Photo of the new Rock Island Texas Rocket in 1937. The train was identified by its consist-the name Dream Lake on the 32 seat Baggage-dinette-coach No. 402 was part of the Rock Island Rocket's consist. The locomotive is an EMC TA. (Rock Island Railroad, Kauffmann & Fabry, Chicago, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
TEXAS ROCKET
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad's Texas Rocket was a lightweight, streamlined diesel-electric passenger train built by the Budd Company. It was one of six trains that were the first streamlined equipment purchased by the Rock Island, as well as being one of its first diesel-powered passenger trains.
The stainless steel train was powered by an Electro-Motive Corporation model TA locomotive. Unlike many other early streamlined trains, the locomotive was not permanently attached to the train. The train was articulated except for the observation car. The Texas Rocket traveled between Fort Worth, Texas and Houston, Texas, and offered an alternate schedule on the route of the Sam Houston Zephyr.
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad's "Texas Rocket" train arriving in Dallas in 1949. Photo by Roger S. Plummer.
(University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Museum of the American Railroad.)
Consist
The original train's consist was as follows;
- EMC TA Locomotive
- Articulated 2 car set:
32 seat Baggage-dinette-coach No. 402 Dream Lake
76 seat coach No. 302 Mesa Verde
- 28 seat coach, lounge, observation car No. 452 Centennial (non-articulated)
Interior of the Rocket's dinette car, 1937.
(Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Front cover of the 1937 Route of the Rockets brochure. (Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Route Map from the 1937 Route of the Rockets brochure. (Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)