Preliminary Information

The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (known as the Rock Island or later just “The Rock”) was the first railroad to reach Oelwein, Iowa, established in 1872. It served the Hub City, as well as Postville, Decorah, and West Union from the northeast, and Independence, Center Point, Cedar Rapids, and several other small towns until reaching Burlington, Iowa, in the southeast. There was also trackage from west to east, from Nebraska to Illinois, now owned by the iconic Iowa Interstate Railroad.

However, the railroad had been struggling to keep afloat.

The original Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (better known as the Rock Island Railroad) was an American Class I freight railroad. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.

By the end of 1970, it operated on 10,669 miles of track, with 20,557 million ton-miles of revenue freight and 118 million passenger miles. (These totals may or may not include the former Burlington-Rock Island Railroad.)

By 1980, they were loosing too much money and ceased to exist. Much of the trackage was bought out by other railroads. Large stretches were just ripped out and abandoned. Some of these have since become bike trails.