Choctaw Rocket

The Choctaw Rocket was a named passenger train operated by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad between Memphis, Tennessee, Little Rock, Oklahoma City, and Amarillo. Initially designated as train No. 51 (westbound) and train No. 52 (eastbound), it was the first diesel powered streamliner to operate out of Memphis, Tennessee, as well as the first streamliner service in the state of Arkansas.

Choctaw Rocket

Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Discontinued
Locale	Southwestern United States/Southeastern United States
First service	1940
Last service	1958
Former operator(s)	Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
Route
Start	Memphis, Tennessee
End	Amarillo, Texas
Distance travelled	762 miles (1,226 km) (1949)
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	Westbound: 51 Eastbound: 52
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

Choctaw Rocket route[1]
Milepost Station 0 Memphis Central Station Mississippi River Tennessee/Arkansas border 45 Forrest City 69 Brinkley Arkansas River 133 Little Rock 252 Booneville Arkansas/Oklahoma border 295 Howe 336 Wilburton 367 McAlester 411 Holdenville 432 Seminole 448 Shawnee 487 Oklahoma City Union Station 513 El Reno 562 Weatherford Washita River 579 Clinton Junction 609 Elk City 627 Sayre Red River Oklahoma/Texas border 664 Shamrock 761 Amarillo

History

The Choctaw Rocket followed a railway built by the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad between 1900 and 1902, informally known as the Choctaw Route. The CO&G and its railways were purchased by the Rock Island railroad in 1902.

A predecessor train, along the same route, and having the numbers #51/52, had the name, Chocktaw Limited in the 1930s.[2] After an inaugural tour at cities along the route, the Choctaw Rocket entered regular service on November 17, 1940.

Ad for the new Choctaw Rocket by the train's builder, Pullman-Standard.

The original locomotive and car assignments for the two Choctaw Rocket sets of equipment included E6 locomotives 628 and 629, modernized heavyweight railway post office-baggage cars 702 and 703, coaches 350-Amarillo, and 351-Oklahoma City, sleepers 622-Seminole, and 623-Wewoka, and dining-parlor-observation cars 430-Memphis, and 431-Little Rock. The coaches, sleepers and observation cars were all streamlined cars ordered from Pullman Standard Manufacturing Company, specifically for use on the Choctaw Rocket.[3] The Choctaw Rocket when inaugurated operated between Memphis, Tennessee and Amarillo, Texas. In January 1949 it was restructured to operate only between Memphis and Oklahoma City, with a connecting non-Rocket train between Oklahoma City and Amarillo. Contrary to some beliefs, the Choctaw Rocket never operated to Tucumcari, New Mexico although a companion Rock Island train on this route, the Memphis-Californian, did operate to Tucumcari, New Mexico, connecting there with the Southern Pacific Railroad to continue service west to Los Angeles.

The Railway Mail Service utilized the Choctaw Rocket for United States mail transportation, sorting and distribution along the route. One railway post office crew worked between Memphis, TN and McAlester, OK, while a second crew operated between McAlester and Amarillo.

By 1952, the Choctaw Rocket had lost its Rocket designation, Rock Island's identification for the company's premier passenger trains, reflecting the route's downgrade to secondary train status. In August 1953, the conventional locomotive-pulled trains were replaced by self-propelled Budd rail diesel cars and the trains were renamed the Choctaw Rockette, a name which lasted until mid-1958.

After the discontinuance of Western Pacific's rail diesel car trains 1-2 (Salt Lake City-San Francisco) in 1960, the Rock Island's Memphis - Amarillo RDC route held the distinction of being the longest such route in the United States.[4] Declining patronage and a desire by the Rock Island to close many small-town depots resulted in the discontinuance of this route, now designated as unnamed trains 23–24, with last runs occurring on August 8, 1964.[5]

Notes

1. Rock Island Lines, Public Timetable, January 7, 1941.
2. Rock Island timetables, February 1938 http://streamlinermemories.info/RI/RI38TT.pdf
3. Randall, W. David. (1990). Official Pullman Standard Library, Vol. 8 - Rock Island.
4. Duke, Donald. (1990). RDC, The Budd Rail Diesel Car. ISBN 0-87095-103-3
5. Interstate Commerce Commission Finance Docket No. 23015; July 27, 1964. 324 ICC 729.

References

• Goen, Steve Allen (2002). Down South on the Rock Island. ISBN 1-885614-55-1.
• Pollard, Bill (2008). "Choctaw Rocket on Display". Remember the Rock Vol 4 No 3. Andover Junction.
• Pollard, Bill (2008–2009). "Choctaw Rocket". Remember the Rock Vol 5 No 1 and No 2. Andover Junction.CS1 maint: date format (link)
• Stout, Greg (1997). Route of the Rockets; Rock Island in the Streamlined Era. ISBN 0-9659040-0-8.