Rocky Mountain Rocket

[jeffhergert]

Engine crews ran Chicago, IL - Rock Island, IL. Rock Island, IL - Des Moines, IA.  Des Moines , IA to Omaha, NE.  Omaha, NE to Fairbury, NE.  Fairbury, NE to Phillisburg, KS.  Phillipsburg, KS to Goodland, KS.  Goodland, KS to Limon, CO.  Limon, CO to (over the UP) Denver, CO and Limon, CO to Colorado Springs, CO.

Chicago, Rock Island, Des Moines, Fairbury, Goodland, and I think Limon were home terminals for engine crews.  Crews out of Fairbury ran east to Omaha and west to Phillipsburg, Pburg being an away from home terminal.  Crews out of Goodland ran east to Pburg and west to Limon.  The seniority district for engineers out of Goodland included Limon west to Denver and Colorado Springs, but I believe Goodland engine crews changed at Limon.  Both Colorado Springs and Denver being away from home terminals.

Trainmen I'm not as sure about.  I know it was not unusual for some passenger runs for trainmen to cross multiple (interdivisional) crew districts.  For example I've seen evidence of a passenger crew running Rock Island to Omaha, through Des Moines.  

Jeff   

[NP Eddie]

ALL:

Today's question is about the  RI's Rocky Mountain Rocket train and engine crew change points.

Where did the RI change train and engine crews on that train?

At Limon, the train was switched to remove the Colorado Springs cars (and the AB6) from the train. Did the Rock Island have a crew base at Colorado Springs to handle that train (and freights to Limon) or the crews for the Springs get on earlier?

One of my regrets is not riding the RI from Minneapolis to Kansas City and back.

Ed Burns

Happily retired Class 1 from Northtown.