| CRI&P D8 655, 16th Street, Chicago, Illinois, July 1978, photo by Chuck Zeiler. This is the Quad Cities Rocket, the last passenger train on the Rock Island, not counting the suburban commuter trains. It was dlscontinued December 31, 1978. The first passenger train arrived in the Quad Cities from Chicago on February 22, 1854. Called "The Rock Island Rocket," it was the first train traveling west to ever reach the Mississippi Rivor. The first railroad bridge constructed over the Mississippi River was completed in Rock Island during 1856 allowing for continued rail service to the western United States. The Rock Island provided passenger service to?the Quad Cities for nearly 125 years until 1978. The Quad Cities Rocket is seen here crossing the ICG Saint Charles Air Line at about 16th Street in Chicago, ICG's only direct connection to their entire Iowa Division. |