Rocket Launcher
Nearly 40 years later, a "Rocket" returns to it's one-time launching pad. This is Chicago's LaSalle Street Station, the eastern terminus for the Rock Island Railroad, where the famous "Rocket" streamliners began their journeys west. But much has changed in this time. The Rock Island went out of business in the 1980s, the original LaSalle Street headhouse was torn down about the same time, and the "Rockets" are all but a distant memory.
Enter 2017: In partnership with Metra, the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society put together four "Joliet Rocket" excursions an homage to the once "Mighty Fine Line." Featuring vintage equipment and their own famous Nickel Plate 4-8-4 #765 for power, passengers were treated to a recreation of a 1940's era train ride from Joliet to Chicago and back over the former Rock Island mainline. Passengers also got to experience a fine lunch or dinner at the station, as well as a photo runby (originally scheduled to take place at Tinley Park) of the giant steam beast. This would be the first time since the 1960s that a steam locomotive would again grace the platforms of LaSalle Street Station and sound of a steam whistle would echo off the Canyons of Chicago. This trip was so popular that it would return for a second year in 2018.
Seen here is the second run of the Joliet Rocket on Saturday, June 17th. Heat and humidity forced many passengers to return back to the air conditioning in the train after finishing their dinner & drinks. But those of us who rode in the Iowa Pacific full-dome car wanted to linger as long as we could outside, because the AC conked out on the car during the morning run, effectively turning it into a giant sauna.
Rocket Launcher
Nearly 40 years later, a "Rocket" returns to it's one-time launching pad. This is Chicago's LaSalle Street Station, the eastern terminus for the Rock Island Railroad, where the famous "Rocket" streamliners began their journeys west. But much has changed in this time. The Rock Island went out of business in the 1980s, the original LaSalle Street headhouse was torn down about the same time, and the "Rockets" are all but a distant memory.
Enter 2017: In partnership with Metra, the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society put together four "Joliet Rocket" excursions an homage to the once "Mighty Fine Line." Featuring vintage equipment and their own famous Nickel Plate 4-8-4 #765 for power, passengers were treated to a recreation of a 1940's era train ride from Joliet to Chicago and back over the former Rock Island mainline. Passengers also got to experience a fine lunch or dinner at the station, as well as a photo runby (originally scheduled to take place at Tinley Park) of the giant steam beast. This would be the first time since the 1960s that a steam locomotive would again grace the platforms of LaSalle Street Station and sound of a steam whistle would echo off the Canyons of Chicago. This trip was so popular that it would return for a second year in 2018.
Seen here is the second run of the Joliet Rocket on Saturday, June 17th. Heat and humidity forced many passengers to return back to the air conditioning in the train after finishing their dinner & drinks. But those of us who rode in the Iowa Pacific full-dome car wanted to linger as long as we could outside, because the AC conked out on the car during the morning run, effectively turning it into a giant sauna.