Peoria Rocket
The Prairie Marksman at East Peoria in August 1981
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| Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Service type | Inter-city rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Discontinued | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Illinois | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Peoria Rocket | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First service | August 10, 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last service | October 4, 1981 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former operator(s) | Amtrak | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Route | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Start | Chicago, Illinois | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stops | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| End | East Peoria, Illinois | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance travelled | 149 miles (240 km) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Average journey time | 3 hours 15 minutes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Service frequency | Daily | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Train number(s) | 311, 312, 314 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| On-board services | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class(es) | Unreserved coach | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Catering facilities | On-board cafe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amfleet coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track owner(s) |
Illinois Central Gulf Railroad Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway |
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| Route map | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Amtrak on the TP&W in the 80's
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The Prairie Marksman was a daily passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago's Union Station and East Peoria, Illinois. The route was an indirect successor to the Rock Island's Peoria Rocket.
Prior to the creation of Amtrak Peoria was served by the Rock Island's Peoria Rocket. Then in serious financial distress, the Rock Island opted out of Amtrak in 1971: the company decided it was cheaper to keep running its remaining passenger trains than to join Amtrak. The Peoria Rocket and the Quad Cities Rocket continued running until December 31, 1978, providing one round-trip each day between Chicago's LaSalle Street Station and both Peoria and Rock Island, Illinois via Joliet, Illinois. With the demise of the Rock Island Peoria's nearest railroad connection was at Chillicothe, Illinois, 20 miles (32 km) to the north, where Amtrak's Lone Star (Chicago-Kansas City-Houston) stopped daily. The Lone Star, however, fell victim to budget cuts and was discontinued in October 1979.
The Prairie Marksman began on August 10, 1980, as a joint venture between Amtrak and the state of Illinois. Eschewing the Rock Island route, the Prairie Marksman used the old GM&O line between Chicago and Chenoa, Illinois, and then traveled west over the Toledo, Peoria & Western to East Peoria. The name was derived from a TP&W freight train which once operated over that route between Webster, Illinois and Keokuk, Iowa.
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Wikipedia