The Rock Island Railroad Video Series # 3: Old News Is Good History

March 31, 2020 marked 40 years since the Rock Island Railroad rolled into history as being one of the nation's largest railroad shutdowns. …. It was a sad day for the system and it left many towns empty-handed taking years for many of them to recover.

Today’s presentation includes old and new TV news clips about the railroad which a worker, who started work as a brakeman in 1938, recorded and collected. His grandchild discovered in 1980 and decided to share them on the anniversary of the Rock Island Railroad's shutdown. None of these are new and some of the clips are a little rough, but today you will be able to see them in this 46 minute video. These clips will take you along for a very special ride through the past.

In addition, you will want to listen to different versions of the railroad’s theme song, as it was sung originally in 1934 by John Lomax and later in 1957 by Johnny Cash to the performance by John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the Beatles .