11th Sept 2002

Rock Island "Aerotrain" #3. This futuristic train was introduced in 1955, a product of its era in an attempt to modernise the train travelling experience with fast, lightweight trains, as opposed to the traditional heavyweight trains more commonly seen. The locomotive, an EMD LWT12, had an EMD 567C 12 cylinder engine and was effectively an SW1200 switcher on the inside! There is clearly a lot of automobile styling in this design! Sadly they seemed to have been uncomfortable trains to ride and ended up working on the Rock Island commuter lines around Chicago, before being retired in 1966. Since this photo was taken the units has received some needed cosmetic attention.