 The private sector apparently outpaced all existing plans held by their competitor at the time.The first portion of the railroad connecting Chicago to Joliet was completed by October, 1952 and on October 10, 1852, an American-type locomotive (4-4-0) called the Rocket, was coupled to six newly built yellow coaches.At ten o'clock in the morning the Rocket belched a cloud of wood smoke from its balloon stack and headed west over the 58-pound iron rails that had been imported from England.