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Rock Island Technical Society ("RITS")

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  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Fountain Valley, CA, USA
  • 607 posts
Rock Island Technical Society ("RITS")
Posted by garyla on Tuesday, October 29, 2013 3:33 PM

Anybody know what's up with that organization? 

The website is still up, but has the group gone inactive?

If I ever met a train I didn't like, I can't remember when it happened!
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Denver / La Junta
  • 10,820 posts
Posted by mudchicken on Tuesday, October 29, 2013 5:17 PM

They are struggling to stay afloat. They had pulled out of rental space in Savana, IL and Fairbury, NE after expenses got out of hand.

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Valparaiso, In
  • 5,921 posts
Posted by MP173 on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 11:44 AM

Circling back on this.

Anyword on the group?  I have an old Rock Island Freight Schedule book and am trying to find some more info on their operations.

 

Ed

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Central Iowa
  • 6,901 posts
Posted by jeffhergert on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 10:04 PM

It is no more.  It's website is still available thru the 'Wayback Machine' archive.

https://web.archive.org/web/20170622153808/http://rits.org/ 

Some of the links are no longer available, but most of the history section is via the wayback machine.

The old e-mail RITSlist is still active on groups i o, now under RockIslandLines.

The Rock Island Reporter https://www.rockislandreporter.com/  is a free on-line newsletter.  

Is your book the 1972 Blocking Instructions?  I have a copy and their is a copy in the history section of the RITS site that is still accessible.

Jeff

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Valparaiso, In
  • 5,921 posts
Posted by MP173 on Friday, March 20, 2020 4:10 PM

Jeff:

I have January 1, 1969 "Freight Train Schedules and Blocking Instructions" six ring binder with nice Rock Island logo on front. The pages are 7.5 x 4.5.

 

I had an opportunity a few years ago to purchase a number of old freight schedules and did so....really happy about the purchases.  Also have a couple of B&O, NW, IC,  3 Conrail, UP (1970s) and UP from 2000, PRR (1955 a real gem), NYCfrom 1965, Reading, and New Haven.  Also have a 1996 ATSF.

In the deal I also purchased Conrail Dispatch sheets for Indianapolis to Cleveland for an entire month of 1996.

Recently had a hip replacement and couldnt do anything for a month so I played with Conrail dispatch sheets and compared to actual schedules.  They ran a pretty tight ship back in the late 90s....particularly their intermodals into and out of St.Louis.  Set your watch by it.

Thanks for links...give me something to do now that I am working at home.

 

ed

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