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Rock Island Steam Roster: Post 1900

Published: March 19, 2025

By: Adam Burns

In the modern steam era the Rock typically utilized 2-8-0s and 2-8-2s for freight service while 4-4-2s and 4-6-2s handled passenger trains.  

Beginning in the 1930s, John Dow Farrington's leadership brought about a system-wide infrastructure improvement program by replacing ties, pouring tons of new ballast, rebuilding bridges, laying heavy, 112+ pound rail on main lines, straightening bottlenecks, purchasing diesels, and expanding centralized traffic control/automatic block signaling systems.

In doing so, 4-8-4s purchased in 1929-1930 extended their reach beyond Chicago - Des Moines; Chicago - Dalhart, Texas; and Herrington, Kansas - El Reno, Oklahoma to Denver, Tucumcari, Fort Worth and Kansas City - Twin Cities.  Steam survived on the Rock Island until 1953-1955 when the final 4-8-4s were retired.

69012581716235151y1u761086788.jpgRock Island 2-10-2 #3033 leads a westbound freight near Tucumcari, New Mexico on May 4, 1940. American-Rais.com collection.

Switchers

Wheel Arrangement Class Road Number(s) Quantity Builder(s) Completion Date Retirement Date Notes
0-6-0 S-23 12 1 CRI&P, Baldwin 1901 1936 -
0-6-0 S-23 53, 55 2 Baldwin 1910 1936 -
0-6-0 S-23 57-61, 65-75, 85-99, 101-110 38 CRI&P 1900-1903 - -
0-6-0 S-29 111-130 20 Brooks (Alco) 1903 1936-1943 -
0-6-0 S-29 131-148, 195-196 20 Richmond (Alco) 1905 1937-1951 -
0-6-0 S-25 175-183 9 Baldwin 1901 1934-1936 -
0-6-0 S-21 184-194 11 Brooks (Alco) 1900-1936 - Formerly Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railway #10-20.
0-6-0 S-29 220-229 30 Baldwin 1905-1907 1937-1943 -
0-6-0 S-33 230-259 30 Richmond (Alco) 1913 1940-1953 -
0-6-0 S-33 275-284 10 Pittsburgh (Alco) 1919 1953 A USRA design.
0-6-0 S-53 300-309 10 Brooks (Alco) 1925 1953-1954 -

Passenger Locomotives

Wheel Arrangement Class Road Number(s) Quantity Builder(s) Completion Date Retirement Date Notes
4-4-0 E-18 674, 677, 682, 683 4 Baldwin 1902 1934 -
4-6-2 P-28 801-830 30 Brooks (Alco) 1903 1935-1936 -
4-6-2 P-32 831-861 31 Schenectady (Alco) 1905 1936-1950 -
4-6-2 P-31 862-894 33 Schenectady 1909 1939-1953 -
4-6-2 P-33 895-944 50 Schenectady (Alco) 1910 1939-1953 -
4-6-2 P-40 950-979 30 Brooks (Alco) 1913 1939-1952 -
4-6-2 P-46 999 1 Brooks (Alco) 1924 1939 A 3-cylinder design.
4-4-2 A-23 1001-1003 3 Brooks (Alco) 1900 1934 Formerly Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railway #75-76.
4-4-2 A-24 1004-1010 7 Brooks (Alco) 1900 1934 -
4-4-2 A-24 1011-1020 10 Schenectady (Alco) 1905 1935-1937 -
4-4-2 A-29 1040-1041 2 Schenectady (Alco) 1909 1936, 1937 A 4-cylinder simple design.
4-4-2 A-24 1042-1049 8 Baldwin 1905-1906 1935-1942 A 4-cylinder compound design.
4-6-0 28B 1225-1242 17 Baldwin 1900 - A Vauclain compound design.
4-6-0 T-27 1291-1299 9 Baldwin 1902 1934-1936 -
4-6-0 T-27 1301-1322 22 Brooks (Alco) 1902 1934-1935 Formerly #1472-1493.
4-6-0 T-26 1323-1337 15 Brooks (Alco) 1902-1903 1935 #1333-1337 were formerly #1494-1498.
4-6-0 T-23 1340-1341 2 Baldwin 1900 1934 -
4-6-0 D-23 1351-1355 5 Baldwin 1900 - Vauclain compound designs. Formelry #1201-1205.
4-6-0 T-28 1401-1471 71 Brooks (Alco) 1901-1902 1935-1941 -
4-6-0 T-28 1472-1488 17 Baldwin 1900 1934-1942 Formerly #1226-1242.
4-6-0 D-28 1490-1499 10 Brooks (Alco) 1902 - Formerly Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railway #200-209 (Class 54B).
4-6-0 T-28 1501-1520 20 Brooks (Alco) 1901-1902 1934-1944 -
4-6-0 T-31 1521-1535 15 Schenectady (Alco) 1905 1936-1949 -
4-6-0 T-31 1550-1587 39 Baldwin 1905 1936-1953 -

Freight Locomotives

Wheel Arrangement Class Road Number(s) Quantity Builder(s) Completion Date Retirement Date Notes
2-6-0 G-24 748-750 3 Baldwin 1901 1935 -
2-8-0 S-39 400-499 93 Brooks (Alco) 1903-1904 1936-1942 Formerly Class C-39.
2-8-0 C-39 1601-1700 100 Brooks (Alco) 1903-1904 1952 Most were reclassed as S-39.
2-8-0 C-43 1701-1783 83 Baldwin 1906 1936-1953 -
2-8-0 C-46 1799 (1st) 1 Baldwin 1906 - Sold to New York, Susquehanna & Western.
2-8-0 C-46 1799 (2nd) 1 Baldwin 1907 1939 Renumbered 2200, then later numbered 1784.
2-8-0 C-26 1807-1810 4 Baldwin 1901 1934-1952 Formerly Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf Railroad #207-210.
2-8-0 C-28 1812-1840 29 Baldwin 1899-1901 1933-1941 Formerly Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf Railroad #261-289.
2-8-0 C-31 1852-1878 27 Baldwin 1902 1936-1947 Formerly Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf Railroad #290-316.
2-8-0 C-34 1880-1882 3 Lima 1910 1943-1949 Formerly St Paul & Des Moines Railway #206-208.
2-8-0 S-32 1888-1899 12 Baldwin 1901-1902 1937-1942 A Camelback design. Formerly Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf Railroad #150-161.
2-8-0 C-43 1901-1930 30 Brooks (Alco) 1907 1936-1952 -
2-8-0 C-41 1931-2064 134 Brooks (Alco) 1909-1910 1937-1952 -
2-8-0 C-43 2100-2144 45 Schenectady (Alco) 1907 1937-1953 -
2-8-2 K-55 2300-2319 20 Baldwin, Schenectady (Alco) 1919 1948-1953 A USRA design.
2-8-2 K-60 2500-2642 143 Baldwin, Schenectady (Alco), Brooks (Alco) 1912-1923 1936-1953 Four examples were later sold to the Soo Line in 1941.
2-8-2 K-60B 2643-2678 36 Brooks (Alco) 1923 1948-1953 -
2-8-2 K-64B 2679-2688 10 Brooks (Alco) 1926 1952-1953 -
2-8-2 K-67B 2689-2713 25 Schenectady (Alco) 1927 1948-1953 -
2-10-2 N-78 3001-3035 35 Schenectady (Alco), Brooks (Alco) 1918-1925 1939-1952 -
4-8-2 M-50/M50a 4000-4061 62 Brooks (Alco), Schenectady (Alco) 1913-1927 1939-1953 Seven examples (4006, 4007, 4015, 4022, 4023, 4028, 4031) later sold to the St. Louis Southwestern Railway in 1941.
346839467823587298638948970948.jpgRock Island 4-8-2 #4059 at Council Bluffs, Iowa, circa 1950. American-Rails.com collection.

Dual Service

Wheel Arrangement Class Road Number(s) Quantity Builder(s) Completion Date Retirement Date Notes
4-8-4 R-67B 5000-5064 65 Alco 1929-1930 1951-1953 -
4-8-4 R-67B 5100-5119 20 Alco 1944, 1946 1953-1955 -

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