Archived from the original on April 30, 2015.

* v
* t
* e

Named trains of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad

Rockets|

* Choctaw Rocket
* Corn Belt Rocket
* Des Moines Rocket
* Golden Rocket
* Jet Rocket
* Kansas City Rocket
* Oklahoma Rocket
* Quad Cities Rocket
* Rock Island Rockets
* Rocky Mountain Rocket
* Texas Rocket
* Twin Star Rocket
* Zephyr Rocket

Other named trains|

* Apache
* Arizona Limited
* Californian
* Cherokee
* Chicago-Hot Springs Limited
* Choctaw Limited
* Colorado Express
* Des Moines-Omaha Limited
* Firefly
* Golden State
* Golden State Limited
* Imperial
* Iowa-Nebraska Limited
* Mid-Continent Special
* Rocky Mountain Limited
* Sam Houston Zephyr
* Short Line Express
* Twin Cities Express

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