What Happened Today in Railroad History?

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

JANUARY 17, 1854

The Great Western Railway of Canada, reached Windsor from Niagara Falls. It was Detroit's first rail connection with the eastern United States. Great Western passengers were transported between Windsor and Detroit via ferries, notably the "Union", a 163-foot sidewheeler of 1,190 tons, which was built in Detroit in 1857.

JANUARY 17, 1870

In Michigan, the Fort Wayne, Jackson & Saginaw opened their line from Reading, Michigan to Angola, Indiana.

JANUARY 17, 1871

Andrew Hallidie was issued a patent, #110,971 for a design used in the first commercially successful cable car.

JANUARY 17, 1879

In Michigan, the Fort Wayne, Jackson & Saginaw completed their line from Jackson to Fort Wayne.

JANUARY 17, 1881

In Michigan, the Port Huron & Northwestern  opened their line between Zion and Marlette, over a high bridge.

JANUARY 17, 1888

In Michigan, the Bay View, Little Traverse and Mackinac Railroad line, from Bay View to Harbor Springs, was sold in bankruptcy, to the Grand Rapids & Indiana.

JANUARY 17, 1907

Cold and desperate citizens of Adams, Oregon, held up a train for fuel.

JANUARY 17, 1917

Colorado's 2 foot gauge Gilpin Tramway made it's final run.

JANUARY 17, 1932

In Washington, D.C., the last Arlington & Fairfax streetcar departed 12th & D Streets, NW, abandoning all service in Washington, D.C.

JANUARY 17, 1936

The following news item appeared in a Chicago newspaper, 1/17/1936, Associated Press.

"Chicago, long recognized as the railroad center of the nation, today started on it's second century of railroad history.

The 100th anniversary of the chartering of the Galena and Chicago Union railroad, the first unit in the present Chicago and Northwestern system, was commemorated yesterday. This line was the first railroad to connect Chicago with the west.

The charter also authorized a turnstate of Illinois with "authority to build a railroad out into the prairie country and on toward, if not to the Mississippi river, near the lead mines of Dubuque, Iowa, and Galena, Illinois.

The charter also authorized a turnpike road with toll gates if deemed necessary, the tolls in winter to be one-half the summer rates."

JANUARY 17, 1968

Santa Fe's Super C, made it's first run. It was a hotshot, all TOFC and container train which made the run from Chicago to Los Angeles in a little over 34 hours.

JANUARY 17, 1977

In the Candian province of Ontario, Canadian Pacific's Renfrew Spur was abandoned between Renfrew Junction and Calabogie (part of the Kingston and Pembroke Railway).

JANUARY 17, 1981

A fire was lit in the firebox of Union Pacific's challenger class          4-6+6-4, #3985, and she was reawakened after being in a deep slumber for 22 years.

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

JANURARY 18, 1897

The following is a footnote from Ottawa's Hull Electric Railway:

The Ottawa Citizen reports "The finishing touch to the Ottawa Electric Railway Company's massive iron bridge between Ottawa and Hull was made on Saturday, when the Ottawa cars which had been running as far as the Eddy Company's match factory, were able to proceed 200 additional feet between that point and the Company's waiting room in Hull. The Hull and Alymer Company's  cars now run down side by side with the Ottawa cars thus making a very easy and convenient transfer. The waiting room fitted up by the Ottawa company in the stone building formerly used by the Eddy Company is a model of neatness and comfort. It is sheeted throughout with ash and is lighted and heated by electricity. The Ottawa company has certainly left nothing undone to fully provide for the comfort of it's passengers and those who go over the Hull and Alymer lines. The latter may now reach all parts of Ottawa by stepping from one car to the other. The fare from Hull to all parts of Ottawa is the same as between points in Ottawa itself."

JANUARY 18, 1902

In Michigan, the first interurban car from Ann Arbor arrived in Jackson.

JANUARY 18, 1908

Oregon Electric Railway began service.

JANUARY 18, 1978

Budd introduced the SPV200 as successor to the RDC self-propelled car.

JANUARY 18, 1989

The overnight passenger train between Ottawa and Toronto was discontinued. The last train was hauled in both directions by VIA #6780.

JANUARY 18, 2001

Three Talent railcars arrived at Shed #48, at the Logistical Terminal, Port of Montreal, at 08:00 on the vessel "Federal Trader".

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

JANUARY 19, 1887

In Michigan, the new (current) depot opened in Dexter on the Michigan Central Railroad.

JANUARY 19, 1907

29 people were killed in a railroad accident in Fowler, Indiana.

JANUARY 19, 1923

The Grand Trunk Railway was amalgamated into Canadian National Railways.

JANUARY 19, 1938

GM began mass production of diesel-electric locomotives.

JANUARY 19, 1944

In the U.S. railroads were returned to private ownership after a wage dispute was settled.

JANUARY 19, 1982

In Michigan, Grand Trunk Western's coach shot #1 at Port Huron went up in flames and burned.

JANUARY 19, 1998

The Canadian National line between Moncton, New Brunswick and Mont-Joli, Quebec was transferred to the Quebec Railway Coporation, through it's wholly owned subsidiaries as follows:

*New Brunswick East Coast Railway between Pacific Junction, near Moncton, and Cambellton, New Brunswick.

*Matapedia Railway between Cambellton, New Brunswick and Mont-Joli, Quebec.

JANUARY 19, 2004

The Ironville Tower in Toledo, Ohio was closed. This was the crossing of the Norfolk Southern and the CSX former Toledo Terminal line. The operation is now remoted from the NS Dearborn dispatching center in Michigan.

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

JANUARY 20, 1830

The first railroad in the Mississippi Valley, the Ponchartrain RR, was chartered to extend from Elysian Fields Street, New Orleans, to Milneburg on the shore of Lake Ponchartrain.

JANUARY 20, 1882

In Michigan, the Bear Lake and Eastern Rail Road opened a 3' gauge line in Manistee County from Pierport via Bear Lake to Cleon Township. It was abandoned in 1902.

JANUARY 20, 1885

Patent #310,966 was issued to La Marcus Thompson of the L.A. Thompson Scenic Railway Company in Coney, Island, New York for a roller-coasting structure.

JANUARY 20, 1903

The Grand Trunk Western opened a passenger depot on South Washington Street in Lansing, Michigan.

JANUARY 20, 1957

L.W. Albertson succeeded J.C. Moore as Vice President of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.

JANUARY 20, 1960

The Quebec Cartier Mining Company commenced operation from Port Cartier to Cagnon, Quebec. At the time it was the northernmost railway in Canada. The line went into full operation at the end of the year.

JANUARY 20, 1975

In Michigan, the Grand Trunk Western had torn down it's Port Huron depot, also known as Tunnel Station.

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

JANUARY 21, 1872

In Michigan, on the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad at Mt. Morris, a "John Enhoff" leaned out from the platform of the moving passenger coach which he was riding on, and his head struck a cattle chute. He died five days later.

JANUARY 21, 1928

In Michigan, the Grand Trunk Western's car ferry Madison hit a sand bar, grounding the vessel and causing $49,200 in damages. The incident occurred during heavy wind, high seas and drifting ice.

JANUARY 21, 1941

The Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad received the first two Electroliners.

JANUARY 21, 1946

In Ottawa, Ontario, Hull Electric Railway was fined $50.00 for infringing a municipal by-law by prohibiting the movement of freight on Hull city streets between midnight and 05:30. Service to oil companies located on Laurier Avenue was suspended because the company was unable to provide freight service at other times without interference to passenger service which it provided under contract with the City of Hull.

JANUARY 21, 1963

The Chicgago, North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad ceased operation.

JANUARY 21, 1987

In Michigan, the Grand Trunk Western began use of an inovative locomotive scheduling system that provides a constant 96-hour projection for power requirements on the system's 1,310 mile network. Their power fleet at that point consistedof 214 road and 40 yard locomotves.

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

JANUARY 22, 1857

In the state of Iowa, the St. Joseph & Iowa Railroad Company came into existence with a capital stock of $200,000.

JANUARY 22, 1878

In Michigan, a new depot was built by the Detroit, Lansing & Northern Railroad at Portland. It replaced the depot which had burned down the previous year. It was constructed of wood, 22 x 55 feet and one story high. It has a stone foundation.

JANUARY 22, 1912

Florida East Coast Railway opened overseas railroad service to Key West.

JANUARY 22, 1956

Santa Fe RDC's derailed on a curve in Los Angeles, California, killing 30 people.

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

JANUARY 23, 1890

A new American speed record of 78.1 mph was set by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe.

JANUARY 23, 1902

Columbia River & Northern Railway (CR&N) incorporated.

JANUARY 23, 1915

An unofficial last spike ceremony at Basque, British Columbia commemorated the completion of the Canadian Northern Railway's transcontinental mainline from Vancouver to Quebec via Edmonton, North Battleford, Dauphin, Winnipeg, Fort Frances, Capreol, Ottawa, Hawkesbury and Montreal. Full operation of the line did not begin until early 1916.

JANUARY 23, 1963

The Florida East Coast was struck by 11 non-operating unions.

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

JANUARY 24, 1854

Chicago was linked by rail to eastern cities.

JANUARY 24, 1900

New York City's Mayor Van Wyck broke ground for that city's first subway system.

JANUARY 24, 1924

In Ottawa, Canada, a second franchise for the operation of streetcars was signed with the city. This signaled a massive modernization program.

JANUARY 24, 1966

Canadian National began passenger service from Ottawa to Toronto via Smiths Falls and the use of running rights over the Canadian Pacific's Brockville subdivision to Brockville. Canadian Pacific discontinued passenger service from Ottawa to Toronto via:

*Smiths Falls and Trenton

*Smiths Falls and Havelock

JANUARY 24, 2006

The City of Ottawa (Capital Rail) took ownership of Canadian Pacific's Prescott subdivision between mile post 8.17 and mile post 25.42 (Highway 416) This was excepted track for possible future expansion.

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

JANUARY 25, 1875

The Pinkerton Detective Agency bombed the home of bank and train robbers, Frank and Jesse James. Neither of the brothers were there, but their half brother Archie was killed, and their mother was injured.

JANUARY 25, 1875

In the state of Michigan, the Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore Railroad's engine #205 and a baggage car ran off their track 1/2 mile north of Godfrey's mill siding, killing the Engineer and injuring the Fireman.

JANUARY 25, 1901

In Michigan, the Port Huron Southern Railroad (later the Port Huron & Detroit Railroad) was chartered.

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

JANUARY 26, 1856

At Clinton, Nebraska, a new corporation to be known as the Chicago, Iowa & Nebraska Railroad was formed. It would eventually become known as the Chicago & Northwestern.

JANUARY 26, 1869

The Colorado Central Railroad was incorporated.

JANUARY 26, 1894

In Michigan, the Detroit, Lansing & Lake Michigan's depot at Chadwick Corners burned.

JANUARY 26, 1901

The Great Western Railway (owned by the Great Western Sugar Company) began operation. This Colorado shortline operated steam locomotives into the 1960's.

JANUARY 26, 1912

In Michigan, an agreement was reached between the Pere Marquette and the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton which allowed the PM to install a second main track at the Carlton interlocking. This made it necessary to move the current station, which the PM agreed to cover all costs.

[Dakguy201]

CANADIANPACIFIC2816

JANUARY 26, 1856

At Clinton, Nebraska, a new corporation to be known as the Chicago, Iowa & Nebraska Railroad was formed. It would eventually become known as the Chicago & Northwestern.

There is a Clinton Nebraska in the north central part of that state.  However, I suspect the town in question is Clinton IOWA, the place where the C&NW crossed the Mississippi.  As long as I'm being picky , the fans of that railroad are always quick to point out that North Western was two words.

[CShaveRR]

Dakguy201

 

CANADIANPACIFIC2816:

 

JANUARY 26, 1856

At Clinton, Nebraska, a new corporation to be known as the Chicago, Iowa & Nebraska Railroad was formed. It would eventually become known as the Chicago & Northwestern.

 

 

There is a Clinton Nebraska in the north central part of that state.  However, I suspect the town in question is Clinton IOWA, the place where the C&NW crossed the Mississippi.  As long as I'm being picky , the fans of that railroad are always quick to point out that North Western was two words.

 

Available information from my dungeon shows that the Chicago, Iowa & Nebraska Railroad became a part of the Galena & Chicago Union (C&NW's earliest predecessor) in 1862--that alone suggests that Clinton, Iowa, is the correct location.  (Interestingly enough, Clinton, Nebraska, was also served by the C&NW, but I strongly suspect that 1856 was a little early for a railroad to be built there.)

As for proper railroad names, it is true that it was the Chicago & North Western.  I'm inclined to cut Ray a little slack, though, assuming that his sources can be responsible for erroneous road names as well as erroneous information (I'm just hoping that we won't see the same errors perpetuated in next year's installment of this thread!)

Another one that I saw recently (an easy mistake to make) is that there should be no comma in Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee.  Nor is there one in the Chicago SouthShore & South Bend (yes, "SouthShore" is one word, nowadays, but there was no comma even when it was two words).

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

JANUARY 27, 1830

The Lexington & Ohio Railroad was chartered.

JANUARY 27, 1888

In the state of Michigan, the Lowell & Hastings began running scheduled trains between Freeport and Segwum (near Lowell). The road installed a turntable at Freeport on January 16th for turning locomotives.

JANUARY 27, 1902

5 workers were killed in an explosion during subway construction in New York City.

JANUARY 27, 1903

A collision on the Central of New Jersey at Graceland, New Jersey killed 23 people.

JANUARY 27, 1913

The Nebraska State Railway Commission approved an application by the Union Pacific Railroad of a 13 cent rate on unmixed alfalfa meal from Lexington to Omaha.

JANUARY 27, 1948

The first locomotive to carry a 1,000,000 pounds was operated.

JANUARY 27, 1963

In the Canadian province of Ontario, Canadian Pacific discontinued operating passenger trains #292, 293 and 294 between Ottawa and Maniwaki. The last train was RDC's #9105-9023 running out on January 26th and returning the following day.

JANUARY 27, 1963

In the Canadian province of Ontario, a connection was installed between the Canadian National and the Canadian Pacific at Smyth Road. From this date Canadian National train movements used the Canadian Pacific Sussex Street subdivision between Smyth Road and Hurdman.

[CShaveRR]

CANADIANPACIFIC2816

JANUARY 27, 1888

In the state of Michigan, the Lowell & Hastings began running scheduled trains between Freeport and Segwum (near Lowell). The road installed a turntable at Freeport on January 16th for turning locomotives.

Segwum is where this line crossed the Detroit & Milwaukee--apparently the scheduled trains were run to make connections with D&M trains to Grand Rapids and Detroit.  I don't remember what we've had on here about the Lowell & Hastings before--could it be that the bridge across the Grand River to reach Lowell proper hadn't been completed yet?  (Segwum was "Lowell" on the D&M and later the GTW.)

CANADIANPACIFIC2816

JANUARY 27, 1948

The first locomotive to carry a 1,000,000 pounds was operated.

 

I remember this coming up once before--a million pounds (500 tons) isn't that much for a locomotive to pull, if that's what they mean--figure up to ten freight cars of that era.  However, if it means that this is the first locomotive to weigh a million pounds, you might be talking about the C&O's class M-1 steam-turbine electric locomotives, which weighed that much fully loaded.  The first one was built in 1947, but may not have been put to the test until this date.  I believe that modern diesel locomotives weigh somewhere in the 200-to-250-ton range, so something like this would even be huge by today's standards.

 

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

FEBRUARY 01, 1870

In the state of Michigan, the Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore opened their line from New Buffalo to St. Joseph.

FEBRUARY 01, 1882

In Michigan, the Bay View Little Traverse and Mackinac Rail Road completed it's line from Bay View to Harbor Springs.

FEBRUARY 01, 1895

In Michigan, the Detroit, Bay City & Alpena Railroad left receivership and the assests were sold to new owners, the Detroit & Mackinac Railway. Winter: A 40-lever interlocking plant was erected at Porter, Indiana at the crossing of the Lake Shore and the Michigan Central. The interlocker would stand until the early 1980's.

FEBRUARY 01, 1908

The P&S name was changed to SP&S.

FEBRUARY 10, 1910

The Oregon Electric Railway's Woodburn Branch service began.

FEBRUARY 01, 1918

The United States Senate limited government control of the railroads to 18 months.

FEBRUARY 01, 1927

In Michigan, the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton changed it's northern passenger terminus at Jefferson in Delray to a new station openened at Fordson. (After the sale of the DT&I to Pennroad, passenger trains returned to Union Station.)

FEBRUARY 01, 1930

The New York Central Railroad leased the Michigan Central for 999 years.

FEBRUARY 01, 1934

In Michigan, the Chicago, Kalamazoo & Saginaw Railway discontinued passenger operations.

FEBRUARY 01, 1935

New York City's first trolley line on Fourth Avenue, was converted to buses.

FEBRUARY 01, 1968

The Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central System merged to form the Penn Central Railroad.

FEBRUARY 01, 1979

The Southern Railway's Southern Crescent service was transfered to Amtrak.

FEBRUARY 01, 1995

The Wisconsin Central Railroad took over control and operations of the Algoma Central Railroad in Ontario, Canada.

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

FEBRUARY 02, 1846

In the state of Michigan, the Central line reached Kalamazoo from Battle Creek.

FEBRUARY 02, 1886

Representatives from the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, Cincinnati Southern, and other southern railroads met in Atlanta where they agreed to a mass conversion of 13,000 miles of track to 4' 8 1/2" .

FEBRUARY 02, 1910

The Oregon Electric Railway was acquired by the Hill interests.

FEBRUARY 02, 1916

In Michigan, the Michigan Central Railroad approved plans for derails and signals at the crossing of the Michigan Central RR and the Detroit United Railway at 5th Street and West Jefferson Avenue in Detroit.

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

FEBRUARY 03, 1838

In the state o Michigan, a new depot was built on the Central at Campus Martuis in Detroit.

FEBRUARY 03, 1861

Thomas Edison became the first newspaper publisher to distribute his paper on a train. He sold his one-page Weekly Herald on a run between Port Huron and Detroit.

FEBRUARY 03, 1898

In a blinding snowstorm on the New Haven Railroad, engine #684 pulling a two-car milk train to Fitchburg, Massachusetts, colleded with engine #823 which was pushing a snow plow. Fortunately, engine #684 ran up the plow and ended up on top of #823 and no one was seriously hurt. Later, engine #823 carried #684 piggyback back to the depot.

FEBRUARY 03, 1973

The Providence & Worchester resumed independent operation.

FEBRUARY 03, 1975

In Michigan, the Chessie System would close stations at South Lyon and Fowlerville. Also closed that month were agents in Alto, Belding, Gera, Marlette, Vasser, Hart, Fremont, Newaygo, Sparta, Scottville, Breckenridge, Hemlock, Alma, Charlevoix Petoskey and Ellsworth.

[CShaveRR]

CANADIANPACIFIC2816

FEBRUARY 03, 1898

In a blinding snowstorm on the New Haven Railroad, engine #684 pulling a two-car milk train to Fitchburg, Massachusetts, colleded with engine #823 which was pushing a snow plow. Fortunately, engine #684 ran up the plow and ended up on top of #823 and no one was seriously hurt. Later, engine #823 carried #684 piggyback back to the depot.

 

I guess now would not be the appropriate time to bring up last week's episodes, when we heard about the first engine to carry a million pounds!

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

FEBRUARY 16, 1881

The Canadian Pacific Railway was chartered on this date.

FEBRUARY 16, 1897

The "Pere Marquette" , the world's first all-steel car ferry on the Great Lakes, made it's maiden voyage between Ludington, Michigan and Manitowac, Wisconsin. It was 350 feet long, it had a 56 foot beam, four deck tracks with a capacity of 26 freight cars. It was built by the F. W. Wheeler Co. yard at Bay City. It was later numbered No. 15.

FEBRUARY 16, 1907

FEBRUARY 16, 1909

The first Subway car with side doors went into service in New York City.

FEBRUARY 16, 1951

Canadian National began testing a Budd model RDC-1 self propelled diesel rail car between Montreal and Ottawa.

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

MARCH 01, 1856

In Minnesota, the Minneapolis and Cedar Valley Railroad Company was incorporated March 1, 1856 with a capital stock of $300,0000 to construct a railroad from Minneapolis, to a point of junction with the Root River Valley and Southern Minnesota Railroad in Dakota County, from one to six miles from Mendota, and thence in a southerly direction via Faribault, through the valley of the Straight River to the southern boundery line of the Territory.

MARCH 01, 1863

The Union Pacific Railroad adopted a gauge of 4' 8 1/2".

MARCH 01, 1869

In the state of Michigan, the Kalamazoo, Allegan & Grand Rapids reached Grand Rapids from Allegan.

MARCH 01, 1877

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Munn v. Illinois that states can regulate interstate transportation rates if it affects the public interest.

MARCH 01, 1886

Railroad workers belonging to the Knights of Labor wage an unsuccessful two month strike against railroads controlled by Jay Gould.

MARCH 01, 1887

In Michigan, the Colfax and Big Rapids Railroad opened a 3' gauge line, 8 miles from Big Rapids to T15N R9W. It was abandoned in 1889.

MARCH 01, 1887

"Nebraska Nugget She Rode the Rails" is based on the true life of a traveling photographer, Mrs. Mary Jane Wyatt. A contemporary of J.B. Silvis of the Union Pacific Railroad, and pioneer photographer, Solomon Butcher, she was the only woman to own and operate a traveling photograph car on a Nebraska railroad in the late 1800's. She also ran studios in Roseville, Illinois, and in Nebraska.

MARCH 01, 1898

In Canada, Through service commenced over the Intercolonial Railway bewtween Halifax and Montreal. This was achieved through a series of leases and running rights agreements with the Grand Trunk Railway.

MARCH 01, 1900

The Indiana, Illinois & Iowa Railroad Company during the year entered into an operating and traffic contract with the St. Joseph, South Bend & Southern Railroad Company, which latter Company's road extended from South Bend, Indiana to St. Joseph, Michigan, and assumed charge of the operation of the same on March 1, 1900. The Indiana, Illinois & Iowa Railroad Company also leased a portion of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad's trackage.

MARCH 01, 1910

96 people were killed in a train accident at Wellington, Washington.

MARCH 01, 1910

The worst snow slide in U.S. history killed 118 people when 3 passenger trains were buried at Steven's Pass in the Cascade Range.

MARCH 01, 1912

In the state of Montana, a petition for a proposed rate was granted on this date. Order No. 549 in re-petition of the Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound Railway Company for permission to file on less than statutory notice rate on coal and coke from Divide, Washington to stations on the lines of Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound Railway Company, Tacoma & Eastern Railroad Company and Washington, Idaho & Montana Railway Company in the State of Washington.

MARCH 01, 1920

The Transportation Act of 1920 returned control of U.S. railroads to their owners. The government had taken control over the railroads during WW I. The act also established th Railroad Labor Board.

MARCH 01, 1943

The Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway inaugurated commuter train service between Portland, Oregon and Eavan, Washington.

MARCH 01, 1981

In Michigan, Conrail scheduled the closing of the Porter, Indiana tower at the junction of the Lake Shore Route with the Michigan Central route to Chicago.

MARCH 01, 1999

In Canada, an arm of Genessee Rail-One takes over the train dispatching of the Huron Central, Qubec Gatineau, and VIA owned or leased trackage from De Beaujeu, mile 7.5 Alexandria subdivision to Hawthorne, mile 72.7 and from Federal, mile 0.0 Smiths Falls subdivision to Smiths Falls East, mile 34.5. The RTC centre is in Outremont, Quebec.

[CANADIANPACIFIC2816]

MARCH 02, 1877

Rutherford B. Hayes became (probably) the only President to receive news of his election while riding on a train. He was enroute to Washington, D.C., at the time.

MARCH 02, 1893

The Safety Appliance Act passed. It required common carriers engaged in interstate commerce to equip their cars with automatic couplers and continuous brakes and locomotives with driving wheel brakes. This act was signed into law by President Benjamin Harrison.

MARCH 02, 1970

Burlington Northern was formed from the merger of Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, the Northern Pacific, the Great Northern and the Spokane, Portland & Seattle railroads.