Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company
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Product Details
CompanyChicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company
Certificate Type
Common Stock
Date Issued
1950's and 1960's
Canceled
Yes
Printer
Security Bank Note Company
Signatures
Machine printed
Approximate Size
12" (w) by 8 1/4" (h)
Images
Representative of the piece you will receive
Guaranteed Authentic
Yes
Additional Details
NA
Reference
Historical Context

The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P RR) was a Class I railroad and was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, “THE ROCK.” Its ancestor, the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad, was incorporated on February 7, 1851 and operated its first train on October 10, 1852, between Chicago and Rock Island, Illinois.
Territory
The Rock Island stretched across Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The easternmost reach of the system was Chicago. The system also reached Memphis, Tennessee, Denver, Colorado, and Santa Rosa, New Mexico. Southernmost reaches were to Galveston, Texas, and Eunice, Louisiana while in a northerly direction the Rock Island got as far as Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Major lines included Minneapolis to Kansas City, Missouri, via Des Moines, Iowa; St. Louis, Missouri, to Santa Rosa via Kansas City; Herington, Kansas, to Galveston, Texas, via Fort Worth, Texas, and Dallas, Texas; and Santa Rosa to Memphis. The heaviest traffic was on the Chicago-to-Rock Island and Rock Island-to-Muscatine lines.
The system got its start in Chicago and was a major player in the Iowa railroad industry.
Passenger Train Service
The Rock Island jointly operated the Golden State Limited (Chicago—Kansas City—Tucumcari—El Paso—Los Angeles) with the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) from 1902–1968. The name was shortened to the Golden State after 1948's modernization. Another joint venture with the SP, the Golden Rocket, was planned to enter service in 1948 but instead became "the train that never was," after SP withdrew from the joint train operating agreement. The Golden Rocket's uniquely-colored consist was placed in Golden State service instead.
The railroad operated a number of trains known as Rockets serving the Midwest, including the Rocky Mountain Rocket (Chicago—Omaha—Lincoln—Denver—Colorado Springs), the Corn Belt Rocket (Chicago—Des Moines—Omaha), the Twin Star Rocket (Minneapolis—St. Paul—Des Moines—Kansas City—Oklahoma City—Fort Worth—Dallas—Houston), the Zephyr Rocket (Minneapolis—St. Paul—Burlington—St. Louis) and the Choctaw Rocket (Memphis—Little Rock—Oklahoma City—Amarillo—Tucumcari).
The Rock Island did not join Amtrak on its formation in 1971, and continued to operate its own passenger trains. After concluding that the cost of joining would be the same as operating the two remaining intercity roundtrips (the Chicago-Peoria Peoria Rocket and the Chicago-Rock Island Quad Cities Rocket), the railroad decided to "perform a public service for the state of Illinois" and continue intercity passenger operations. Both trains were discontinued on December 31, 1978.
The Rock Island’s Demise
Once an acquisition target of the Union Pacific Railroad, Rock Island was victim to the longest and most complicated railroad merger proceedings in the history of the Interstate Commerce Commission. After a decade of hearings and studies, the ICC eventually approved the acquisition of Rock Island by Union Pacific, subject to many other conditions. Rock Island's track conditions had deteriorated greatly while merger proceedings were underway, and Union Pacific declined to pursue the merger plans.
In 1975, Rock Island entered receivership for its third and final bankruptcy. Attempts to reorganize failed, in part due to the US Department of Transportation reluctance to fund another railroad bailout like Penn Central-Conrail. In August 1979, the Brotherhood of Railway and Airline Clerks (BRAC) walked out on strike against the Rock Island in a dispute over retroactive wages. When no resolution of the strike seemed possible, the ICC ordered the Kansas City Terminal Railway to take over operations of the Rock Island in September 1979. In mid-January 1980, the bankruptcy court ruled that the Rock Island could not be successfully reorganized and ordered its liquidation. Kansas City Terminal began the process of embargoing inbound shipments in late February, and Rock Island common carrier railroad operations ceased by March 31, 1980.
Segments of the Rock Island continued to be operated by other railroads, under ICC directed service orders, while Rock Island trustee William Gibbons began the process of selling or dismantling the railroad in what was the largest such liquidation in U.S. railroad history. Rock Island's holding company, the Chicago Pacific Corporation, continued on as its railroad/transportation subsidiary was liquidated.
Related Collections
Additional Information
Certificates carry no value on any of today's financial indexes and no transfer of ownership is implied. All items offered are collectible in nature only. So, you can frame them, but you can't cash them in!
All of our pieces are original - we do not sell reproductions. If you ever find out that one of our pieces is not authentic, you may return it for a full refund of the purchase price and any associated shipping charges.
FAQ
Are the certificates offered on your site genuine or reproductions?
All of the certificates you see on our site are genuine pieces, we do not sell any reproductions.Are the certificates you sell negotiable on any of today's stock markets or indexes?
No. All of the pieces we sell are either canceled or obsolete and have collectible value only.
Are the images presented in your product listings of the exact piece I will receive?
It depends. We try to present images of the exact piece you will receive whenever possible. However, when we are offering quantities of a piece, this is impossible. Within every product page we detail whether or not you will be receiving the exact certificate listed, or if the image is a representative example of the one you will receive.
How will you ship my order and how much do you charge?
We ship all orders via the United States Postal Service. Most domestic orders are shipped via Ground Advantage. USPS International, Priority and Express Mail, UPS and DHL services are also available, and costs are calculated during checkout. Current charges may be reviewed here.
Can I return my purchase?
Absolutely. You may return any merchandise, for any reason, within 30 days of the purchase date for a full refund of the purchase price.
We guarantee all of our pieces to be authentic. If you ever determine that a piece is not authentic, it may be returned for a full refund of the purchase price as well as any associated shipping charges.
Shipping Information
If your order exceeds $35, and the shipping address is within the United States, shipping via USPS Ground Advantage is FREE!
We make every effort to ship out all orders within 24 hours of receipt.
We ship the majority of orders via the USPS, with domestic orders using the Ground Advantage service.
Shipping is calculated during checkout. Upgraded services such as Priority and Express Mail, as well as UPS and DHL options, are also available.
As soon as your order is shipped you will receive your tracking information via email.
OVERSEAS ORDERS PLEASE NOTE THAT WE DECLARE FULL ORDER VALUE ON ALL SHIPMENTS. CUSTOMER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL VAT/CUSTOMS CHARGES.
Returns
Our goal is to make sure every item you receive is exactly what you had in mind. If you not happy with your purchase, we’ll help you get it sorted in a timely and professional manner.
You can return anything we offer for an exchange, refund or store credit within 30 days of delivery. Return shipping costs may apply, and the item must be in its original condition and packaging.
Any shipping charges collected on the original order are not eligible for a refund.