Although it's possible that the C&O hauled its last freight cars across the Lake with the Badger in 1982, that wasn't its last trip across the Lake from Ludington to Manitowoc, by a long shot.
http://www.ssbadger.com/home.aspx
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
January 08, 1863
The Central Pacific Railroad began construction.
January 08, 1914
A through fast freight service was inaugurated by the Canadian Northern Railway between Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec using the recently opened section between Ottawa and Toronto.
January 08, 1933
In the state of Michigan, arrangements were made with the Mineral Range Railroad and the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic to operate jointly between Hancock and Calumet, with a joint agency in Calumet. This continued for a short time until May 15, 1934 when the roads resumed using seperate lines.
January 08, 1954
New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal opened.
January 08, 1981
In Michigan, Sister Ann Joachim, 79, died at the Dominican Mother House in Adrian. Sister Ann was also a lawer, and had opposed before the I.C.C. in 1969 the discontinuance of Norfolk & Western's St. Louis to Detroit "Wabash Cannon Ball". The famous train continued in service until making it's last run on April 30, 1971 - one day before the startup of Amtrak.
January 08, 1982
In Michigan, the "Badger" made it's final run from Ludington to Manitowoc.
January 08, 1999
RailAmerica Inc. took over the operation of the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway from Canadian Pacific. The new company, known as E&N Railway Company (1998) Ltd, purchased the line between Port Alberni and Nanaimo and leased the section from Victoria to Nanaimo.
January 07, 1830
The first commercial railroad service began with horse drawn carriages in Baltimore on the first stretch of track on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
January 07, 1872
In Michigan, the Northern Central Michigan Railroad opened their Jonesville to Albion line.
January 07, 1891
In Michigan, the Lowell & Hastings completed their line from Lowell, across the river to Elmdale. The first passenger train ran from Lowell to Grand Rapids.
January 07, 1912
Through service was initiated on the Oregon Trunk line (OT) between Wishram and Bend, Oregon.
January 07, 1946
The Baltimore & Ohio shifted passenger trains from Detroit's Fort Union Depot to Michigan Central Station.
January 07, 1995
The New Brunswick Southern Railway commenced operation over former Canadian Pacific trackage from McAdam to Saint John, New Brunswick with a branch from McAdam to St. Stephen.
The Algoma Central Railway was taken over by the Wisonsin Central Railroad.
January 07, 2002
Amtrak train 351 became the first in regular service to hit 90 mph between Kalamazoo, Michigan and Porter, Indiana using the new GPS-based Incremental Train Control System.
January 06, 1866
The first robbery of a train en rounte occurred when $500,000 in bonds, specie, government securities were taken from an Adams Express company safe on the New Haven Railroad between New York City and Boston.
January 06, 1887
In the state of Michigan, the Mason and Oceana Railroad opened a 3' line from Buttersville (near Ludington) to Crystal Valley. It was abandoned in 1909.
January 06, 1889
In Michigan, the first passenger train was run on the Manistique & Northwestern.
January 06, 1893
The Great Northern Railway completed it's transcontinental route at Everett, Washington.
January 06, 1916
In Michigan, the Michigan Central Railway approved a new design for a half-interlocking plant at North Bay City for the Michigan Central and the Detroit & Milwaukee.
January 06, 1919
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Canadian Pacific Walthan branch trains began using the Grand Trunk Central Station in Ottawa, instead of Broad Street.
January 06, 1936
The Great Northern Steamship Co. (GNPSS) dissolved.
January 06, 07, 1998
In Canada, a serious ice storm blanketed eastern Ontario and Quebec and the railway system in the triangle Ottawa-Kingtson-Drummondville was virtually shut down. A long term casualty of this storm was the centralized Traffic Control signal system on the Alexandria subdivision which would have cost some $6 million to restore. This system, installed in January 1960, was converted to the computer assisted Occupancy Control System (OCS). The existing CTC system was retained for the Ottawa Terminal and between Coteau and De Beaujeu.
First of all, Happy New Year, Ray, and thank you for continuing the work on this thread! I hope to see a full year put together sometime, then expanded or corrected whenever more facts become known.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816 January 05, 1861 In the state of Michigan, the Amboy, Lansing and Traverse Bay RR completed 20 miles of railroad (location unknown) and received 1st land grant.
January 05, 1861
In the state of Michigan, the Amboy, Lansing and Traverse Bay RR completed 20 miles of railroad (location unknown) and received 1st land grant.
The first stretch of this railroad to open was from Owosso southwestward to Laingsburg, on its way to Lansing. It eventually became part of the Michigan Central system, after various foreclosures and other changes of ownership.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816January 05, 1908 In Michigan, the car ferry Manistique was damaged in the Manistique port. The boat made it back to port but sank at the dock of the Chicago Lumber Company. She was raised four days later and taken to dry dock at South Chicago. Ann Arbor No. 1 was chartered by the Manistique, Marquette and Northern Railroad as her replacement.
In Michigan, the car ferry Manistique was damaged in the Manistique port. The boat made it back to port but sank at the dock of the Chicago Lumber Company. She was raised four days later and taken to dry dock at South Chicago. Ann Arbor No. 1 was chartered by the Manistique, Marquette and Northern Railroad as her replacement.
The full name of the ferry was Manistique, Marquette & Northern 1. The damage was caused by ice, just outside the harbor at Manistique.
Soon after the boat was repaired, the MM&N railroad was taken over by a company affiliated with the Ann Arbor Railroad (which had plenty of ferries of its own), and the Manistique, Marquette & Northern 1 was sold to the Grand Trunk. The Grand Trunk renamed the ferry Milwaukee, and its misfortunes continued when it foundered with all hands off the Wisconsin shore in 1929.
January 05, 1885
The Long Island Railroad created the first piggyback service with a train consisting of flatcars carrying farmer's wagons and horses and a coach for teamsters.
January 05, 1893
The Great Northern Railroad completed it's line from the Great Lakes to Everett, Washington.
January 05, 1905
Baltimore & Ohio introduced the first electric freight locomotive.
January 05, 1908
January 05, 1912
Spokane Portland & Seattle Railway completed it's Ceililo bridge.
January 05, 1920
The Jennings & Northeastern Railroad discontinued service in Jennings, Michigan.
January 05, 1956
General Motors introduced the Aerotrain. The New York Central conducted tests of the the Aerotrain, composed of 10 coaches and a single 1,200 hp diesel locomotive, it made non-stop test runs between Chicago and Detroit. It consumed only $18.00 in fuel during the 283 mile run. After the run, it was put on display at the Michigan Central Railroad passenger terminal in Detroit.
January 05, 1984
The Delaware & Hudson became a part of Guilford Transportation Industries.
January 05, 1985
The Alaska Railroad became property of the state of Alaska in transfer ceremonies which were held in Nenana and Seward.
January 05, 1988
The Michigan Central Depot in Detroit was closed.
January 04, 1831
The Baltimore & Ohio made a bid for the first locomotive of American manufacture by placing advertisements in the Baltimore American.
January 04, 1877
Railroad mogul Cornelius Vanderbilt died at the age of 83. He was probably the richest man in the world at that time.
January 04, 1892
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Central Counties Railway, which was incorporated on June 23, 1877 as the Prescott County Railway, opened from Glen Robertson to Hawkesbury. The line was leased to the Canada Atlantic Railway on April 17, 1891. A formal inspection had been made by Inspector Marcus Smith on December 3, 1891 who found the line ready to be opened to the public provided two culverts were strengthened and proper provision made for turning the locomotive at Hawkesbury. The first sod had been turned at Glen Robertson on March 31, 1891.
January 04, 1920
In the Canadian province of Ontario, at Ottawa, the Grand Trunk Railway Central's station was renamed to Union Station. On the same date the Canadian Pacific's Broad Street or Union Station in the Chaudiere was closed to passengers and trains began using the Grand Trunk Union Station.
January 04, 1952
In the state of Michigan, the C&O car ferry "Spartan" was launched. Along with sister ship "Badger", these were the largest, best equipped and last coal-fired passenger-carrying steamships built in the United States.
January 04, 1954
In Michigan, the last regularly scheduled passenger train, the Milwaukee Road's Chippewa-Hiawatha, between Channing and Ontonagan was discontinued. The Ontonagan Herald reported that the train arrived at 11:00 p.m. and one hour later the equipment deadheaded back to Channing. The train, which the railroad had tried to eliminate since 1950, was finally ordered discontinued by the Michigan Supreme Court, who overturned the Michigan Public Service Commission to keep the train. The remainder of the route from Milwaukee to Channing lasted until 1960.
January 04, 1955
The operation of steam power on the Milwaukee Road came to an end when 2-8-4 #239 arrived in St. Paul, Minnesota.
January 04, 1962
New York City's first automated subway train entered service.
January 04, 1970
The Erie Lackawanna's Lake Cities train made it's final run.
January 04, 1980
The interlocking facility at Dearborn, Michigan closed.
January 04, 1987
16 people were killed when Amtrak's northbound Colonial collided with errant Conrail diesels which had run through a stop signal and a switch at Chase, Maryland.
January 03, 1839
In the state of Michigan, the first mail contract west of the Allegheny Mountains involving a railroad was made with the Erie & Kalamazoo.
January 03, 1889
The Detroit City Railway received a grant for new trackage.
January 03, 1926
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Canadian National discontinued service (trains 73 and 74) between Kingston and Harrowsmith thus ending the exercise of running powers commenced in 1889 by the Napanee, Tamworth and Quebec Railway over the Kingston and Pembroke tracks.
January 03, 1956
The New York Central consigned to scrap the last two steam locomotives which were used on their Detroit-Mackinaw City run.
January 03, 1965
The state of Maine lost it's passenger train connection with the rest of the U.S. when the Boston & Maine ended it's Boston to Portland trains.
January 03, 1967
The Chesapeake & Ohio acquired the Chicago, South Shore & South Bend Railroad.
January 03, 1986
The Skytrain commenced operation between Vancouver and New Westminster, British Columbia.
January 02, 1849
A predecessor of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois, the Evansville & Illinois was chartered.
January 02, 1871
In Michigan, the Kalamazoo and South Haven Railroad completed a line from Kalamazoo to South Haven.
January 02, 1899
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Pembroke Southern Railway, which was incorporated on May 27, 1893, opened from Golden Lake to Pembroke. The first train into Pembroke had arrived on November 14, 1898. The company was leased to the Canada Atlantic Railway on August 1, 1899 which took over operation on the 1st of September 1899.
January 02, 1906
The President of the First National Bank in Calumet, Michigan announced that a new railroad, known as the Keweenaw Central is opening up the country to the north and that prospects are good for the area to contain 10,000 to 15,000 more people in the next two years.
January 02, 1907
33 people were killed in a train accident at Volland, Kansas.
January 02, 1916
Interurban service between Battle Creek and Grand Rapids, Michigan began, via Richland.
January 02, 1930
In the state of Michigan, the New York Central System acquired a 99-year lease on the Michigan Central Railroad and the "Big Four" (Cleveland, Chicago, Cincinnati & St. Louis RR's) lines.
January 02, 1991
Frank G. Turpin retired as the first President and CEO of the Alaska Railroad Corporation, the Board of Directors hired Robert S. Hatfield Jr., a 17 year veteran of the Southern Pacific Transportation Company, to head the operation.
January 01, 1839
The New Jersey Railroad & Transportation Co. was opened between New Brunswick and Trenton, New Jersey.
January 01, 1855
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the Bytown and Prescott Railway began carrying mail as well as passengers.
January 01, 1866
In the state of Michigan, the first train arrived at Schoolcraft on the Schoolcraft & Three Rivers Railroad.
January 01, 1867
In Michigan, Detroit River car ferry service began with the "Great Western" at the time the largest iron or steel vessel on the Great Lakes.
January 01, 1870
In Michigan, the Michigan Central completed it's line between Eaton Rapids and Grand Rapids via Charlotte.
In Michigan, the first train was operated into Kalamazoo on the Kalamazoo & South Haven Railroad. The Kalamazoo was leased to the Michigan Central on July 1, 1870.
January 01, 1872
In Michigan, the Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore opened a line from Montague to Pentwater, and from Holland to Grand Rapids.
In Michigan, the Flint & Pere Marquette opened a line from Wayne to Monroe.
The Denver & Rio Grande Railway began service between Denver and Colorado Springs.
January 01, 1873
In Michigan, the Saginaw Valley and St. Louis Railroad completed a line from Paines to St. Louis.
January 01, 1874
In Michigan, a horse car with coach began operation on the Belding Railroad, between Kiddville (on the Iona & Lansing) and Belding. It connected with all passenger trains at Kiddville and the faire was ten cents.
January 01, 1877
The Chicago & Northeastern Railroad opened a line from Lansing to Flint, Michigan.
January 01, 1881
The Denver & Rio Grande Railway reached Chama, New Mexico.
January 01, 1882
In Canada, William Cornelius Van Horne was appointed General Manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Van Horne succeeded in laying 480 miles of track across the Canadian prairie that summer.
January 01, 1884
Grand Trunk (Michigan Air Line Ry.) opened a line from Ridgeway to Jackson, Michigan.
January 01, 1888
Tracks of the Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie & Atlantic Railway (later "Soo Line") reached Sault Ste. Marie.
January 01, 1890
The Wisconsin and Michigan opened a line from Fisher to Faithorn Junction.
January 01, 1900
In the state of Michigan, the Chicago & West Michigan, Flint & Pere Marquette, and Detroit, Grand Rapids & Western were consolidated to form the Pere Marquette Railroad, the state's largest railroad system under one management. The general offices were moved from Saginaw to Detroit.
The Pere Marquette opened a line from Freeport to Belding, Michigan.
January 01, 1902
The Saint Marie Union Depot Co. opened a line in Sault Ste. Marie to downtown.
January 01, 1903
Following the collapse of the Everette-Moore syndicate, the Pleasant Bay Railway sold it's right of way to the new Detroit & Toledo Shore Line. They constructed a freight-only connector line between Toledo and Detroit.
January 01, 1906
In Michigan, the Copper Range Railroad added several additional trains between Houghton and Calumet since navigation had been closed. A train would leave Calument for Houghton at 7:00 p.m. and return at 11:15 p.m, giving Calument residents a chance to witness all hockey games at Portage Lake. The fare was five cents, the same as the Street Railway.
In Michigan, the Manistee & Grand Rapids opened a line from Peacock to Marion via Luther.
January 01, 1908
Oregon Electric (OE) opened between Portland and Salem, Oregon.
January 01, 1913
In Ontario, Canada, the Kingston and Pembroke Railway was leased to the Canadian Pacific Railway. The CPR had exercised control over the K&P since November 1901. The K&P had been leased to the CPR for 999 years.
January 01, 1914
The last part of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway was opened for service between North Vancouver and Horseshoe Bay, 12 miles.
The last spike was driven in the Canadian Northern Ontario Railway from Montreal to Port Arthur at Little White Otter River, about 400 km east of Port Arthur.
January 31, 1935
In Michigan, the Hancock & Calumet was acquired by the Mineral Range Railroad.
January 01, 1941
In Ottawa, Canada, the New York Central began using it's own Mann Avenue Station instead of the more expensive Union Station for it's passenger trains.
January 01, 1946
The Atlanta, Birmingham & Coast was merged into the Atlantic Coast Line.
January 01, 1948
14 people were killed in a railroad accident at Syracuse, Mo.
In Michigan , the Erie and Michigan Railway and Navigation Company returned the leased Alabaster Branch to the Detroit & Milwaukee.
January 01, 1952
The first gas-turbine-electric locomotive in the United States began service on the Union Pacific Railroad.
January 01, 1953
J.C. Moore was elected Vice-President of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
January 01, 1956
In Michigan, the Grand Trunk Western dropped mixed trains from it's PO&N branch, and it became a freight-only line.
January 01, 1958
In Michigan, Railcar trucks, applied to new cars, were required to have ARR approved sideframes. The new sideframes were required to be of the cast "U" section type with integral journal pedestals. Cast steel truck side frames having "T" or "L" section compression or tension members were prohibited on all cars in interchange. Railcar trucks with archbars, were prohibited under all cars, locomotive cranes, locomotive tenders, and derricks in interchange service.
January 01, 1962
Canadian Pacific abandoned the Kingston subdivision between Calabogie and Snow Road. The last through freight ran over the Kingston and Pembroke line on December 29, 1961.
January 01, 1964
Canadian Pacific was authorized to abandon the Kingston subdivision between Sharbot Lake and Tichborne.
January 01, 1966
A transit worker strike shut down the New York City subway system for 12 days.
January 01, 1971
The Alabama, Tennessee & Northern Railroad merged with the Frisco.
January 01, 1983
The Fort Worth & Denver Railroad was merged into the Burlington Northern.
January 01, 1986
The Soo Line merged with the Milwaukee Road.
Canadian Pacific took over the operation of the Vancouver and Lulu Island Railway in Vancouver.
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Canadian Pacific abandoned the Maniwaki subdivision between Wakefield and Maniwaki.
January 01, 1998
The Ontario Southland Railway took over the operation of the Guelph Junction Railway (formerly the Goderich subdivision) which had been leased by Canadian Pacific from the city of Guelph since 1888. The Ontario Southland also took over the 3.1 mile remnant of the CP owned Guelph and Goderich Railway.
January 01, 2002
Fare paying service began on the Ottawa/Hull Street Railway. Before this time passengers travelled free.
December 31, 1860
The first railway tunnel in Canada opened on the Brockville & Ottawa Railway beneath the town of Brockville. The tunnel itself was one third of a mile in length.
The total rairoad milage in the state of Michigan was 700 miles.
December 31, 1873
By the end of this year, Michigan had 3,719 miles of track, operated by 47 railroads that are in active operation or partly built. Of this amount, 55 miles are double track, and 410 are sidings.
December 31, 1880
Michigan's railroad milage totaled 3,823 miles.
December 31, 1881
In Michigan, the Flint & Pere Marquette (Manistee Railroad Co.) completed a line from Walhalla to Manistee,
In Michigan, the Port Huron & Northwestern completed it's line from Marlette to East Saginaw. It was officially opened for service on February 21, 1882.
December 31, 1883
The Michigan Central Railroad opened car ferry service between Detroit and Windsor.
December 31, 1887
Michigan's only international railroad bridge, the 1.2 mile series of spans across the rapids of St. Mary's River at Sault Ste. Marie was opened. The double bascule spans were, at the time, the largest of this type in the world.
December 31, 1890
The total railroad milage for the state of Michigan was 6957 miles.
December 31, 1898
In Michigan, the Manistique and Northwestern Railway opened a line from Manistique to Shingleton.
December 31, 1900
In Michigan, the Detroit United Railway consolidated city street car lines.
Michagan's railroad milage totaled 7,946 miles.
December 31, 1903
In Calumet, Michigan the services of the town marshall were requested at the Calumet Mineral Range depot, on account of the many small boys who congregate there for the purpose of taking up parcels and newspapers. The marshall cleared the depot of the small boys who were there "in swarms". It was said that the boys indulged in tobacco chewing in the depot. They were also addicted to the habit of wrestling and passengers on more than one occasion had been "carried off their feet".
December 31, 1909
The high point of Michigan's steam railroad milage reached 9,059 road miles in operation at the end of the year, while there were 81,695 people employed on steam powered railroads.
December 31, 1910
Michigan's railroad milage totaled 9,021 miles.
December 31, 1920
Michigan's railroad milage totaled 8,734 miles.
December 31, 1930
In Michigan, the Onaway & North Michigan Railway was dissolved.
Michigan's railroad milage totaled 8,072 miles.
December 31, 1940
Michigan's railroad milage totaled 7,303 miles.
December 31, 1943
The Gales Creek & Wilson River Railway was purchased by the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
December 31, 1944
50 people were killed in a train accident at Bagley, Utah.
December 31, 1950
Michigan's railroad milage totaled 6,803 miles.
December 31, 1954
In Michigan, the Grand Trunk Western dropped the coach from it's mixed train between Pontiac and Jackson. The line became freight only.
December 31, 1955
One of Michigan's last "mixed passenger and freight trains" , Grand Trunk Western's service from Pontiac to Caseville was withdrawn.
In Michigan, mixed train service was discontinued on Grand Trunk Western's Pontiac, Oxford & Northern line. The current twice per week freight normally turned at Pigeon. Service to Caseville was rare due to a lack of customers.
December 31, 1957
In Michigan, Grand Trunk Western closed it's Haslett station. The depot was torn down some years later.
December 31, 1960
Michigan's railroad milage totaled 6,640 miles.
December 31, 1968
The last Pullman service was operated in the United States on this date.
The New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad became a part of the Penn Central Railroad.
December 31, 1970
Michigan's railroad milage totaled 6,140 miles.
December 31, 1978
The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific's Peoria Rocket made it's final run.
December 31, 1979
The Penn Central closed it's Town Line train order station in Dearborn, Michigan. The shanty was torn down on June 5, 1981.
December 31, 1980
Michigan's railroad milage totaled 5,370 miles.
December 31, 1989
The last part of the railway on Canada's Prince Edward Island, which was operated by CN Rail, was abandoned.
December 30, 1906
53 people were killed in a train accident in Washington, D.C. This happened near present day Fort Totten, and it resulted in the ICC banning the future construction of wooden passenger coaches.
December 30, 1907
United Railways began passenger service.
December 30, 1955
The last Grand Trunk Western mixed passenger and freight train departed Grand Haven, Michigan.
December 29, 1841
In the state of Michigan, the Central road reached Jackson from Chelsea.
December 29, 1870
In Michigan, the Pere Marquette opened their line from Clare to Lake.
December 29, 1876
A bridge collapsed beneath the Lakeshore & Michigan Southern's Pacific Express, killing 84 people. Another source of information tells me that as many as 92 people were killed in this accident, and 64 others injured when 11 cars of the train fell into the Ashtabula River, and stoves within the cars themselves started fires after the bridge had collapsed.
December 29, 1879
In Canada, the locomotive J.G. Haggert was taken over the ice of the Red River into Winnipeg by the contractor Joseph Whitehead to start construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway westward across the prairies in the spring of 1880.
December 29, 1884
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the Kingston and Pembroke Railway opened between Kingston and Renfrew. The actual connection with the Canadian Pacific Railway at Renfrew was made on December 26. The line had been opened in sections as follows:
*Kingston to Sharbot Lake (46 1/2 miles) on June 17, 1875 *Sharbot Lake to Mississippi (12 1/2 miles) in 1877 *Mississippi to Levant (10 miles) in 1881 *Levant to Clyde Lake (10 miles) in 1882 *Clyde Lake to south side of Grassy Bay (8 miles) in 1883 *South side of Grassy Bay to Refrew (16 miles) in 1884
December 29, 1894
In Michigan, the Detroit & Mackinac Railway was chartered as a reorganized Detroit, Bay City & Alpena RR.
In Michigan, the Drexel, Morgan and Company syndicate purchased the Alpena and Northern, which had already been completed from Alpena to McKinnon Lake.
December 29, 1953
In Michigan, electric train operations through the Detroit River railroad tunnels ended, the electric locomotives were replaced with diesels.
December 29, 1982
The Louisville and Nashville merged into the Seaboard Coast Line, which then changed it's name to Seaboard System.
December 28, 1878
In the state of Michigan, the Muskegon River and Rose Lake Railway opened a 7.5 mile long 3' gauge line. It was abandoned in 1881.
December 28, 1882
In Michigan, the Ithica and Alma Railroad Company completed a line from Alma to Ithica.
December 28, 1900
In Michigan, the Escanaba and Lake Superior opened a line from Watson to Channing. This was the result of an agreement with the Milwaukee Road for the purpose of hauling iron ore to the Milwaukee Road docks at Escanaba. This arrangement was terminated in 1936 when the Milwaukee Road decided to enter a pooling arrangement with the C&NW rather than undergo the heavy expense of major improvements to the Escanaba docks.
December 28, 1901
In Michigan, the Escanaba & Lake Superior Railway started regular service between Escanaba and Channing.
December 28, 1912
The first municipally owned streetcars began operating in San Francisco.
December 28, 1917
A wartime emergency called by the Federal government, took control of U.S. railroads on January 1, 1918.
December 28, 1966
13 people died in a railroad accident at Everett, Massachusetts.
December 28, 1972
Amtrak announced the purchase of French-built Turboliners.
December 27, 1859
The Grand Trunk Railway completed it's line between Tornonto and Sarnia and established a ferry service across the St. Clair River to Fort Gratiot (Port Huron).
December 27, 1900
In the state of Michigan, the Lake Shore opened their new station in Elkhart, Indiana. The 2nd floor included the passenger-conductor bunkroom, brakeman's bunkroom, two rooms for the trainmaster, and the claim agent's office.
December 27, 1942
In Canada, a 13-coach troop train, with Hudson 2802, ran into the rear of Canadian Pacific train 550, with Pacific 2518, at Almonte. This accident, in which 155 people were injured and 36 killed, was the most serious to have occurred in the Ottawa area. Following an investigation, the Board of Transportation Commissioners approved, on April 3, 1943, the installation of automatic signals to be installed at Almonte.
December 27, 1943
Fearing a threat to national security, President Roosevelt ordered the government to seize the nation's railroads in order to avert a strike.
December 27, 1951
The Rio Grande Southern operated it's last train on this date.
December 26, 1903
In the state of Michigan, a Pere Marquette passenger train accident at East Paris killed 18 people. The accident occurred after high winds extiguished the flame in a kerosene warning light. A second report indicated that 22 died, and as many as 30 were injured.
December 26, 1917
President Wilson took control of the nation's railroads by proclomation. This resulted in the formation of the United States Railroad Administration, which operation the country's railroads March 30, 1920.
December 26, 1956
The Denver & Rio Grande Western operated it's last standard gauge train with steam power.
December 24, 1852
The Baltimore & Ohio's tracks reached the Ohio River at Wheeling, West Virginia.
December 24, 1898
The first interurban arrived at Dearborn, Michigan.
December 12, 1912
A holocaust unparalleled in Michigan's history occurred about 5:00 pm in the Italian hall on north Seventh street in Calumet when approximately 80 lives, mostly children, were lost. An unknown person yelled "fire" in the upstairs of the hall, which was hosting a Christmas party for the children of striking miners. In the rush to the exits, the dead were trampled. This was the last straw for most in the mining community, and Charles H. Moyer, the President of the Western Federation of Miners was deported. It was reported that he was shot, beaten and dragged through the streets of Hancock, and guarded on the train until 2:00 the next morning when the train reached Channing, Michigan. This ended the 6 month long strike in that region.
December 24, 1959
In the state of Michigan, New York Central's "Beeliner" was discontinued between Jackson and Bay City via Owosso and Saginaw.
December 24, 1985
The Illinois Central Gulf sold it's 681 mile Iowa division to the Chicago, Central and Pacific.
December 23, 1851
Construction began on the Illinois Central Railroad.
December 23, 1852
The Pacific Railroad of Missouri (later known as the Missouri Pacific Railway) began first passenger service west of the Mississippi River.
December 23, 1867
In the state of Michigan, the Grand Rapids & Indiana opened a line between Grand Rapids and Cedar Springs.
December 23, 1895
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the Canada, Atlantic, Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railways opened a temporary passenger station alongside the Rideau Canal just north Maria Street (later Laurier Avenue). From this date, the Canada Atlantic station at Elgin Street was closed for passenger traffic and quickly converted to a store house. A special inspection train had been run on Saturday, the 21st of December when the new station was formally opened.
December 23, 1907
The first all-steel railroad passenger coach was completed,
December 23, 1926
20 people were killed in a railroad accident at Rockmont, Georgia.
December 23, 1946
The New York City Subway system recorded it's highest ridership in history, 8.8 million passengers.
December 23, 1965
In Michigan, the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton abandoned it's Petersburg Junction - Lambertville route in favor of trackage rights over the Ann Arbor Railroad.
December 23, 1975
In Michigan, the Grand Trunk Western eliminated 4 miles of track along the western edge of Bay City by switching to trackage rights over the Penn Central. From approximately Main Street to Bay City West Side.
December 22, 1829
The Baltimore & Ohio began passenger operations from Baltimore to Ellicott's Mills.
December 22, 1885
Patent #332,762 was issued to La Marcus Adna Thompson for a gravity switchback railroad.
December 22, 1931
In Michigan, the Pere Marquette acquired control of the Manistee & North Eastern Railroad.
December 22, 1950
2 self-propelled trains of the Long Island Railroad collided, killing 77 people.
December 22, 1965
The Pennsylvania Railroad sold the Long Island Railroad to the state of New York.
December 22, 1982
The Missouri Pacific and the Western Pacific were merged into the Union Pacific.
December 22, 1988
In Michigan, the CSX sold the Saginaw to Bad Axe line from Saginaw to Bad Axe to the Huron & Eastern.
December 21, 1829
The first stone arch railroad bridge in the world, the Carollton Viaduct, was officially opened on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad over Gwynn's Falls at Baltimore, Maryland.
December 21, 1896
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway opened throughout between Ottawa and Parry Sound.
December 21, 1903
In the state of Michigan, the Harbor Beach and Port Hope Railroad was merged into the Pere Marquette Railroad.
December 21, 1907
F.B. Clarke became President of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
December 21, 1949
Operations came to an end on the Gales Creek & Wilson River Railway.
December 21, 1962,
The last Budd RDC (Rail Diesel Car) manufactured, was delivered to the Reading.
December 21, 1981
In Michigan, the Chessie System ran it's last train to Hart. The rails were pulled up north of Montogue May 13, 1982.
December 20, 1883
The international cantilever railway bridge opened at Niagara Falls.
December 20, 1892
In the state of Michigan, the Manistee & Grand Rapids opened a line from Manistee to Peacock.
December 20, 1917
41 people were killed in a railroad accident at Louisville, Kentucky.
December 20, 1918
In Canada, all government-owned railroads were brought under the management of the Canadian National Railway.
December 20, 1986
In Michigan, the CSX abandoned the South Haven branch. It was a 15.3 mile branch westward from the Chicago subdivision at Hartford and served a foundery in South Haven and the Consumers Power Palisades plant nearby.
December 19, 1881
In the state of Michigan, the Detroit, Mackinac & Marquette RR completed a line into St. Ignace creating a through route from Marquette to the Straits.
December 19, 1882
The Denver & Rio Grande reached the Utah border. Because the D&RG had no charter to operate in Utah, William Palmer incorporated the milage in that state seperately as the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railway.
December 19, 1898
The Colorado & Southern incorporated on this date.
December 19, 1911
James J. Hill acquired the Astoria & Columbia River Railroad for the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
December 19, 1916
In the state of Michigan, the Michigan Central Railrway granted permission to the Detroit United Railway to cross the Detroit, Grand Haven and Milwaukee Railway at Milwaukee Avenue, Detroit, and ordered the installation of of a full interlocking system at the crossing.
An order in council gave authority for the shipment of rails and fastenings from Canadian railways to France for war service. Under this and a subsequent order, some 800 miles were taken up from sidings and divisional yards of the of the eastern division of the National Transcontinental Railway (98.2 miles between Moncton and Diamond Junction; 11.8 miles east of Levis; 206.6 miles from between Quebec and Winnipeg) and a further 300 miles from the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, partly from the portion of the line running through the Yellowhead Pass which closely Paralled the Canadian Northern Railway.
December 19, 1977
The Milwaukee Road filed for bankruptcy.
December 19, 2000
In Michigan, The Michigan Department of Transportation sold the Lenawee County railroad system to the Adrian & Blissfield Railroad Company for $1.7 million.
December 18, 1873
The Detroit and Grand Junction Street Railway opened a line in Detroit, Michigan.
December 18, 1881
The Michigan Central Railroad reached the Straits of Mackinac from Bay City.
December 18, 1949
The last regularly scheduled passenger service was operated on the Rio Grande Southern Railroad.
December 18, 1983
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Canadian National abandoned the Renfrew subdivision between Renfrew Junction and Whitney.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816December 17, 1870 In the state of Michigan, the Kalamzoo & South Haven completed their line from Kalamazoo to South Haven.
In the state of Michigan, the Kalamzoo & South Haven completed their line from Kalamazoo to South Haven.
This line, which later became part of the New York Central System, probably never was very busy as a railroad, but sees a lot of "service" these days as the Kal-Haven Trail State Park. Towns along the line (none very big) seem to appreciate and cater to trail users. The trail doesn't make it all the way into Kalamazoo, probably because there's no practical way to get across U.S. 131. When the highway was built as a limited-access route, it never got a grade separation for this line, so in the 1950s or '60s, it was already so lightly used that a grade crossing on an expressway was thought to be sufficient! Yet it remained in service until it was abandoned with the formation of Conrail in 1976. (I did encounter a train at this crossing one night in 1970 or 1971.)
December 17, 1870
December 17, 1906
In Michigan, a strike of the section hands of the Mineral Range Railroad came to an end that morning. "Officials met the men's demands for $1.75 per day instead of $1.50 that they had been paid previous to the trouble."
December 17, 1908
The bridges spanning the Willamette and Columbia Rivers were opened on the Spokane, Portland & Seatle Railway.
December 17, 1924
The first diesel-electric locomotive was placed into service on the Central Railroad of New Jersey.
December 17, 1954
The Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway's Kirk Yard at Gary, Indiana became the first fully automatic freight yard.
December 17, 1956
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Canadian Pacific opened the 4.67 mile Hilton Mines Spur from Wyman, mile 33.62, Waltham subdivision. This used the old trackbed of the Pontiac and Renfrew Railway which was abandoned in 1891. A connection was also constructed at Wamo to allow trains from the Waltham line to run directly on to the Prince of Wales Bridge.
December 17, 1973
In Canada, the reconfigured Turbo train is quietly resumed between Montreal and Toronto, it was officially started on January 10, 1974.
December 16, 1913
The Michigan Central Railroad's depot in Detroit was opened. It was the largest railroad terminal in the world at that time.
December 16, 1935
The world's longest railroad bridge, the Huey P. Long Bridge in New Orleans, Louisiana, opened. The 23,235 foot bridge crosses the Mississippi River.
December 16, 1941
Union Pacific removed their first streamliner (M-10000) from service.
December 16, 1943
A derailment and collission on Atlantic Coast Line's Tamiami Champions killed 72 people at Lumberton, North Carolina.
December 16, 1960
In Michigan, the Senter Plant of the Atlas Powder Company discontinues operations and dismantles their plant. This resulted in a decrease in the Copper Range Railroad's revenue of 5%.
December 16, 1967
The Delaware & Hudson purchased Santa Fe Alco PA's.
December 15, 1879
In the state of Michigan, the Flint & Pere Marquette, under the name Saginaw & Mt. Pleasant, opened a 3' line from Coleman to Mt. Pleasant. It was converted to standard gauge in 1888. Another source indicates that the 3' build date was December 9, 1879, and that it was converted to standard gauge July 13, 1884.
December 15, 1880
The Southern Pacific began train service to Deming, New Mexico.
December 15, 1903
In Michigan, the Pere Marquette Railroad opened a line from Alfred to Porter, Indiana. They began using the Lake Shore Michigan Southern from Porter to Pine.
December 15, 1907
The Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway opened their line between Pasco and Cliffs, Washington.
December 15, 1915
In Michigan, the Toledo-Detroit Railroad completed a line from Toledo to Dundee (later DT&I).
December 15, 1944
United Railways was purchased by the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
December 15, 1975
In Michigan, the Grand Trunk Western closed it's agency at Richmond.
December 15, 1979
In Michigan, the Chessie abandoned their ElK Rapids subdivision between Williamsburg and Elk Rapids.
December 15, 1986
VIA received it's first order of GM F-40PH's.
December 14,1894
Eugene Debs was sentenced to six months in prison for his role in the Pullman strike.
December 14, 1911
In Michigan, the Detroit & Mackinac Railway opened a new depot in Alpena. The D&M also noted that it had 13 passenger, 17 freight and 3 switching locomotives on the roster in 1911, as well as 46 passenger cars, 1,561 freight cars, 12 cabooses, 1 derrick and 1 snow plow.
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the Brockville and North-Western Railway was purchased by the Canadian Northern Ontario Railway.
December 14, 1934
The first streamlined steam locomotive, the Commodore Vanderbilt, was placed in service on the New York Central.
December 14, 1951
In Michigan, A Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic freight rolled backwards down L'Anse Hill in Baraga County, causing a major wreck which derailed one locomotive and 22 cars at the Falls River Bridge. Two employees were killed.
December 14, 1966
Canadian Pacific was authorized to abandon the Montreal to Ottawa subdivision from Ottawa Union Station (m 87.7) across the Interprovincial Bridge to Hull Beemer (m 89.3).
December 14, 2005
In east Dearborn, Michigan, Schaefer was closed following the installation of new signals and a remote interlocking. The tower was torn down the next day.
December 14, 2009
The Ontario Southland Railway commenced operation on the former Canadian Pacific St. Thomas subdivision in Ontario.
December 13, 1871
The St. Lawrence and Ottawa Railway opened from Chaudie're Junction (later Elwood), over the Rideau River and Canal, west of Dows Lake to the Chaudie're. The first locomotive arrived on the 9th of December while flat cars were being loaded at the Booth mill as early as the 2nd of December. These had been brought to the Chaudie're over the Ottawa City Passenger Railway, the horse railway.
December 13, 1880
The Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway extended it's line from Hull to Chaudie're over the Prince of Wales Bridge. The bridge was tested on this day and the first official train used it on December 16th. However, work continued on the structure until Monday, the 17th of January 1881, when trains started using it regularly. At first the QMO&O used the Canada Central station until the opening of Union Station.
December 13, 1898
The first passenger train was run over the newly reconstructed Victoria Railway Bridge at Montreal, Canada. The original 1859 tube had been replaced by a double track steel bridge.
December 13, 1913
L.C. Gilman became President of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
December 13, 1946
19 people were killed in a railroad accident at Guthrie, Ohio.
December 13, 1993
In the state of Michigan, CSX's Toledo Terminal Dispatching function was transferred to Jacksonville, Florida.
December 13, 1998
Ottawa Central Railway, a subsidiary of RailLink's Quebec Railway Corporation, commences operation over the CN Beachburg subdivision between Ottawa and Pembroke, Ontario as well as the Walkley line in Ottawa. The Ottawa Central also received running rights over the Alexandria subdivision between Ottawa and Coteau. Canadian National's presence in Ottawa came to an end with the running of train 440 on December 11th hauled by locomotives 7033 and 7015.
December 12, 1849
In Detroit, Michigan, after the last train had passed, angry residents in Detroit pulled up the Detroit and Pontiac's line down Gratiot Avenue, which had been an irritant during bad weather. The tracks were relaid and torn up again. The railroad was given a reprieve in 1852.
December 12, 1859
In Canada, the first train operated over the Victoria River Bridge, Montreal. The first passenger train crossed the structure on December 17, 1859 and it was formally opened by the Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VII, on August 25, 1860. The original structure was a single-track iron tubular bridge. The tube, when first constructed, was entirely enclosed and there were ventilation problems. Later a slit 20" wide was cut in the tube the full length of the bridge to permit the emission of smoke.
December 12, 1871
In Michigan, the Port Huron and Lake Michigan Rail Road (later GTW) opened a line from Attica to Flint.
December 12, 1906
James J. Hill announced his retirement from the railroad business.
December 12, 1946
In Ontario, Canada, the Hull Electric Railway was authorized to discontinue all operations except the section between Aylmer and near the Ottawa Electric Railway Company loop in Hull which was discontinued effective April 01, 1947.
December 12, 1968
Canadian National began Turboliner service for Montreal-Toronto.
December 12, 1988
The New York City Subway system added new stations (Z line).
The first revenue train ran through the CP Rail 9.1 mile Mount McDonald Tunnel. This is the longest rail tunnel in the Americas. An official inaugural passenger train to officially open the line was run on May 03, 1989.
December 12, 1990
In Michigan, the Michigan Shore Railroad purchased trackage in Muskegon from the Central Michigan Railroad.
December 12, 2001
VIA Rail Canada retired the last of it's 6900 series LRC locomotives, as a result of the delivery of 700 series General Electric Genesis locomotives.
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