Watching this video is bittersweet. I watched the dismantling of the Rock Island between Amarillo and Tucumcari. I never understood why an eastern Class I railroad wasn't interested in the Memphis to Tucumcari corridor. It would have provided a connection with the Santa Fe in Amarillo or the Southern Pacific in Tucumcari, while giving Norfolk Southern or CSX a western long-haul corridor. Perhaps the line had deteriorated past the point of no return, but the Rock Island was still hauling a respectable amount of merchandise and grain. Last week, I traveled from Amarillo to Tucumcari. Even though the Rock Island has been gone for 41 years, you can still see evidence of the line: rotted ties, wooden trestles, steel deck girder bridges, signal relay cases, abandoned grain elevators, and an occasional milepost. Near the Texas border, you can see the deep cut and embankment where the Rock Island crossed under Interstate 40. I appreciate you sharing this video. I think it is important to document the abandonment process. I wish someone had compiled a similar video for the Tucumcari line. Once a line is removed, it will never return. I am grateful that I have memories of the "Cherokee" arriving in Amarillo in 1967, and the station agent loading mail and express in the baggage car. If I had a "Wayback" machine, I'd love to go back and relive the Rock Island.
I appreciate your comment. I travel I-40 between Amarillo and Tucumcari a lot and always look at the remains of the line and wish it was still operating. I never had the pleasure of seeing it operating back in it's day but wish I could have. I have a similar experience like yours of the dismantling of a short line that I grew up with that ran between Ardmore, ok and Ringling Ok. It was originally the Oklahoma, New Mexico and Pacific constructed by John Ringling of circus fame. In 1926 it was sold to Santa Fe and dismantled in 1976. I have lots of fond memories and photos of that line. I too have wished I could go back in time and watch it again. Thanks for your comment.
@@CDwaneStevens When I rode the “Texas Chief” in the 1960’s the branch line to Ringling was still active and listed in the Official Guide of the Railways. When railroads courted LCL freight customers, branch lines were a significant source of carload traffic, Texas saw a whirlwind of branch line abandonments in the 1970’s and mainline abandonments in the 1980’s. I honestly grieved the loss of Rock Island, Santa Fe, FW&D, Frisco, SP, and M-K-T mainlines that were considered superfluous. I am glad that you, too, can relate to the Tucumcari line. Thank you again for your video.
Very cool video. I cross the tracks here in Ardmore several times a day at numerous crossings and I always ponder on what it was like back in older days. Thanks for the video!
I lived in Ardmore my whole life n I Kno every location this video shows I use to walk the tracks as a kid.. me n my brother woul jump trains toget across Town..
Time machine I was there.. I left my home town in 1972. I’ll get you a job on the railroad. November 1972 I started as a Switchman on the ROCK ISLAND. . I worked there till September 1978. Ftworth Texas. It was a dieing railroad thing’s were bad. I hired out on the Missouri Pacific into engine service promoted January 4 1980. Two years later I found I was working on the Union Pacific. They had acquired them all. I would soon be back on the Rock. Around the time of the dismantling of the old rock island bridge I was running detour trains to Fort Worth to Purcell Oklahoma. So I went under that thing many times I never knew it was Rock Island. I ran Fort Worth to Chickasha also. Ran into Houston Big Springs and in the end Ftw to Dallas Retired in 2016. It’s all just a memory.. but what a memory! Thanks for the video...
Very enjoyable. Excellent video, audio and commentary. Starts up as a nice day to railroad with old time railroaders. Today's work rules makes me cringe watching this. Still, great coverage of scenery, history, and honorable work. Watching the wreckers take her down was both interesting and heart wrenching.
Neat video! I live in Arkansas. In Pulaski and Perry county part of the Rock Island line is still in use transporting byproducts from the paper mill in Morrilton. I love watching the train cross the old wooden tressels.
+Markus Alford The rest of the line that extended from just east of "P" St. onward had been abandoned years ago. The segment remaining which included the trestles was used to service a few companies along "P" st and one of the main ones stopped using rail and started using trucks so the railroad decided there wasn't enough profit to maintain the line. There was a concerted effort to preserve the trestles by several historical groups but in the end it wasn't enough. Sure hated to see that piece of history lost forever!
It was actually built by the old Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf, later owned and operated by the Rock Island. The line came down to Ardmore from the coal fields of Pittsburg County, originating in Haileyville and running through Lehigh, Milburn, Tishomingo and on in the Ardmore via this route - which elegantly avoided conflict with the Santa Fe mainline via these trestles. The Rock Island was gone from Ardmore by 1940. The Frisco took over this segment of the line, converting it for their use. With the unfortunate coming of the Burlington Northern in about 1983, the Frisco line was abandoned from about R Street NE to Madill. It was another disastrous decision by railroad bean-counters.
The first trestle shown is over "G" St and is actually curved. Can't tell it from the camera angle. It's the wheel flanges making the curve that are so loud.
Its pretty cool to see this because I live a block away and I remember when it was there and then it was gone which really sucks but I think it they kept it, the teenagers and children now would probably trespass and hurt themselves up there
