Railroad Heritage of Midwest America hosting Liberty Rocket fundraiser trips

Railroading Heritage of Midwest America (RRHMA) and the Iowa Interstate Railroad are hosting RRHMA-Silvis’s patriotic themed fundraiser trip, “The Liberty Rocket” on September 26 and 27. Passengers can ride in classic vintage streamliner coaches powered by the world’s largest diesel locomotive, the Union Pacific DDA40X #6936 on a scenic rail adventure across parts of Iowa and Illinois. Boarding for both trips will be at RRHMA-Silvis, 1101 2nd Avenue N. Proceeds from the trips will benefit local nonprofits including Operation Lifesaver.

Click here for tickets for Saturday’s trip. Click here for tickets for Sunday’s trip. All tickets go on sale Monday, August 3 at 8 a.m. Riders are asked to arrive 45 minutes before scheduled departure times.

The trip on Saturday, September 26 follows the Rock Island Line westward across the Mississippi River and into eastern Iowa farmland, allowing passengers to see river views over the Quad Cities and vintage railroad infrastructure, as well as enjoy railfan photography and bagged lunches from The Hungry Hobo. Passengers will depart from RRHMA by 9 a.m., and arrive in West Liberty, Iowa by 11 a.m. for a one-hour layover. They will reach South Amana, Iowa by 2 p.m. before returning to Silvis by 6 p.m. for an 8 ½ hour round trip. Upon arrival in West Liberty, passengers can visit the Historic Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Depot and enjoy a boxed lunch provided by The Hungry Hobo and one-on-one Q&A with the steam restoration crew.

The second trip will be on Sunday, September 27, leaving RRHMA at 10 a.m. and arriving in Bureau Junction, Ill. by 12:30 p.m. for a 1 ½ hour layover before returning to Silvis by 4:30 p.m. The round trip is about 6 ½ hours. The trip takes passengers to the heart of the Illinois River Valley, following the Rock Island mainline eastward towards the historic division point of Bureau Junction, where they can enjoy:

• Railroad landmarks and infrastructure
• Rural Illinois landscapes
• Opportunities for railfan photography
• BBQ lunch upon arrival in Bureau Junction, featuring catering from Tony’s Butt Shack BBQ – Choice of pulled pork, pulled chicken, beans, mac n’ cheese and slaw
• One-on-one with the steam restoration crew
• Craft vendors

Riders can choose from three coach cars for the trip:

• Streamliner coach cars, donated by the Union Pacific Railroad in late 2022 and restored by RRHMA staff and volunteers. These coaches are equipped with 44 seats and all interiors have been restored to their as-delivered appearance in the 1950s, including functional air conditioning. Each coach has restrooms at each end of the car. Tickets for four coaches from the fleet of streamliner cars will be available for the general public.
• Former Pennsylvania Railroad P70 coach cars from the Iowa Interstate Railroad that were purchased and restored. These elegant coaches frequently run excursion service on the IAIS for fundraiser trips. These coaches are equipped with 72 seats per car and have been converted to be open-air style passenger cars. Tickets for five of these coaches from the IAIS fleet will be available for the general public.
• The Selma, a one-of-a-kind “observation” business car. The business car was once owned by the Union Pacific and Western Pacific railroads and was once the oldest car in the Union Pacific heritage fleet. It was built in 1912 by Pullman Standard. Pullman would customize cars to buyers’ specifications, including types of wood to be used in the interior, ventilation, heating and cabinet hardware. Selma has an observation room, three bedrooms, a secretary’s room, crew quarters, a dining room with seating for six and a kitchen. Only 10 tickets for this special passenger car will be available for the general public.

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