Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad — Corporate Overview

The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company (“The Rock”, “CRI&P”, “Rock Island Lines”) was a U.S. Class I railroad chartered in 1852 and headquartered in Chicago IL, with major mechanical facilities across Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Colorado, Tennessee, and Minnesota. Through the asbestos era, the Rock Island operated a transcontinental-scale system serving Midwestern grain, coal, and merchandise traffic and the Golden State Route to California.

After decades of financial distress, the Rock Island filed for bankruptcy in 1975 and — following the collapse of a proposed merger with the Union Pacific — was ordered liquidated in 1980, with its network sold in segments to other Class I carriers (including the Chicago & North Western, Missouri Pacific, Southern Pacific, Cotton Belt, and Kansas City Southern) and to shortline operators. Rock Island shop complexes at Silvis IL (Rock Island shops), Cedar Rapids IA, Des Moines IA, Chicago IL (Blue Island / Burr Oak), El Reno OK, Little Rock AR, Kansas City MO, and Council Bluffs IA operated through the asbestos era.

Documented ACM Footprint

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) that the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad exposed the railroad workforce to asbestos through the following documented pathways:

  • Steam locomotive era: allegedly asbestos block boiler lagging, asbestos-cement smokebox insulation, and asbestos rope firebox packing on Rock Island 4-8-4 Northerns, 4-6-4 Hudsons, and 2-8-2 Mikados (through mid-1950s dieselization)
  • Diesel-electric locomotive era: allegedly asbestos-fabric traction motor winding insulation, asbestos arc chute plates in traction control cabinets, and asbestos exhaust manifold gaskets on EMD F-units, GP7/GP9/GP35/GP40, SD40-2, Alco RS-series, and GE U-boat locomotives
  • Passenger car: allegedly asbestos-cement body insulation panels, asbestos-fabric heating duct lagging, and Vapor Clarkson steam generators on the Golden State Limited, Rocky Mountain Rocket, Twin Star Rocket, and other Rocket streamliners
  • Freight car: allegedly asbestos brake shoe friction with WABCO / New York Air Brake / Symington-Gould brake components on Rock Island grain hoppers, boxcars, and gondolas
  • Roundhouse / shop: allegedly asbestos pipe covering on shop steam mains, asbestos-fabric arc chute plates in shop switchgear, and asbestos-block bay lagging in Silvis IL, Cedar Rapids IA, Blue Island IL, El Reno OK, Little Rock AR, and Kansas City MO shop complexes
  • FELA note: Railroad workers may pursue Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) claims for occupational asbestos exposure — a broader remedy than state workers’ compensation, and one that survived the Rock Island’s 1980 liquidation through successor-liability doctrines and the railroad retirement / FELA claims framework.

Workers Allegedly Exposed

  • Locomotive machinists, boilermakers, pipefitters, and electricians at Silvis IL, Cedar Rapids IA, Blue Island IL, El Reno OK, Little Rock AR, and Kansas City MO shops
  • Diesel-service and roundhouse workers servicing EMD, GE, and Alco locomotives across the Rock Island system
  • Railroad car repairmen (carmen) replacing asbestos brake shoes at Rock Island freight yards
  • Locomotive engineers, firemen, conductors, brakemen, and yard switchmen on Rock Island trains
  • Shop electricians (IBEW) working on asbestos arc chutes in traction control cabinets and yard switchgear
  • Insulators (HFIAW) applying and stripping asbestos pipe covering on shop steam distribution

If You Worked for the Rock Island

If you or a family member worked for the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad at any yard, shop, roundhouse, or locomotive-service facility during the asbestos era and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have legal rights under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) — a broader remedy for railroad workers than state workers’ compensation, and one that remains available notwithstanding the Rock Island’s 1980 liquidation.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956

Plants by State

The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad operated shops, yards, roundhouses, and locomotive-service facilities across multiple U.S. states. Detailed premises information is available on the following state jobsite pages: