ATSF Santa Fe/Rock Island Junctions

Era: Mid-70's/Early-80's. Besides Joilet, anyother Major ROCK-Santa Fe junctions in Illinois? What about other areas, like Texas?

 

US-6 or US-66? Thanks for the info, I've sort of back-dated my N-Scale Railroad and I'm even thinking of relocating the Railway from Texas to Illinois. It will still be Proto-Free Lanced so I have some room for "not exactally".

 

Perhaps not major but the RI interchanged with the ATSF in Chillicothe, Il.
I model the Rock Island in HO and like you freelance a bit. I model Kansas City and use the Santa Fe as a major interchange figuring they must have exchanged a fair ammount of traffic destined to and from the Twin Cities.
AF Niederer

 

I've been to "Chilli" many times and know the Rock went under the SF, but haven't found any interchange point. Do you know where the interchange was/is?

 

Don't even know if they interchanged at all, but they crossed at Princeville, IL. RI had a line that ran N/NW from Peoria to the Quad Cities. They crossed about 7-8 miles west of Edelstein. I believe the RI line was ripped up in the early 80's after they fell on their rears. This and the two others mentioned earlier are the only places in IL that they met.

Eric

 

Brent,
I fired for the Rock back in 1969 and one of my student trips took us from Peoria up along the river to Chilee. As i remember we went under the Santa Fe and then swung left off the main and up a steep ramp to enter the yard on the north side. It was a great trip because an eastbound ATSF streamliner came through while we were switching.

 

Brent,

Here is an overhead photo of Chilli. The old roadbed for the interchange is clearly visible as it curves under the Santa Fe's mainline.

Dwight

 

TOO COOL! I think I may have to model this location. A friend of mine is doing the Rock from Mid-70 to Bankrupt. We could interchange here and act like the yard access was never taken out. It also looks as if The Rock may have been double-tracked through there at one time. I know through LaSalle-Peru, IL. it was.

 

The Rock Island from Bureau to Peoria was single track. There was most likely a passing track at Chillicothe. Indeed the Rock Island was double track through LaSalle-Peru. The mainline from Chicago was double track all the way to West Liberty, Ia. on the Rocky Mountain Rocket Route and to just west(south) of Muscatine, Ia. on the Golden State Rte.

 

I grew up at Stinnett, Texas. The Rock used to run from Liberal, KS south through Stinnett to Amarillo, TX. The Rock used to interchange with Santa Fe at Morse, TX via Santa Fe's line from Shattuck, OK. When the Rock abandoned it's Amarillo-Stinnett line in the late 60's or early 70's, they began running their trains west from Morse to Cactus/Etter and exercised trackage rights on the Santa Fe south of Cactus through Dumas and on to Amarillo. The Rock wanted to use the Sanford dam at Lake Meredith as a new bridge across the Canadian River (as I understand it). However, when that route was denied, they abandoned in favor of trackage rights. It was a longer route but it eliminated all of the curves and grades that snaked down into and out of the Canadian River at Sanford/Fritch. Not much left of any of it now except grass and old roadbed.

 

The line through Princeville was long gone by the 70's. The line ended in Lafyette Ill and ran to Orion jct. Hooked up with the Q and ran to Colona Il. then in to Silvis. This line was tore out in 82.It was a sad day for me cause I grew up by it.

 

Welcome Casey! Thanks for the tid-bit of info.

 

The Rock crossed SantaFe (subs both, I think) at Lone Wolf, OK up until the 80's. Both pulled out then. RI trackage from Mangum, OK to Chickasa (?) was abandoned. Also crossed the Frisco at Hobart and connected with Katy at Mangum. Both the Frisco and SantaFe trackage is updated and run by FarmRail, a State of Oklahoma (originally) subsidized agricultural/industrial shortline.
John Armstrong did a track plan somewhere based on this N-S area (south Texas to Clinton, Okla). Page 38, SantaFe-Altus District in "20 Custom Designed Track Plans.
Part of my layout is based loosely on this plan. I do RI and Frisco based on the interchange at Hobart,OK.
I run both the older Frisco and RI freights and doodlebugs, and the present FarmRail, which features Paducah rebuilds painted cream and orange and lettered with the names of Native American Tribes (Kiowa, Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole, etc.)

 

Hey Graphite,

Could you tell me what issue the article is in about Farm Rail? I have tried to locate it, and remember the pics, but would like to review it again.

Also, the RI interchanged with the AT&SF in Oklahoma City in actually 2 locations. One is about 1 mile south of I-40 where the RI passed underneath the ATSF main. There is a 2 track interchange on a grade that connects the 2 railroads. The second is about a mile north of I-40 where the Santa Fe branches off on a trestle and into the old RI freight station.

Another one is in Shawnee, Oklahoma the AT&SF have all but gave up on the tracks into there, but the UP still runs into the town on former RI tracks. The interchange was/is about 2 miles south of the historic Santa Fe depot.

Ron Herendeen
rherendeen@mmcable.com
www.theheartlandflyer.com

 

Thanks for the new info guys!