One of the last of the Rockets, probably the Peoria Rocket, approaches La Salle Street Station in Chicago. At this late date the Rock was still trying hard to make an impact. It chose not to join Amtrak when the national carrier was inaugurated on April 1, 1971, citing inability to pay the entrance assessments, and chose to continue running its remaining two intercity trains (the Peoria Rocket and the Quad Cities Rocket) until 1975 as required by the Amtrak law. Finally, following withdrawal of a subsidy by the State of Illinois, it discontinued them on December 31, 1978. Soon the Rock itself would follow, in 1980. This shot is from Roosevelt Road, looking south.
