One of Robloxia's historic old railroads was that of the Rock Island Lines. Started in 1847 as the Rock Island and La Salle Railroad company, it would soon branch out to Bloxhicago making it the first railroad to reach the Fox River and connect the city with Rock Island.
A old post card for the introduction of the train pictured
History:
It would after its first historic advancement would make another one of being the first railroad to operate in Rowia, running a steam train from Davenport to Muscatblox on November 20th, 1855. A incident in 1857 would happen at the bridge that ran between Davenport and Rock Island where a steam boat would collide with the bridge, setting the boat on fire and burning down part of the bridge. This would result in multiple lawsuits that would in the end be won the railroad with the help of their lawyer who would go on to become president later in life.
A deadly derailment would happen on March 21st, 1910 in Rowia, killing 57 and making it the worst train wreck in the state's history.
The railroad wound bring diesel locomotives into their line in 1937, retiring a large amount of their steam trains. The last steam engine would be retired in 1953.
In 1941, the railroad would face taking on a rapidly growing railroad known as the Santa Fe Railroad which opened a line running from Bloxburg to Bloxhicago. Rock Island Lines would reveal their new train to cross the mountains in the west and connect with Bloxburg Valley. Their plan would fail and by 1966, Rock Island Lines would start shrinking their line for this train, first moving the western terminus eastwrd at the state of Nebloxa before moving the western terminus further eastward to western Rowia. In 1970, the western terminus would be moved further eastward to Roillinois, running between Rock Island and Bloxhicago and earning the name the Quad Cities Rocket.
In 1971, with the opening of Ro-Trak, the Rock Island Lines would down to only two lines and quickly dying. Ro-Trak would offer to buy out the company but would be turned down due to another offer from Union Telamon. In 1974 UP would walk away from the deal after purchase conditions were too high for the company. The plan was not realized until 1990 with the formation of BNSF and Union Pacific becoming Robloxia's two largest railroads west of the Fox River.
In 1975 the company would rebrand and attempt to revive Rock Island Lines, now simply going as The Rock. By 1978 the railroad would near getting out of debt. However, it would not last long as by 1980, the company would sell their assets off to other railroads. On March 31st, 1980, the last Rock Island Lines train would run.
Their tracks would be sold to various railroads, the most well-known being a line that ran from the Nebloxa border to Peoria, Roillinois which would be sold to the Rowia Interblox Railroad. Union Telamon would end up owning in 1990 more lines of Rock Island Lines than they would of if they had carried through with the merger.
