Chicago Rock Island and Pacific
Passenger Trains
Memphis, TN
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Contributed by Bill Pollard |
This down on view shows the various tracks of Central Station, numbered left to right, 1-10, with postal track 11. The lightweight consist on track 7 is train 51, the westbound Choctaw Rocket, circa
1950. It is led by one of RI's TA units. The IC car in consist is the Chicago-Hot Springs sleeper which
has just arrived on IC #3, the Louisiane. The rear obs appears to be
the Kaw Valley, based on window arrangement. It is obviously not one
of the two original Choctaw Rocket observation cars, Little Rock or
Memphis. See what you can find in a larger view. |
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Rock Island Photo |
Train #112, Cherokee, is seen arriving on Track 1 in March, 1950. Note the second unit is one of the RI only TA units designed for the original Rockets. Also note the overhead double wire for trolley buses on Main Street. |
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Elliott Kahn Photo, Louis A. Marre Collection |
Rock Island train #51, the Choctaw Rockette, begins its run to
Amarillo following a 10am scheduled departure from Memphis Central
Station. As the train glides around the west leg of the wye, a newly
blanked baggage door (to accommodate an enlarged RPO section) is
apparent on RDC-3 #9002. Bear Lake, a 40-seat coach built by Budd in
1939, was frequently assigned as the trailer car between Memphis and
Little Rock until the 1957 conversion of coach-lounge-observation
Minnesota for trailer service. The trailer car was frequently
operated east of Little Rock, even when passenger loads did not
require it, because of concerns resulting from the occasional failure
of a single RDC to activate the automatic block signal system in
eastern Arkansas. |
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Elliott Kahn Photo, Louis A. Marre Collection |
RI coach "Bear Lake" bring up the rear of train #51. |
Pictures of RI RDCs at Howe, OK in 1962.
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Bill Pollard Collection |
RI Train #14 (formerly #112) at Memphis Central
Station, June 1958. |
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Boyd T. Pyle Photo |
| The last run of RI train 24 and before departure of RI train 21. RDC # 9002 came into the station head first, probably on track 7. It also looks like this last time, the Budd car was added somewhere back in the consist, not on the head end of #21. August 8, 1964 |
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Boyd T. Pyle Photo |
RI train 21 prior to departure from Memphis Central Station, August 8, 1964.
This date was the last run of Rock Island RDC service into Memphis.
Shortly RDC 9002 (inbound from train 24) will be moved from
track 7, adding the "Budd car" to the consist of train 21. This last Budd
car will be carried deadhead to Little Rock's Biddle shops, to begin the
conversion into an unpowered RPO-coach combination car. |
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David Johnston Collection |
| RI train 21. Nameless, former "Cherokee" will reside all day on Central Station Track 1. It will depart later that night to Tucumcari. Note the train did not rate a full coach. The 3 RDCs that comprised the "Choctaw Rockette" were neutered, that is engine removed, and became the lone coach for trains 21-22 into Memphis. |
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Phil Gosney Collection |
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The photographer is standing at Tower 17 at Union Station. (Wish he taken a view of this tower). This is train 22 arriving from Little Rock and Tucumcari early in the morning. Note the tracks to right, which is the track going into the NC&StL yard. The diamond to right is the west leg of the Union Station wye; you can also discern a dwarf semaphore signal in the weeds. It appears there is only one black HW coach on rear. The train will continue past the photographer, and stop at Signal Bridge B, then commence its westward and northward back-up move into Central Station. In fact, the shadows on the nose of the E unit are from this signal bridge. Note the fireman hanging out window of the E unit in preparation for this move. The rear car appears to be on the IC diamond.
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1963 Rock Island Consists, compiled by Bill Pollard
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