Rock Island faced stiff competition over all of its major routes and was at a disadvantage over most of those routes. Between Chicago and Denver it had to cover many more miles than the Burlington or UP and couldn’t compete … Continue reading
Category Archives: CRI&P
In another decade or so, the Rock Island would become known as “one railroad too many” as it was competing against the Burlington, Milwaukee, and North Western. But in the 1950s it was still making profits and was pleased to … Continue reading
The Santa Fe called the Phoenix area the Valley of the Sun in this 1950 booklet. Rock Island responded with this Kingdom of the Sun booklet in 1953, though Rock Island’s term extended to the entire Southwest region from El … Continue reading
We’ve previously seen a 1937 Rock Island booklet that was printed in rather gloomy blue and black ink. This one from 1940 is brightened up with some red highlights. While the cover shown below (which is the back cover) tints … Continue reading
We’ve previously seen a 44-page 1929 Rock Island booklet advertising “personally conducted and independent all-expense tours to Colorado.” This one from two years before has fewer pages because it only describes the personally conducted tours, not the independent ones. Click … Continue reading
Because of the San Francisco and San Diego exhibitions celebrating the opening of the Panama Canal, “California the wonderland, with two Expositions, will be irresistible” in 1915, says this booklet. For easterners who could not resist, the Golden State Limited … Continue reading
Rock Island began to publish its series of Turquoise sky booklets on Colorado at least as early as 1902 and continued at least through 1930. At 84 pages, this one from 1909 is one of the longest in the series; … Continue reading
In 1909, Seattle — eager to respond to Portland’s Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition of 1905, held a world’s fair to celebrate the 12th anniversary of the discovery of gold in the Yukon. That’s something like a fraternity having a … Continue reading
We’ve previously seen a 1937 Rock Island booklet that asked an “all-important question: Where shall we go this summer?” This booklet from 1898 asked the same “important question” but with a more Victorian flavor: “Whither shall we go to avoid … Continue reading
As the 20th century opened, Burlington’s train #1 was a stiff competitor, offering speed and comfort, if not exclusivity, in the Chicago-Denver corridor. One thing it didn’t have was an evocative name. Despite the Denver Post and William Henry Jackson … Continue reading