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107-591: The Butte Special was a named passenger train on the Union Pacific Railroad running between Salt Lake City, Utah and Butte, Montana by way of Pocatello, Idaho on the UP's Montana Division. The train had a popular connection with the UP's Yellowstone Special at Idaho Falls, Idaho , where the Yellowstone bound train went east towards West Yellowstone, Montana and Yellowstone National Park . The Butte Special

214-661: A Florida East Coast strikebreaking situation, the unions appealed to the FRA and ICC for relief. Despite the fact that Rock Island management had been able to move 80% of pre-strike tonnage, at the behest of the Carter Administration, the ICC declared a transportation emergency, finding that the Rock Island would not be able to move the 1979 grain harvest to market. This decision came despite the railroad's movement of more grain out of Iowa in

321-739: A "low-altitude" crossing of the Continental Divide . The Rock Island did not concede to the Santa Fe's dominance in the Chicago–;Los Angeles travel market and re-equipped the train with new streamlined equipment in 1948. At the same time, the Limited was dropped from the train's name and the train was thereafter known as the Golden State . The local run on this line was known as the Imperial , which had

428-546: A branch operating through the northwestern edge of Mexico. The 1948 modernization of the Golden State occurred with some controversy. In 1947, both the Rock Island and Southern Pacific jointly advertised the coming of a new entry in the Chicago-Los Angeles travel market. The Golden Rocket was scheduled to closely match the Santa Fe's transit time end-to-end and was to have its own dedicated trainsets, one purchased by

535-597: A credit crunch, but not bankruptcy. As boom followed bust, the Union Pacific continued to expand. A new company, with dominant stockholder Jay Gould , purchased the old on January 24, 1880. Gould already owned the Kansas Pacific (originally called the Union Pacific, Eastern Division, though in essence a separate railroad), and sought to merge it with UP. Through that merger, the original "Union Pacific Rail Road" transformed into "Union Pacific Railway". Extending towards

642-617: A hump. Union Pacific also closed facilities in Kansas City ("Neff yard"), Hinkle, Oregon , and Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 2019. Union Pacific has owned some of the most powerful locomotives. These include members of the Challenger-type (including the 3985 ), and the Northern-type (including the 844 ), as well as the Big Boy steam locomotives (including the 4014 ). Union Pacific ordered

749-451: A new Union Pacific "Railroad". In the early 20th century, Union Pacific's focus shifted from expansion to internal improvement. Recognizing that farmers in the Central and Salinas Valleys of California grew produce far in excess of local markets, Union Pacific worked with its rival Southern Pacific to develop a spoilage-resistant rail-based transport system. These efforts came culminated in

856-428: A number of units were repainted with a large, billowing American flag with the corporate motto "Building America" on the side, where the 'UNION PACIFIC' lettering is normally positioned. Until 2017, UP operated some locomotives still in the paint scheme of their former railroads. In addition, some locomotives were renumbered by UP, varying in the degree of the previous railroads' logos being eradicated, but always with

963-552: A rail safety organization founded in 1970. As of December 2023, the Union Pacific had 7,175 locomotives on its active roster consisting of 42 different models. Union Pacific continues to use a small number of "heritage" steam locomotives and early streamlined diesel locomotives. This equipment is used on special charters (excursions). Union Pacific maintains a fleet of low-emissions locomotives. Most are used in Los Angeles basin rail yards, to satisfy an air quality agreement with

1070-411: A state that the Union Pacific viewed the expense of bringing it back to viable operating condition to be severely prohibitive. Additionally, the ICC attached conditions for both labor and operating concessions that the UP deemed too excessive for their tastes. These factors led the Union Pacific to walk away from the deal later in 1974. From the vantage point of the 1974 railroad industry, Klitenic's plan

1177-464: A yellow patch applied over the locomotive's former number and a new UP number applied on the cab. That allowed UP to number locomotives into its roster without spending the time and money necessary to perform a complete repaint. In May 2015, UP rostered 212 "patches", consisting of: In 2017, Union Pacific decided to repaint all locomotives which were not in the current corporate colors. As of March 2018, only 41 locomotives remained unpainted. From

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1284-866: Is named in honor of George H. W. Bush , the US 41st President and is exhibited at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Center at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. The locomotive, custom painted in the colors of GWH Bush's Air Force One is the only UP locomotive not painted in traditional Armour yellow. The engine also pulled the president's funeral train on his final journey to College Station in 2018. The Union Pacific system includes hundreds of yards. Most are flat yards used for local switching. Other types of yards include intermodal terminals and hump yards. Most UP intermodal terminals are typically ports, but UP also has inland terminals for transfers to trucks, such as

1391-696: Is the principal operating company of Union Pacific Corporation , which are both headquartered at the Union Pacific Center , in Omaha, Nebraska . The original company, the "Union Pacific Rail Road", was incorporated on July 1, 1862, under the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 . President Abraham Lincoln had approved the act, which authorized railroad construction from the Missouri River to the Pacific to ensure

1498-659: Is the second largest railroad in the United States after BNSF , with which it shares a duopoly on transcontinental freight rail lines in the Western , Midwestern and West South Central United States. Founded in 1862, the original Union Pacific Rail Road was part of the first transcontinental railroad project, later known as the Overland Route . Over the next century, UP absorbed the Missouri Pacific Railroad ,

1605-749: The Choctaw Rocket (Memphis—Little Rock—Oklahoma City—Amarillo) and the Cherokee (a local counterpart to the Choctaw Rocket , Memphis-Little Rock-Oklahoma City-Amarillo-Tucumcari-Los Angeles). By the time Amtrak was formed in 1971, the once-proud Rock Island was down to just two intercity trains, the Chicago-Peoria Peoria Rocket and the Chicago-Rock Island Quad Cities Rocket, both of which now operated entirely within

1712-501: The New York Sun , Union Pacific's largest construction company, Crédit Mobilier, had overcharged Union Pacific; the railroad would then pass the inflated costs on to the United States government. To convince the federal government to accept the increased costs, Crédit Mobilier had bribed multiple congressmen. Several prominent UP board members (including Durant) had been involved in the scheme. The ensuing financial crisis of 1873 led to

1819-483: The Burlington , only over a longer route. The Midwest rail network had been built in the late 19th century to serve that era's traffic. The mechanization of grain hauling gave larger reach to large grain elevators , reducing the need for the tight web of track that crisscrossed the plains states such as Iowa. As for available overhead traffic, in 1958, no less than six Class I carriers were serving as eastern connections for

1926-484: The Central Pacific Railroad line, which had been constructed eastward from Sacramento, California . The combined Union Pacific–Central Pacific line became known as the first transcontinental railroad and later the Overland Route . The line was constructed primarily by Irish labor who had learned their craft during the recent Civil War . Under the guidance of its dominant stockholder, Thomas C. Durant ,

2033-634: The Chessie System . The Chicago and North Western acquired the line between the Twin Cities and Kansas City. The line between Tucumcari and St. Louis was acquired by the Cotton Belt . The Choctaw Route was sold in pieces. The line between Herington, Kansas and Fort Worth, Texas was sold to the Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad . The line between Peoria, Illinois , Bureau Junction and Omaha, Nebraska

2140-758: The Chicago & Northwestern trackage starting in 1936. Disputes over trackage rights and passenger revenues with the C&;NW prompted the UP to switch to the Milwaukee Road for the handling of its streamliner trains between Chicago and Omaha beginning in late 1955. The last intercity passenger train operated by UP was the westbound City of Los Angeles , arriving at Los Angeles Union Station on May 2. Since then, Union Pacific has satisfied its common carrier requirements by hosting Amtrak trains. Many Amtrak and commuter rail routes use Union Pacific rails. This list excludes

2247-587: The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad in the Chicago-to-Denver market. While the Q fielded its Zephyrs on the route, the Rock Island ran the Rocky Mountain Rocket . The RMR split at Limon, Colorado , with half the train diverting to Colorado Springs , an operation known as the "Limon Shuffle". The Rock Island conceded nothing to its rival, even installing ABS signaling on the route west of Lincoln in an effort to maintain transit speed. The train

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2354-503: The Green Mountain train wreck resulted when a Rock Island Railroad passenger train derailed, killing 52 passengers and severely injuring scores of others. The railroad retired its last steam locomotive from service in 1953. The Rock Island stretched across Arkansas , Colorado , Illinois , Iowa , Kansas , Louisiana , Minnesota , Missouri , Nebraska , New Mexico , Oklahoma , South Dakota , and Texas . The easternmost reach of

2461-572: The Missouri Pacific and Western Pacific railroads, and 1988, the Missouri–Kansas–Texas . By 1993, Union Pacific had doubled its system to 17,385 miles (27,978 km) routes. By then, few large (class I) railroads remained. The same year that Union Pacific merged with the Chicago and North Western (1995), Burlington Northern and ATSF announced merger plans. The impending BNSF amalgamation would leave one mega-railroad in control of

2568-578: The Missouri–Kansas–Texas with UP 1988 , the Chicago and North Western with UP 1995 , the Southern Pacific with UP 1996 , and the Denver and Rio Grande Western with UP 1989 . In October 2005, UP unveiled SD70ACe 4141 , commissioned in honor of George Bush . The locomotive has " George Bush 41" on the sides and its paint scheme resembles that of Air Force One . It was sent into storage in 2007, but returned in 2018 to power Bush's funeral train . It

2675-581: The Union Pacific at Omaha, all seeking a slice of the flood of western traffic that UP interchanged there. Under the ICC revenue rules in place at the time, the Rock Island sought traffic from Omaha, yet preferred to keep the long haul to Denver , where interchange could be made with the Denver and Rio Grande Western , a connection to the Western Pacific for haulage to the West Coast. The only option for

2782-653: The Western Pacific Railroad , the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad . In 1995, the Union Pacific merged with Chicago and North Western Transportation Company , completing its reach into the Upper Midwest . In 1996, the company merged with Southern Pacific Transportation Company , itself a giant system that was absorbed by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad . The Union Pacific Railroad Company

2889-664: The Yellowstone Special was merely an extra set of coaches that split from the Butte Special , Portland Rose , or City of Portland in Pocatello and departed eastbound to West Yellowstone, Montana . Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad ( reporting marks UP , UPP , UPY ) is a Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over 32,200 miles (51,800 km) routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans . Union Pacific

2996-448: The first diesel streamliner , the largest fleet of turbine-electric locomotives in the world , and the largest diesel locomotives ever built (including 6936 ). The yellow paint scheme was introduced in the spring of 1934. Engineers claimed the visibility of yellow would reduce grade crossing accidents. In 1941, UP introduced its yellow and gray color scheme with red highlights, which remains in use today. The middle two-thirds of

3103-477: The 1906 founding of Pacific Fruit Express , soon to be the world's largest lessee of refrigerated railcars . Meanwhile, Union Pacific worked to construct a faster, and more direct substitute for the original climb to Promontory Summit . In 1904, the Lucin cutoff opened, reducing curvature and grades. The original route would eventually be stripped of track in 1942 to provide war scrap . To attract customers during

3210-447: The 1920s on, the suburban services were operated using Pacific-type 4-6-2 locomotives and specially designed light-heavyweight coaches that with their late 1920s build dates became known as the " Capone " cars. The suburban service became well known in the diesel era, as the steam power was replaced, first with new EMD FP7s and ALCO RS-3s , with two Fairbanks-Morse units added later. In 1949, Pullman -built 2700-series cars arrived as

3317-598: The 22% recommendation rating from Glassdoor.com. When Union Pacific bought out the Chicago & North Western in 1995, it inherited the railroad's Metra commuter rail services in the Chicago metropolitan area : the Union Pacific North Line to Kenosha, Wisconsin , Northwest Line to Harvard, Illinois , and West Line to Elburn, Illinois , all of which operate from Ogilvie Transportation Center (the former North Western Station–a name still used by many Chicago residents). In order to ensure uniformity across

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3424-681: The Chicago area commuter rail system, trains are branded as Metra services and use Metra equipment. However, Union Pacific crews continue to operate the trains under a purchase-of-service agreement. In 2023, UP announced its intentions to surrender the control and operation of commuter rail services and trains in Chicago to Metra , however the UP would retain ownership and control of the right-of-ways of former Chicago & Northwestern lines radiating from Chicago. Between 1869 and 1971, Union Pacific operated passenger service throughout its historic "Overland Route". These trains ran between Chicago and Omaha on

3531-551: The Federal Bankruptcy Act. William M. Gibbons was selected as receiver and trustee by Judge Frank J. McGarr, with whom Gibbons had practiced law in the early 1960s. With its debts on hold, Rock Island charted a new course as a grain funnel from the Midwest to the port of Galveston, Texas. The Ingram administration estimated that the Rock Island could be rebuilt and re-equipped at a cost of $ 100 million and sought financing for

3638-562: The Great Depression, Union Pacific's chairman W. Averell Harriman simultaneously sought to "spruce up" the quality of its rolling stock and to make its unique locations more desirable travel destinations. The first effort resulted in the purchase of the first streamlined train : the M-10000 . The latter resulted in the Sun Valley ski resort in central Idaho ; it opened in 1936 and finally

3745-564: The Mississippi River. In Iowa, the C&RI's incorporators created (on February 5, 1853) the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company (M&M), to run from Davenport to Council Bluffs , and on November 20, 1855, the first train to operate in Iowa steamed from Davenport to Muscatine . The Mississippi River bridge between Rock Island and Davenport was completed on April 22, 1856. In 1857,

3852-681: The Pacific Northwest, Union Pacific built or purchased local lines to reach Portland, Oregon . Towards Colorado, it built the Union Pacific, Denver and Gulf Railway : a system combining narrow-gauge trackage into the heart of the Rockies and a standard gauge line that ran south from Denver, across New Mexico , and into Texas. The Union Pacific Railway would later declare bankruptcy during the Panic of 1893 . The resulting corporate reorganization reversed Gould's name change: Union Pacific "Railway" merged into

3959-414: The Rock Island assessed its options. It hired a new president and CEO, John W. Ingram , a former Federal Railway Administration (FRA) official. Ingram quickly sought to improve efficiency and sought FRA loans for the rebuild of the line, but finances caught up with the Rock Island all too quickly. With only $ 300 of cash on hand, on March 17, 1975, Rock Island entered its third bankruptcy under Chapter 77 of

4066-439: The Rock Island elected to add to a subsequent order and took delivery of its first bilevel equipment in 1964. Power for these new cars was provided by orphaned passenger units: three EMD F7s , an EMD E6 , and the two EMD AB6s . The engines were rebuilt with head end power to provide heat, air conditioning, and lighting for the new cars. In 1970, another order, this time for Pullman-built bilevel cars arrived to further supplement

4173-590: The Rock Island introduced diesel power to its passenger service, with the purchase of six lightweight Rocket streamliners . In competition with the Santa Fe Chiefs , the Rock Island jointly operated the Golden State Limited (Chicago—Kansas City—Tucumcari—El Paso—Los Angeles) with the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) from 1902 to 1968. On this route, the Rock Island's train was marketed as

4280-468: The Rock Island to forsake the Denver gateway in favor of increased interchange at Omaha. Incredibly, the Rock Island refused this, and the UP routed more Omaha traffic over the Chicago and North Western . As a result, by 1974, the Rock Island was no longer the attractive prospect it had once been in the 1950s. The cost-cutting measures enacted to conserve cash for the merger left the Rock Island property in such

4387-405: The Rock Island to grow revenues and absorb costs was to merge with another, perhaps more prosperous railroad. Overtures were made from fellow Midwest granger line C&NW, as well as the granger turned transcon Milwaukee Road. Both of these never advanced much beyond the data gathering and initial study phases. In 1964, its last profitable year, the Rock Island agreed to pursue a merger plan with

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4494-418: The Rock Island was handling about 30 percent of its prestrike tonnage with 5 percent of the prestrike onboard train operating personnel. Projections indicated that by the end of November, the company would be handling about half of its prestrike tonnage and earning a profit of about $ 5 million per month. In other words, the company was winning the strike." Seeing the trains rolling despite the strike and fearing

4601-489: The Rock Island was not capable of operating profitably, much less paying its outstanding debts. At the same time, Crown invested as much as he could in Rock Island bonds and other debt at bankruptcy-induced junk status prices. For the previous two years, while the Rock Island invested heavily into its physical plant, the Rock Island brotherhoods had been working under labor agreements that were no longer valid. The front line operating employees had not had an increase in pay since

4708-435: The Rock Island's final plan of reorganization. He simply initiated the shutdown and liquidation of the Rock Island, which was what Henry Crown had advocated for from the very beginning. Not wanting to preside over an asset sale, Rock Island president John W. Ingram resigned, and Gibbons took over as president of the bankrupt railroad. Kansas City Terminal began the process of embargoing in-bound shipments in late February, and

4815-632: The Rock Island, including the Chicago-Omaha main line, would go to the Union Pacific. The Kansas City-Tucumcari Golden State route would be sold to the Southern Pacific. The Memphis-Amarillo Choctaw route would be sold to the Santa Fe. The Rio Grande would have an option to purchase the Denver-Kansas City line. During most of the ensuing merger process, Rock Island operated at a financial loss. In 1965, Rock Island earned its last profit. With

4922-485: The Rock Island, the other by Southern Pacific. As the Rock Island's set of streamlined passenger cars was being finished, the Southern Pacific abruptly withdrew its purchase. The Rock Island's cars were delivered and found their way into the Golden State' s fleet soon after delivery. The Golden State was the last first-class train on the Rock Island, retaining its dining cars and sleeping cars until its last run on February 21, 1968. The Rock Island also competed with

5029-662: The UP, which would form one large "super" railroad stretching from Chicago to the West Coast. Facing the loss of the UP's traffic at the Omaha gateway, virtually every railroad directly and indirectly affected by the potential UP/Rock Island merger immediately filed protests to block it. With these filings began the longest and most complicated merger case in Interstate Commerce Commission history. Faced with failing granger railroads and large Class I railroads seeking to expand, ICC Hearing Examiner Nathan Klitenic, presiding over

5136-405: The Union Pacific", which is painted in a scheme to honor the United States armed forces. On June 6, 2019, Union Pacific unveiled SD70ACe 1111, the "Powered By Our People" unit. In April 2021, Union Pacific repainted an SD70M into a commemorative paint scheme called "We Are ONE" to honor Juneteenth and Pride Month. UP also has a collection of locomotives painted for Operation Lifesaver ,

5243-447: The advantage of the country. The M&M was acquired by the C&RI on July 9, 1866, to form the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company. In 1877 Ransom Reed Cable became a director and in 1883 replaced Hugh Riddle as president, retiring as Chairman of the Board in 1902. The railroad expanded through construction and acquisitions in the following decades. On March 21, 1910,

5350-419: The aura from those days waned in the late 1950s, the Rock Island found itself faced with flat traffic, revenues, and increasing costs. Despite this, the property was still in decent shape, making the Rock Island an attractive bride for another line looking to expand the reach of their current system. The Rock Island was known as "one railroad too many" in the plains states, basically serving the same territory as

5457-515: The books to show the precarious financial condition of the road in an effort to get the BRAC in line with the other unions that had already signed agreements. Fred J. Kroll, president of the BRAC, declined the offer to audit the books of the Rock Island. Kroll pulled his BRAC clerks off the job in August, 1979. Picket lines went up at every terminal on the Rock Island's system and the operating brotherhoods honored

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5564-475: The borders of Illinois. However, the Rock Island opted against joining Amtrak, in part because the government assessed the Amtrak entrance fee based upon passenger miles operated in 1970. After concluding that the cost of joining would be greater than remaining in the passenger business, the railroad decided to "perform a public service for the state of Illinois" and continue intercity passenger operations. To help manage

5671-523: The case, sought to balance the opposing forces and completely restructure the railroads west of the Mississippi River. After 10 years of hearings and tens of thousands of pages of testimony and exhibits produced, Klitenic, now an administrative law judge, approved the Rock Island-Union Pacific merger as part of a larger plan for rail service throughout the West. Under Klitenic's proposal, almost all of

5778-421: The commuter services the company directly operates in Chicago (see above). On June 28, 2004, a UP train collided with an idle BNSF train in a San Antonio suburb . In the course of the derailment, a 90-ton tank car carrying liquified chlorine was punctured. As the chlorine vaporized, a toxic "yellow cloud" formed, killing three and causing 43 hospitalizations. The costs of cleanup and property damaged during

5885-529: The company was acquired by the Maytag Corporation. Ironically, through the megamergers of the 1990s, the Union Pacific ultimately ended up owning and operating more of the Rock Island than it would have acquired in its attempted 1964 merger. The one line it currently does not own (or operate regularly, other than detours) is the Chicago-to-Omaha main line that drove it to merge with the Rock Island in

5992-739: The confines of the state of Illinois and renamed the Quad Cities Rocket . Other trains operated by the Rock Island as part of its Rocket fleet included the Corn Belt Rocket (Chicago—Des Moines—Omaha), the Des Moines-Omaha Limited (Chicago-Des Moines-Omaha), the Twin Star Rocket (Minneapolis—St. Paul—Des Moines—Kansas City—Oklahoma City—Fort Worth—Dallas—Houston), the Zephyr Rocket (Minneapolis—St. Paul—Burlington—St. Louis),

6099-402: The early 1960s. Ruth Henning is listed as a co-creator of the show, along with her husband Paul, who also created The Beverly Hillbillies and executive produced Jay Sommers's Green Acres . The Rock Island Line Workshop, located in Silvis, Illinois , is now home to the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America (RRHMA), a non-profit railroad preservation organization. Built in 1903, this was

6206-508: The eastern terminal was moved to a location where the Union Pacific could link up with the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad in Iowa. Following the Act's passage, commissioners appointed by Congress began selling stock in the federally chartered Union Pacific Railroad Company. By 1863, Durant had organized the purchase of 2,000 shares, the prerequisite amount of stock sold in order to begin the railroad's construction. The resulting track ran westward from Council Bluffs, Iowa , to meet in Utah

6313-441: The end of 1970, it operated 7,183 miles of road on 10,669 miles of track; that year it reported 20,557 million ton-miles of revenue freight and 118 million passenger miles. (Those totals may or may not include the former Burlington-Rock Island Railroad .) The song " Rock Island Line ", a spiritual from the late 1920s first recorded in 1934, was inspired by the railway. Its predecessor, the Rock Island and La Salle Railroad Company,

6420-419: The end of that summer, the Illinois Division had no slow orders, and freight velocity was rising. The sale of the Golden State Route to the Southern Pacific had been agreed to. The Rock Island slowly inched towards a financial break-even point, despite the economic malaise that plagued the late 1970s. Creditors, such as Henry Crown , advocated for the shutdown and liquidation of the property. Crown declared that

6527-424: The existing contracts expired yet remained on the job during extensive contract negotiations. By the summer of 1979, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the United Transportation Union had accepted new agreements. The Brotherhood of Railway and Airline Clerks (BRAC) held firm to their demand that pay increases be back dated to the expiration date of the previous agreement. The Rock Island offered to open

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6634-471: The extent that the FRA, in a letter to UP's CEO, said "safety of railroad operations is paramount ... decisions that comprise that fundamental ... are unacceptable. You must ensure that highly trained and experienced personnel perform critical inspections and repairs .... Your railroad (layoffs) are far outpacing any of your Class 1 peers." In 2024 the railway celebrated 150 years of having its headquarters in Omaha. The railway's Big Boy #4014,

6741-436: The final train battled three days of snow drifts to arrive in Denver on March 31, 1980. Cars and locomotives were gathered in 'ghost trains' that appeared on otherwise defunct Rock Island lines and accumulated at major terminals and shops and prepared for sale. The railroad's locomotives, rail cars, equipment, tracks, and real estate were sold to other railroads or to scrappers. Gibbons was able to raise more than $ 500 million in

6848-445: The first air-conditioned commuter cars on the line. In the 1960s, the Rock Island tried to upgrade the suburban service with newer equipment at lower cost. Second-hand Aerotrains , while less than successful in intercity service, were purchased to provide further air-conditioned accommodations that had proven popular with the 2700 series cars. When the Milwaukee Road purchased new Budd Company stainless-steel, bilevel cars in 1961,

6955-399: The first place. This line now prospers under the Iowa Interstate Railroad . The company inspired the song " Rock Island Line ", first written in 1934 and recorded by numerous artists. A spur of the Rock Island Railroad that ran beside a small hotel in Eldon, Missouri , owned by the grandmother of Mrs. Paul (Ruth) Henning also inspired the popular television show Petticoat Junction in

7062-442: The fleet. To provide the power for these cars, several former Union Pacific EMD E8 and EMD E9 diesels were also rebuilt with head end power and added to the commuter pool. The commuter service was not exempt from the general decline of the Rock Island through the 1970s. Over time, deferred maintenance took its toll on both track and rolling stock. On the Rock Island, the Capone cars were entering their sixth decade of service and

7169-476: The incident exceeded $ 7 million. Investigations of the Macdona incident revealed several serious safety lapses on the part of the Union Pacific and its employees, including employees not following the company's own safety rules. While the immediate cause of the derailment was the UP crew's "fatigue", chlorine tank cars had been improperly placed near the front of the train, a danger in the case of derailment. Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad At

7276-405: The liquidation, paying off all the railroad's creditors, bondholders and all other debts in full at face value with interest. Henry Crown was ultimately proven correct, as both he and other bondholders who had purchased Rock Island debt for cents on the dollar during the low ebb in prices did especially well. The line from the end of commuter service in Blue Island to Bureau Junction was leased to

7383-431: The local authorities. According to UP's 2007 Annual Report to Investors, at the end of 2007 it had more than 50,000 employees, 8,721 locomotives, and 94,284 freight cars. Broken down by specific type of car, owned and leased: In addition, it owns 6,950 different pieces of maintenance of way work equipment. At the end of 2007, the average age of UP's locomotive fleet was 14.8 years, the freight car fleet 28 years. UP

7490-483: The locomotive body is painted Armour Yellow , a color used by Armour and Company on the packaging of its meat products. A thin band of Signal Red divides this from the Harbor Mist Gray (a light gray) used for the body and roof above that point. There is also a thin band of Signal Red along the bottom of the locomotive body, but this color has gradually become yellow as new Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) regulations for reflectorized tape came into effect in 2005;

7597-440: The merger with Union Pacific seemingly so close, the Rock Island cut expenses to conserve cash. Expenditures on track maintenance were cut, passenger service was reduced as fast as the ICC would allow, and locomotives received only basic maintenance to keep them running. The Rock Island began to take on a ramshackle appearance and derailments occurred with increasing frequency. In an effort to prop up its future merger mate, UP asked

7704-555: The mud. Rail and tie replacement programs attacked the maintenance backlog. This coincided with a massive campaign beginning in May 1975 to rebrand the railroad as simply “The Rock”, with modern eye-catching livery. However, the FRA-backed loans that Ingram sought were thwarted by the lobbying efforts of competing railroads, which saw a healthy Rock Island as a threat to their own survival. By 1978, main line track improved in quality. For example, at

7811-482: The namesake of the city of Durant, Iowa , the first rails were laid in Omaha . The two lines were joined at Promontory Summit, Utah , 53 miles (85 km) west of Ogden on May 10, 1869, hence creating the first transcontinental railroad in North America. Leland Stanford, founder of the Central Pacific Railroad which itself eventually was merged with Union Pacific, himself drove the golden spike , inscribed with

7918-469: The nearly 30-year-old 2700s suffered from severe corrosion due to the steel used in their construction. LaSalle Street Station , the service's downtown terminal, suffered from neglect and urban decay with the slab roof of the train shed literally falling apart, requiring its removal. By this time, the Rock Island could not afford to replace the clearly worn-out equipment. In 1976, the entire Chicago commuter rail system began to receive financial support from

8025-556: The numerous stations on that route. The Suburban Line served the Beverly area of Chicago as a branch leaving the main line at Gresham and heading due west, paralleling the Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad passenger line before turning south. The Suburban Line made stops every four blocks along the way before rejoining the main line at Western Avenue Junction in Blue Island . From

8132-444: The old station. The RTA gradually rebuilt the track and added more new equipment to the service, leaving the property in better shape than it was in the Rock Island's heyday, albeit with less track. The Rock Island District , as the Rock Island's suburban service is now known, now operates as part of Metra , the Chicago commuter rail agency. The Rock Island hit its peak under the presidency of John Dew Farrington, from 1948 to 1955. As

8239-401: The picket lines. The Rock Island ground to a halt. The Ingram management team operated as much of the Rock Island as they could. Trains slowly began to move, with more traffic being hauled every week of the strike. President Jimmy Carter issued a back-to-work order that BRAC dismissed. Still more traffic flowed on the strikebound Rock Island. According to Ingram, "by the end of the sixth week,

8346-424: The plan. Grain shuttles that had no cabooses at the end of their trains became a cost-effective way to gain market share and help finance the plan internally. Nevertheless, new and rebuilt locomotives arrived on the property in gleaming powder blue and white to replace some of the tired, filthy power. Track rebuild projects covered the system. Main lines that had seen little or no maintenance in years were pulled from

8453-462: The railroad's largest workshop, sitting on a 900-acre site between the railroad's main line and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad ’s Rock Island branch. After the closing in 1980, the workshop was sold to National Railway Equipment , and it remained a maintenance and refurbishment hub for the wider North American railroad industry. NRE sold the facility to the RRHMA in late 2021, and plans call for

8560-401: The refurbishment of the facility to maintain steam, heritage diesel and associated rolling stock, in addition to developing a museum on the site. In 2017, thirty-seven years after the Rock Island folded, a new startup company that owns the rights to the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific name began operating in the southern United States. The new Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad LLC

8667-506: The route lost its lucrative US Mail contract in 1967 and the train was no longer run daily, but three times per week. In its final days UP split the service with Northbound trains running on Thursday, Saturday, and Monday, and Southbound trains running Friday, Sunday, and Tuesday. From Salt Lake City, the Butte Special ran north to Ogden , then crossed into Idaho to make stops in Pocatello, Blackfoot , Idaho Falls, Dubois , and Spencer before crossing Monida Pass into Montana. In Montana

8774-550: The scrapyard. With the 1980 end of the Rock Island, the RTA purchased the suburban territory and remaining Rock Island commuter equipment from the estate, while the Chicago and North Western Railway took over operations for a year before the RTA began operating it directly in 1981. LaSalle Street Station was torn down and replaced with the Chicago Stock Exchange building, with a smaller commuter station located one block south of

8881-504: The second half of 2005 to the summer of 2006, UP unveiled a new set of six EMD SD70ACe locomotives in "Heritage Colors", painted in schemes reminiscent of railroads acquired by the Union Pacific Corporation since the 1980s. The engine numbers match the year that the predecessor railroad became part of the Union Pacific system. The locomotives commemorate the Missouri Pacific with UP 1982 , the Western Pacific with UP 1983 ,

8988-427: The service to keep it running. The track program of 1978 helped with main-line timekeeping, although the Rock Island's management decreed that the two trains were not to delay freight traffic on the route. By this time, both once-proud trains were down to just two coaches, powered by EMD E8 locomotives entering their second decade of service. With the trains frequently running with as many paying passengers as coaches in

9095-410: The service, the Rock Island hired National Association of Railroad Passengers founder Anthony Haswell as managing director of passenger services. The last two trains plied the Rock Island's Illinois Division as the track quality declined from 1971 through 1977. The transit times, once a speedy 2½ hours in the 1950s, had lengthened to a 4½ hour run by 1975. The State of Illinois continued to subsidize

9202-695: The stability of the Union throughout the American Civil War , but construction did not complete until after the conflict's conclusion. Under the original bill that formed the basis of the 1862 Pacific Railroad Act , the Union Pacific Railroad was to be built from the Nevada–Utah border in the west to the Colorado–Kansas border in the east. However, due to intense lobbying by Dr. Thomas Clark Durant ,

9309-586: The state of Illinois through the Regional Transportation Authority . Operating funds were disbursed to all commuter operators, and the Rock Island was to be provided with new equipment to replace the tired 2700 series and Capone cars. New Budd bilevels that were near copies of the 1961 Milwaukee Road cars arrived in 1978. New EMD F40PH units arrived in late 1977 and, in summer, 1978, briefly could be seen hauling Capone cars. The Rock Island's commuter F and E units were relegated to freight service or

9416-427: The steamboat Effie Afton ran into the Rock Island's Mississippi River Bridge. The steamboat was overcome by a fire, which also destroyed a span of the bridge. This accident caused a series of court cases. In one of the cases, Abraham Lincoln , a lawyer at the time, represented the Rock Island. Lincoln argued that not only was the steamboat at fault in striking the bridge, but that bridges across navigable rivers were to

9523-604: The system was Chicago, and the system also reached Memphis, Tennessee . To the west, it reached Denver, Colorado , and Santa Rosa, New Mexico . Southernmost reaches were to Galveston, Texas , and Eunice, Louisiana , while in a northerly direction, the Rock Island got as far as Minneapolis, Minnesota . Major lines included Minneapolis to Kansas City, Missouri , via Des Moines, Iowa ; St. Louis, Missouri Meta, Missouri , to Santa Rosa via Kansas City; Herington, Kansas , to Galveston, Texas , via Fort Worth, Texas , and Dallas, Texas ; and Santa Rosa to Memphis. The heaviest traffic

9630-602: The terminal in San Antonio that opened in 2009 or the one in Santa Teresa, New Mexico , that opened in 2014. In 2006, Union Pacific had 11 major active hump yards : In the late 2010s, Union Pacific began deactivating hump yards in favor of flat switching. In this, Union Pacific followed the industry-wide trend towards Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR); railway executive Hunter Harrison explained that under PSR, few yards receive enough variegated traffic to necessitate

9737-541: The train made stops in Lima , Armstead , Dillon , Melrose , and Silver Bow before finally ending in Butte. The Great Northern , Northern Pacific and the Milwaukee Road also served Butte, with each of them having passenger service. By 1970 the route had been condensed to only stop in Ogden, Pocatello, and Idaho Falls en route to Butte. Though listed in timetables as a separate train,

9844-424: The train, Illinois withdrew its subsidy, and the two trains made their final runs on December 31, 1978. The Rock Island also operated an extensive commuter train service in the Chicago area. The primary route ran from LaSalle Street Station to Joliet along the main line, and a spur line, known as the "Suburban Line" to Blue Island . The main-line trains supplanted the long-distance services that did not stop at

9951-473: The trucks (painted Aluminum from 1955 to 1982), underframe, fuel tanks and everything else beneath that line are also Harbor Mist Gray. Lettering and numbering are in Signal Red, with black outlines. Most locomotives have white-outlined blue "wings" on the nose, on either side of the renowned shield featuring white lettering on a blue background and, below it, red and white vertical stripes. Beginning in early 2002,

10058-477: The week immediately preceding the order than during any week in its history. The ICC issued a Directed Service Order authorizing the Kansas City Terminal Railway to take over operations. The Directed Service Order enabled one-time suitors, via KCT management, to basically test operate portions of the Rock Island that had once interested them. On January 24, 1980, Judge McGarr elected to not review

10165-504: The west. To compete, UP merged with Southern Pacific , thereby incorporating D&RGW and Cotton Belt , and forming a duopoly in the West. The merged railroad took the Union Pacific name. As of 1999, the UP had 33,705 miles (54,243 km) of track, about 33,000 employees, nearly 7,000 locomotives and over 155,000 rail cars. In March 2024 Union Pacific layoffs caused concern at the Federal Railroad Administration to

10272-754: The words "to span the continent and wed the oceans." Subsequently, the UP purchased three Mormon -built roads: the Utah Central Railroad extending south from Ogden to Salt Lake City , the Utah Southern Railroad extending south from Salt Lake City into the Utah Valley , and the Utah Northern Railroad extending north from Ogden into Idaho . The original UP was entangled in the Crédit Mobilier scandal , exposed in 1872. As detailed by

10379-475: The world's largest operating steam locomotive, will visit 14 states in middle America in 2024. Twenty-five locomotives of Big Boy's size were fabricated during World War II, but only Big Boy survives. Its "Heartland of America" tour begins in August 2024 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and visits Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas through October. Another locomotive, UP No. 4141,

10486-490: Was acquired by the Iowa Interstate Railroad . Gibbons was released from the Rock Island on June 1, 1984, after its estate expired. With all assets sold and all debt retired, the Rock Island found itself with a large infusion of cash. The name of the company was changed to Chicago Pacific Corporation to further distance itself from the defunct railroad. Its first purchase was vacuum maker Hoover Company . In 1988,

10593-500: Was also re-equipped with streamlined equipment in 1948. As the Rocky Mountain Rocket was downgraded due to nonrail competition, the route traveled by the train was gradually shortened from 1966 onward. Its western terminus was cut back first to Omaha, then to Council Bluffs. After briefly running without a name, it was renamed The Cornhusker . Finally, in 1970, the train was cut back to a Chicago-Rock Island run entirely within

10700-416: Was as fully featured of a train as any that Union Pacific offered. Having Club-lounge cars, Cafe-lounge cars, sleeping arrangements, and more. Union Pacific had tried cancelling the train as early as the 1960s, but they encountered little success in their efforts, and it eventually ran until Amtrak took over most of the United States' passenger rail service in 1971. As the service was beginning to wind down,

10807-537: Was donated to the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum on November 8, 2019. On March 31, 2010, UP dedicated a specially painted GE ES44AC locomotive commemorating the centennial of the Boy Scouts of America . On September 28, 2010, UP dedicated a specially painted GE ES44AC locomotive, as a tribute to Susan G. Komen for the Cure . On October 19, 2017, Union Pacific unveiled SD70AH 1943, "The Spirit of

10914-483: Was incorporated in Illinois on February 27, 1847, and an amended charter was approved on February 7, 1851, as the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad. Construction began in Chicago on October 1, 1851, and the first train was operated on October 10, 1852, between Chicago and Joliet . Construction continued on through La Salle , and Rock Island was reached on February 22, 1854, becoming the first railroad to connect Chicago with

11021-517: Was on the Chicago-to-Rock Island and Rock Island-to-Muscatine lines. In common with most American railroad companies, the Rock Island once operated an extensive passenger service. The primary routes served were: Chicago-Los Angeles, Chicago-Denver, Memphis-Little Rock-Oklahoma City- Tucumcari , and Minneapolis-Dallas. The Rock Island ran both limited and local service on those routes, as well as locals on many other lines on its system. In 1937,

11128-485: Was ranked 134th on the 2019 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by revenue and had 41,967 employees. The Chief Executive Officer of Union Pacific since August 14, 2023, is Jim Vena , the President is Beth Whited, and the chairman of the board is Mike McCarthy. In 2019, Union Pacific has been rated the worst company to work for by 247wallst.com, citing Past CEO Lance Fritz's 12% approval rating and

11235-707: Was sold in 1964. Despite the fact that the M-10000 and its successors were among the first diesel locomotives, Union Pacific completed dieselization relatively late. In 1944, UP finally received delivery of its last steam locomotive: Union Pacific 844 . As the 20th century waned, Union Pacific recognized—like most railroads—that remaining a regional railroad would only lead to bankruptcy. On December 31, 1925, UP and its subsidiaries operated 9,834 miles (15,826 km) routes and 15,265 miles (24,567 km) tracks; in 1980, these numbers had remained roughly constant (9,266 route-miles and 15,647 track-miles). But in 1982, UP acquired

11342-437: Was the Union Pacific's only north-south passenger service. The train's consist was formalized sometime in the 1920s, with the typical setup containing several mail cars, a Railway Post Office car, two or three reclining seat coaches, a cafe/lounge car, and up to three sleeper cars. Although the train served a relatively small population—with Butte having a population that peaked near 40,000 and Idaho Falls peaking over 60,000—it

11449-536: Was viewed as an unmanageable and far too radical solution to both the granger railroad issue and the larger issue of the future of rail freight transportation in general. The visionary plan would not be realized until the megamergers of the 1990s with the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific remaining as the two surviving major rail carriers west of the Mississippi. Now set free and adrift, both operationally and financially,

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