Route of the Rockets: Rock Island in the Streamlined Era

The streamlined era on the Rock Island lasted 43 years, beginning with the delivery of the first reborn Rockets in 1937 and ending well beyond Amtrak with a Notice of Embargo on Trains 5 and 6, and 11 and 12 effective January 1, 1979. During the era, the Rock Island ran an extensive fleet of streamliners in many hues, coming from just about every major car and locomotive builder, and embraced a diverse array of rolling stock. The Rock Island presented the traveling public with many fine passenger trains, including the original 1937 Rockets, the streamlined 1948 Golden State and the seasonal, short-lived Arizona Limited. This is their story. Includes a system map, passenger locomotive roster, streamlined passenger car roster, 176 pages, 200+ b&w and 56 color photographs with extensive captions, bibliography and index.