> Seems like these cars outlasted many others
> in commuter service.
> Was it simply a case of them being too easy
> to maintain for suburban service

Not only was the Rock Island broke, but there were unique problems with their commuter service that others local lines didn't face. Investment was so low and maintenance so bad that they routinely derailed standing cars. 1.) Rock Island management waited over a decade to hand the reins of control to the UP and they depended upon UP handouts to exist--second hand power and diversion of freight. (the UP even short-hauled itself for the benefit of the Rock) Distant UP managers didn't understand the need for commuter capital expenditures and CRIP managers wouldn't bit the hand that fed them. 2). Construction of the Dan Ryan Expressway and the Robert Taylor projects eradicated miles of factories once served by the Rock. Thus, operating charges for the tracks into LaSalle Street station had to be supported almost exlusively by passenger service. The C&NW had similar, but smaller problems. The CB&Q, IC and Milw. did not. 3). The ICC forced the Milwaukee to improve its service after it caught them in various rate making improprietites. The C&NW pledged to improved service and equipment in return for being allowed to dump much of its Wisconsin branchline passenger service. 4. In the 60s and 70s the Burlington and Milwaukee services received capital funding from special transit districts dedicated to their lines. The Rock never established a political coalition to gain access to such public funding.

fred_ash@bankone.com

> Not only was the Rock Island broke, but
> there were unique problems with their
> commuter service that others local lines
> didn't face. Investment was so low and
> maintenance so bad that they routinely
> derailed standing cars. 1.) Rock Island
> management waited over a decade to hand the
> reins of control to the UP and they depended
> upon UP handouts to exist--second hand power
> and diversion of freight. (the UP even
> short-hauled itself for the benefit of the
> Rock) Distant UP managers didn't understand
> the need for commuter capital expenditures
> and CRIP managers wouldn't bit the hand that
> fed them. 2). Construction of the Dan Ryan
> Expressway and the Robert Taylor projects
> eradicated miles of factories once served by
> the Rock. Thus, operating charges for the
> tracks into LaSalle Street station had to be
> supported almost exlusively by passenger
> service. The C&NW had similar, but
> smaller problems. The CB&Q, IC and Milw.
> did not. 3). The ICC forced the Milwaukee to
> improve its service after it caught them in
> various rate making improprietites. The
> C&NW pledged to improved service and
> equipment in return for being allowed to
> dump much of its Wisconsin branchline
> passenger service. 4. In the 60s and 70s the
> Burlington and Milwaukee services received
> capital funding from special transit
> districts dedicated to their lines. The Rock
> never established a political coalition to
> gain access to such public funding.

A couple of quick comments on the discussion of the Rock Island 2500's (the numbers actually went up into the 2600's but I am not sure how far) from someone who rode them:

1. The lighting wasn't THAT bad; I never had any problems reading the Trib or the Sun-Times.

2. Although the C&NW had similar cars, there WERE differences. In fact the Rock purchased some surplus NorthWestern cars and put them into commuter service! (I never have found out what these particular cars were numbered nor if any of them survived.)

3. Try riding the bottom lower step of a 2500 on a packed holiday train with the temp at about 20 degrees and you're not able to get any futher up into the car a/c heavy passenger load. No tickets punched that day for sure!

4. The 2500's were great for walking through the cars toward the head house of LaSalle Street Station and perhaps picking up a surplus newspaper that a commuter had left. And there was always the snoozing commuter to poke to wake him (or her) up. If the train started backing toward the yard, you could always make it to the closest open platform to jump off at a slow speed.

5. The Rock had a lot of pretty girls riding. In fact I met my wife on a 2500.

Les Beckman (Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum?North Judson, IN)

midlandblb@cs.com