Tom Jackson collection of railroad memorabilia and photographs

Tom Jackson is a railroad memorabilia and photograph collector and resident of Rock Island, Illinois. His collection includes material on the following railroads:

Rock Island Lines The first of the Rock Island Lines of locomotives was incorporated 27 February 1847 as the Rock Island and LaSalle Railroad. When the track was completed, it connected the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. The line expanded to Chicago with a formal opening 5 June 1854, and changed its name to the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad. The first railroad bridge across the Mississippi River was completed in 1856; it connected Rock Island to Davenport, Iowa. The company purchased the Mississippi and Missouri Line in 1866 and changed its name to the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. In 1880, the many lines were consolidated under the title of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway Company. Through the late 1800s, the Rock Island system grew to include lines in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Colorado, South Dakota, Minnesota, Texas, Tennessee, and Arkansas. In 1902, service to Los Angeles via the Golden State Limited was started. By the end of 1902, the Rock Island System included over 6,000 miles of track. During the next several decades, the railway suffered financial hardship. The Great Depression and the Drought of 1931 hurt the Rock Island Lines, and it fell into a receivership before being rejuvenated during the late 1930s with the help of J. D. Farrington, Chief Operating Officer. However, by 1976, the railway was losing $1700.00 per day and averaged only 17 passengers per day on its Quad Cities-Chicago route. The Rock Island Lines went out of business 31 December 1978.

Rock Island Southern Railway The Rock Island Southern Railway was founded in 1904 by W. W. McCollough as the Western Illinois Traction Company. It ran into financial difficulties and was reorganized as the Rock Island Southern Traction Company in 1905. The Southern Line ran in Illinois from Monmouth to Galesburg while the Northern Line ran from Monmouth to Rock Island. Both lines were fueled by electricity, but the Northern Line ran on steam until 1910, when generators became operational. The Northern Line ran on steam again from 1920 until it closed down in 1952. Passenger service was abandoned on the Northern Line in 1924 and on the Southern Line in 1925.

Clinton, Davenport and Muscatine Railway and the Tri-City Railway Company The Clinton, Davenport and Muscatine Railway and the Tri-City Railway Company were both subsidiaries of the United Light and Railway Company. The Clinton, Davenport and Muscatine provided street service in Muscatine and interurban service from Davenport to Clinton. It was formed when the United Light and Railway Company acquired the Iowa-Illinois Railway Company and the Davenport-Muscatine Railway. The two companies operated under their own names until January 1916. The Muscatine city lines were sold to the Iowa Electric Company in 1928, and service was discontinued in 1929. Clinton, Davenport and Muscatine interurban passenger and freight service continued until 1938. Trains ran to Clinton until 1940, when buses replaced street cars. The track was dismantled except for a section that was purchased by the Davenport, Rock Island, and Northwestern Company for use as a steam line. The Tri-City Railway Company ran until about 1940.