APRIL 13, 1846
The Pennsylvania state legislature passes an act incorporating the Pennsylvania Railroad.
APRIL 13, 1869
George Westinghouse receives patent #88,829 for an improvement in steam power brake devices. The Westinghouse Air Brake was the first commercially succussful application of air brakes and made faster, longer trains possible.
APRIL 13, 1910
The Pennsylvania Railroad began running trains through Manhattan's tunnels.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816
APRIL 14, 1871
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the Kingston & Pembroke Railway was incorporated.
APRIL 14, 1910
In the Canadian province of Ontario, a Canadian Pacific train ran into a washout two miles from North Wakefield. The engineer, William Alexander McFall, stuck to his post and only the engine toppled into the hole. Forty passengers were saved as the remainder of the train remained upright. Engineer McFall, who was badly scalded by steam and died on April 16, was awarded the King Edward medal for his heroic actions. Engineer McFall drove the first passenger train over the Interprovincial Bridge on April 22, 1901. He also lost a foot in at accident at Aylwin in 1908.
APRIL 14, 1920
U.S. Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer makes the charge that an illegal railroad strike is part of an international communist conspiracy, fomented by the I.W.W.
APRIL 14, 1960
The final runs are made of the longest motor-car run in the U.S, the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio's 362-mile run from Kansas City and Bloomington, Illinois.
APRIL 14, 1983
A mudslide covers the Denver & Rio Grande Western's mainline at Thistle, Utah, forcing the Rio Grande Zephyr to use Union Pacific to return from Salt Lake City to Denver.
APRIL 14, 1986
Midsouth Rail buys Gulf & Mississippi.
APRIL 15, 1880
In the Canadian province of Ontario, passengers and freight are carried on the Canada Central Railway extension west of Pembroke to Mackey's station by the contractor James Worthington. This section was handed over to the Canada Central on 12/1/1880.
APRIL 15, 1935
In Washington, D.C., the last Chesapeake Beach train leaves "resort" at 11:50 AM. Only 2.9 miles of the inner line were kept and reorganized as East Washington Railway for switching coal to Pepco at Benning power plant via Capital Transit Steeple cabs and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
APRIL 15, 1954
Patrick McGinnis won control of the New Have from Buck Dumaine.
APRIL 16, 1856
The East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company was incorporated.
APRIL 16, 1901
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the Ottawa and Gatineau Railway is authorized to open 1.87 miles of line extending from a point on it's constructed line, then opened as far as Gracefield, in the township of Hull to a point of junction with the approach to the Interprovincial Bridge in Hull.
APRIL 16, 1953
Fairbanks-Morris introduces the first high-horsepower road switcher, the 2400 hp Train Master.
APRIL 17, 1893
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the world's largest block of cheese is shipped from Perth as Canada's entry for the dairy exhibit at the World's Columbian Exhibition in Chicago, Illinois. This 22,000 lb. monster, measuring 6 feet in height and 8 and 3/4 feet in diameter, was made in a section of the Canadian Pacific freight shed in Perth. The cheese, along with a special horse-drawn wagon designed to haul the cheese, was loaded in the Perth yard on Saturday, April 15th and was place on show before being shipped. At every station at which the train stopped, the people crowded on the flat car the cheese was on and wrote their names on the box. By the time it reached Chicago there were about 200,000 signatures on the box and not a square inch of it left bare.
APRIL 17, 1934
M.C. LaBertew is made Superindendent of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
APRIL 17, 1991
Railroad workers go on strike in the U.S. Congress ended the strike the next day.
APRIL 18, 1899
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the New York & Ottawa Bridge Company was created to run the bridge crossing that would link the New York & Ottawa with the Ottawa & New York.
APRIL 18, 1906
The great 1906 San Francisco earthquake strikes, damaging the Southern Pacific's headquarters building and destroying the mansions of the now-deceased Big Four. Also destroyed are many cable car routes, which will be replaced with electric street cars.
APRIL 18, 1934
The stainless steel streamliner Pioneer Zephyr of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, the first train of this type to use diesel power and the first to be placed in scheduled passenger service, is delivered by the manufacturer at Philadelphia.
APRIL 18, 1977
In Canada, the Hall Commission Report on Grain Handling and Transport is published. This recommends limited branchline abandonment on the prairies.
APRIL 18, 1991
Congress ends 1-day railroad labor strike.
APRIL 19, 1891
Two trains, because of an engineer's faulty timepiece, collided near Cleveland, Ohio with 9 casualties. Following the disaster, a commission was appointed to adopt a universal set of timekeeping standards by all railroads. Precision was now needed in this enormous industry. By 1893, the General Railroad Timepiece Standards were in effect. Watches that fit this description became known as Railroad watches.
APRIL 19, 1940
30 people were killed in a train accident at Little Falls, New York.
APRIL 19, 1964
The Southern Pacific consolidated two of it's trains; the Golden State and Sunset Limited into a single train between El Paso and Los Angeles.
APRIL 20, 1866
At a meeting of representatives of several railroads, the first set of rules for governing the interchange of freight cars was adopted. The rules established common colors, reporting marks, and repair arrangements.
APRIL 20, 1932
The first completely air conditioned sleeping car train begins operation on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
APRIL 20, 1948
New York City hikes it's subway fare from five cents to ten cents.
APRIL 20, 1964
The Alaska Railroad restores freight service to Whittier following the earthquake which happened on March 27, 1964.
APRIL 20, 1983
The dedication of a new rail barge doubles Canadian National's Aqua-Rail train capacity to Alaska from Prince Rupert, British Columbia. The new barge carries 56 cars per trip.
APRIL 21, 1856
The first railroad bridge across the Mississippi River opens from Rock Island, Illinois to Davenport, Iowa.
APRIL 21, 1865
President Abraham Lincoln's funeral train departs Washington, D.C.
APRIL 21, 1933
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (Uk) 4-6-0 steam locomotive Royal Scott arrives in Montreal with eight passenger cars enroute to the Century of Progress Exhibition in Chicago. It was exhibited at the following cities (numbers in brackets show numbers of visitors).
May 1 Montreal Windsor Station (16,979) May 2 Ottawa (11,870) May 3-4 Toronto Exhibition Grounds (20,687) May 4 Hamilton (3,631)
The train then ran via the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway through U.S. cities to Chicago. After the exibition, it left Chicago October 11 and ran via the U.S. to Vancouver.
October 27 Vancouver (19, 885); October 29 Kamloops; October 30 Calgary (16,000); October 31 Moose Jaw; October 31 Regina (6986); November 1 Winnipeg (22,900). From Winnipeg the train ran via Minneapolis and Detroit.
November 7- London; November 8- Stratford; November 8-Guelph; November 9-Toronto; November 10- Port Hope; November 10-Belleville; November 11-Kingston; November 11-Brockville; November 12- Montreal.
The train then ran on the Canadian Pacific on the outward trip and western Canada and on the Canadian National on the return leg to Ontario. It returned to the United Kingdom form Montreal on November 24.
APRIL 21, 1958
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the Canadian National opens a new freight trerminal at Riverside and Alta Vista drives. This $300,000 building was funded by the Federal District Commission as part of the Ottawa railway relocation. The building was actually completed in 1957 and commenced operation in March of 1958.
APRIL 21, 1970
Canadian Pacific unveils Canada's first double-deck passenger train comprising nine air conditioned cars built by Canadian Vickers at a cost of $2.8 million. The cars went into operation April 27 on the Montreal Lakeshore suburban service.
APRIL 22, 1833
Richard Trevthick, inventor of the steam locomotive, dies at the age of 62.
APRIL 22, 1884
Orange Jull receives a patent for the first practical rotary snowplow. Jull's design mounted a large revolving fan on a railroad car to cut through the snowdrifts and throw snow to one side while being pushed by locomotives.
APRIL 22, 1901
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the first scheduled train to cross the Interprovincial bridge was Ottawa, Northern and Western train #2 from Gracefield arriving in Ottawa at 09:35. The first train out of Ottawa over the bridge would have been O&NW train #1 which left at 17:00 later that day. The Pontiac Pacific Junction Railway was authorized to build a bridge from Hull to Ottawa in 1882. The Interprovincial Bridge Company was incorporated in 1890 and the rights of the Pontiac Pacific Junction were transferred to the Ottawa Interprovincial Bridge Company in 1898.
APRIL 22, 1942
Baldwin delivers the first of the prototype T-1 4-4-4-4 duplex locomotives to the Pennsylvania Railroad.
APRIL 22, 1976
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the Turbo train achieves a speed of 140.6mph/226.3 kph near Morrisburg, Ontario on Canadian National's Kingston subdivision, a Canadian rail speed record which holds to this day.
APRIL 23, 1823
The Delaware and Hudson Canal Company obtains a charter for a rail line from Carbondale to the canal at Honesdale in the Lakawanna Valley.
APRIL 23, 1827
The first board of directors for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad were elected on this date.
APRIL 23, 1831
The first railroad in the Mississippi valley, the Ponchartrain Railroad, is opened with horse-drawn operations.
APRIL 23, 1983
The Georgia Railroad operated it's last branch line mixed service.
APRIL 23, 2009
Walkley Yard Canadian National (formerly Ottawa Central, originally Canadian National) shop is closed.
APRIL 24, 1834
The Long Island Railroad was incorporated.
APRIL 24-25, 1880
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the guage of the Canada Central Railway, including the former Brockville and Ottawa Railway, is changed from 5' 6" to standard guage. The work, carried out by 300 men, was accomplished without interuption to train services. Since the shops were unable to convert all motive power and rolling stock immediately to standard guage, a number of broad guage locomotives and cars were sent to the extension, and construction of the extension between Mackey's Station and Mattawa was carried out on the broad guage. The track between Mackey's Station and Mattawa was narrowed to standard guage on Saturday, September 17, 1881. At this time, the broad guage engines and cars were moved back to the Carleton Place shops, aboard flat cars, for guage conversion.
APRIL 24, 1900
Cable car pioneer, Andrew Halliday, dies.
APRIL 24, 1955
Canadian Pacific introduces the Transcontinental Canadian.
APRIL 24, 1970
Budd puts it's car building division up for sale.
APRIL 24, 1983
The Rio Grande Zephyr made it's final run on the Denver & Rio Grande Western.
APRIL 24, 2009
Canadian Pacific ceases to use the Ottawa Valley Railway, Chalk River and North Bay subdivisions for it's transcontinental trains and routes all such traffic from Montrial via Toronto.
APRIL 25, 1831
The first streetcar company in the U.S., the New York and Harlem Railway, is incorporated.
APRIL 25, 1924
The Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway begins operation of the first railroad-owned bus company.
APRIL 25, 1946
A rear end collision involving the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy's Exposition Flyer and Advance Flyer killed 47 people at Naperville, Illinois.
APRIL 25, 1960
The Canadian National operated the last regularly scheduled revenue service train behind steam power.
All steam locomotives were withdrawn from service on the Canadian National Railway.
APRIL 25, 1963
President Kennedy signs an executive order making the Alaska Railroad tariff rates subject to the Interstate Commerce Commission.
APRIL 26, 1875
The first scheduled train to run over the Prince Edward Island Railrway ran from Charllottetown to Georgetown.
APRIL 26, 1912
Canadian Northern Railway demonstrated a gasoline-electric passenger car in Ottawa, Ontario. This was the first sign of a trend which was to end the use of steam power.
APRIL 26, 1954
Pullman Standard introduces trailer-on-flatcar service with the nickname piggyback.
APRIL 26, 1956
The Chesapeake & Ohio introduces RoadRailer trailers for hauling mail on the Pere Marquettes.
APRIL 26, 1960
General Electric enters the domestic diesel locomotive market with the introduction of the U25B demonstrators.
APRIL 26, 2009
Canadian Pacific's Lambton Yard in Toronto was closed.
APRIL 27, 1900
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the disasterous fire at Hull-Ottawa which had started the night before, destroyed a great deal of railway infrastructure including 13 cars of the Ottawa and Gatineau and Pontiac Pacific Junction Railways and 175 Canadian Pacific freight cars valued at $130,000. The Canadian Pacific Union Station and freight sheds on Lebreton Flats were destroyed (valued at $40,000) while the value of Canadian Pacific freight lost was estimated at $30,000. The fire created a shortage of lumber in the area and, as a result, the Canada Atlantic Railway car shops in Ottawa East were forced to temporarily cease building new freight cars.
APRIL 27, 1952
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Canadian Pacific was authorized to discontinue the operation of mixed trains nos. 592 and 593 between Soulanges and Cornwall. This took effect as of the 23rd of September, 1953.
APRIL 27, 1958
The first transcontinental through Pullman sleeping car service, which began in 1946, is discontinued.
APRIL 27, 1993
In the state of Alaska on the Alaska Railroad, four locomotives and 11 cars on a 55-car freight train derail near Chase when the train hit a mud slide. The mainline was closed for 2 and a half days.
APRIL 28, 1869
Central Pacific track crews lay over ten miles of track in one day, winning a $10,000 bet with Union Pacific track layers.
APRIL 28 1941
The Supreme Court rules unanimously that Negroes are entitled to all first class services on board passenger trains.
APRIL 28, 1973
A train carrying ammunition bound for South Vietnam explodes in a daylong series of blasts near Roseville, California.
APRIL 28, 1987
Illinois Central sells 633 miles of ex-Gulf, Mobile & Ohio to the Chicago, Missouri & Western.
APRIL 28, 1982
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Canadian National is authorized to remove the siding serving Texaco Canada (formerly McColl Frontenac Oil) at Johnstown, just east of Prescott. The siding ran off the National Harbours Board Elevator Spur which was jointly used by the Canadian National and the Canadian Pacific.
APRIL 29, 1851
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad makes the first run of a battery powered electric locomotive.
APRIL 29, 1873
Patent #138,405 was issued to Eli H. Janney for a type of automatic coupler which is still in use today.
APRIL 29, 1900
The Northern Pacific Railroad's North Coast Limited makes it's ignaugural run.
APRIL 29, 1960
The Southern Pacific operated it's last narrow guage train on this date.
April 29, 1910. From the Spokane Spokesman-Review.
From our archives, 100 years ago Railroad tycoon James J. Hill (aka “The Empire Builder”) rolled into Spokane and made a momentous announcement: He planned to build “mammoth” railroad shops in Spokane and nearly triple the amount of work done here. Hill hadn’t decided yet whether he would simply expand the existing Great Northern yards at Hillyard (named after him) or add new shops somewhere else in greater Spokane. But he implied that he might do both. “Spokane is the place for them,” he announced.
Railroad tycoon James J. Hill (aka “The Empire Builder”) rolled into Spokane and made a momentous announcement: He planned to build “mammoth” railroad shops in Spokane and nearly triple the amount of work done here.
Hill hadn’t decided yet whether he would simply expand the existing Great Northern yards at Hillyard (named after him) or add new shops somewhere else in greater Spokane. But he implied that he might do both.
“Spokane is the place for them,” he announced.
APRIL 30, 1894
The depot at White Pigeon on the Lake Shore is destroyed by a fire. The fire started in the kitchen of the station's dining room. This station was one of the oldest on the L.S.
APRIL 30, 1900
Locomotive engineer, John Luther Jones, known as Casey Jones, died in a train wreck while at the throttle of Illinois Central #832.
APRIL 30, 1939
The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy's General Pershing Zephyr becomes the first passenger train with all flourescent lighting.
APRIL 30, 1971
In the state of Michigan, the last regularly scheduled passenger trains, #206 and 208 operate between Muskegon via Grand Haven to Holland on the Chessie.
In the state of Michigan, the Grand Trunk Western ended inter-city passenger service. The "Mohawk" was the last passenger train in and out of Brush Street Station. Detroit to Ponticac commutor trains continued to use the station.
APRIL 30, 1975
In the state of Michigan, Grand Trunk Western is granted permission by the I.C.C. to use the Detroit - Windsor tunnel and includes all track between West Detroit and the Essex Terminal Railway in Windsor, 5.2 miles.
APRIL 30, 1981
Amtrak's auto train made it's last departure.
APRIL, 30, 1985
Conrail sold it's 237 mile Canada Southern line to the Canadian National and the Canadian Pacific.
APRIL 30, 1998
In the state of Michigan, CSXT sells 51 mile Port Huron subdivision to RailAmerica, Inc., which will operate it as the Saginaw Valley Railway Company. The line runs from just east of Saginaw to Brown City, Michigan.
April 30, 1971 - Railroads' passenger trains go bye-bye.
http://www.trains.com/ctr/objects/pdf/passenger_trains_operating_on_the_eve_of_amtrak.pdf
Think this should be the original Auto Train. Amtrak later acquired the terminals and some of the equipment and reinstituted the service in 1983.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816APRIL 30, 1971 In the state of Michigan, the last regularly scheduled passenger trains, #206 and 208 operate between Muskegon via Grand Haven to Holland on the Chessie.
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)
MAY 01, 1869
In the state of Michigan, the Grand Rapids & Indiana completes a line from Grand Rapids north 20 miles which qualified them for a land grant.
MAY 01, 1873
The Toledo and Woodville Railroad (later in Ohio becoming the PRR) enters Toledo from Tiffen, Ohio. It enters the city of Toledo in the Stock Yards district, passing over the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton near the junction at East Toledo Station, then swings almost due north, passing over the Lake Shore's approach to it's Maumee River bridge. It then follows the east bank of the Maumee north, opposite the middle grounds and Toledo's downtown, before bridging the river. Their terminal is located on Summit Street, near the corner of Olive Street, which was virtually at the end of the bridge.
The Michigan state legislature passes a law requiring trains to be equipped with air brakes and that a bell or whistle must be sounded when approaching crossings.
MAY 01, 1887
The Geogebec & Montreal River (later "WC" and "SOO) build depots at Hurley, Wisconsin, Ironwood and Bessemer. The depots at the first two locations were 25' x 100'.
MAY 01, 1888
The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad completes it's route from Chicago to California.
The first trials were held for the first electric freight locomotive. It was built by the Pullman Car Company for the Ansonia, Derby & Birmingham Electric Line.
MAY 01, 1899
In the state of Michigan, work begins on the Copper Range's Houghton Yard. A few scattered houses on the lake front were taken down. The main offices for the Copper Rainge Railroad were established at the east end of the yards, consisting of a rectangular two-story brick building. A 400 foot boardwalk was built around the station.
MAY 01, 1903
The Columbia Railway & Navigation Company (CR&N) begins daily freight service.
MAY 01, 1905
Regular service begins on the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake's line from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City.
The city of Detroit, Michigan adopts Standard Time (no longer on Sun Time).
MAY 01, 1908
The Hepburn Law, which bars railroads from handling products in which they have an interest, goes into effect.
MAY 01, 1911
C.F. Gray became the fourth President of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
MAY 01, 1942
The last pre-war lightweight train, the Panama Limited, went into service on the Illinois Central.
MAY 01, 1960
The Southern Pacific Railroad abandoned the Keeler branch, it's last narrow guage operation.
MAY 01, 1971
In the state of Michigan, the Fort Street Union Depot was closed.
Amtrak service began when train # 235, known as the Clocker, departed New York's Penn Station at 12:05 a.m., bound for Philadelphia.
Following Amtrak having taken over most of the passenger train operations in the United States, the Chicago & Northwestern ceases passenger train operation (a Sunday-only operation) from Chicago to Menominnee in Wisconsin.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816MAY 01, 1971 In the state of Michigan, the Fort Street Union Depot was closed.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816MAY 01, 1971 Following Amtrak having taken over most of the passenger train operations in the United States, the Chicago & Northwestern ceases passenger train operation (a Sunday-only operation) from Chicago to Menominnee in Wisconsin.
MAY 02, 1844
Elijah McCoy, who received more than 50 patents for his inventions, is born. And it was from his inventions that we got the phrase "the real McCoy".
MAY 02, 1881
Construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway begins.
MAY 02, 1977
Texas & Pacific 2-10-4 #610 joins the Southern Railway steam program.
MAY 03, 1865
President Abraham Lincoln's funeral train arrived in Springfield, Illinois.
MAY 03, 1867
In the state of Michigan, the Kalamazoo & White Pigeon extends their line from Three Rivers to Kalamazoo.
MAY 03, 1881
Patent #241, 112 is issued to leonides Wooley for the first electric locomotive headlight.
MAY 03, 1894
In the Canadian province of Ontario, electric rail car service is opened on the Ottawa Electric Railway to Rockcliffe Park. Double tracking of the Rockcliffe Extension was completed on April 20, 1894. In devoloping Rockcliffe Park, the OER installs the first electric merry-go-round in the world.
MAY 03, 1909
The Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway begins operating trains between Pascoe and Washington, and through service begins from Portland, Oregon to Spokane, Washington on the SP&S RY.
CANADIANPACIFIC2815
MAY 04, 1845
The first iron-truss bridge is completed on the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad.
MAY 04. 1903
In the state of Michigan, a Grand Trunk Western passenger train rear ended a LS&MS passenger special which was loading passengers at Canfield Avenue, on GTW's line south of Milwaukee Junction. 7 people were killed in this accident and 22 were injured. And, hey Carl, would you have any idea as to what exactly the LS&MS was? My source of information doesn't spell it out entirely.
MAY 04, 1941
The last train was operated over the narrow guage Colorado Central Railroad.
MAY 04, 1974
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the last passenger train was operated on the Kingston and Pembroke Railway behind RDC #9072.
MAY 04, 1989
The Canadian Pacific opened the longest tunnel in Canada, the 9.1 mile Mt. McDonald Tunnel in Roger's Pass.
MAY 04, 2004
The Travel Security Administration launches a test program for people and bags traveling on U.S. trains in New Carrollton, Maryland.
MAY 05, 1865
America's first recorded train robbery occured when a group of unidentified men loot an overturned Ohio & Mississippi train at North Bend, Ohio, betweet St. Louis & Cincinnati.
MAY 05, 1906
In the state of Michigan, the first train operates on the Kalamazoo, Lake Shore & Chicago, which uses the former Michigan Central line between Kalamazoo and Lawton. This line had been sold to the LKS & C after the opening of Michigan Central's "Miller-cut-off" (the present Amtrak line).
MAY 05, 1994
Amtrak begins running passenger trains to Pontiac, Michigan from Detroit and Chicago.
MAY 05, 1995
The Canadian National held an Official opening ceremony for a new tunnel between Sarnia, Ontario and Port Huron, Michigan. The tunnel can handle full height double stack container cars. Trains had started using the new tunnel on April 05, 1995.
MAY 06, 1862
The U.S. House of Representatives passes the Pacific Railway Act.
MAY 06, 1962
The Norfolk & Western Railroad operated the last steam locomotive on their roster.
MAY 06, 1903
In the state of Michigan, the Saginaw, Tuscola and Huron RR, Bay City Belt Line RR, and and Sanilac RR are merged into the Pere Marquette.
MAY 06, 1912
In Canada, the body of C.M. Hays, President of the Grand Trunk and Grand Trunk Pacific Railways, who was lost in the Titanic disaster, was landed at Halifax by the MacKay-Bennett steamship Miniea. It was immediately placed on a special GTR train which had been waiting at Halifax for several days and which reached Bonaventure station in Montreal May 7. The funeral took place the next day at Mount Royal Cemetery and the GTR offices were closed for a portion of the afternoon so that staff could attend.
MAY 06, 1983
The Georgia Railroad operated their last mixed train, #103 and #108 between Atlanta and Augusta.
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