AUGUST 15, 1870
The Kansas Pacific Railroad reaches Denver.
AUGUST 15, 1900
Regular service is commenced over the 3'0" gauge White Pass and Yukon Railway between Skagway, Alaska and Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.
AUGUST 15, 1947
The Rock Island completes a $15 million, five-site Iowa relocation project.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816
AUGUST 14, 1868
In the Canadian province of Ontario, a formal ground breaking ceremony was held for the Canada Central Railway section between Ottawa and Carleton Place at the Hyde Property on Richmond Road, three miles west of Ottawa. This ceremony was repeated at Carleton Place on the 26th of August.
AUGUST 14, 1900
Railroad Tycoon Collis P. Huntington died.
April 29, 1874
The Chicago & Northwestern's Lyons & Lucifier are wrecked on what is now Union Pacific trackage at Franklin Grove, IL.
They were pulling freights when they met head-on. The meet was the result of a signaling error.
AUGUST 13, 1886
Sir John A. MacDonald drives the last spike at mile 25, Cliffside, on the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway on Vancouver Island. The line became a part of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1905.
AUGUST 13, 1939
24 people were killed in a train accident at Carlin, Nevada.
AUGUST 13, 1960
The East Broad Top Railroad was reopened as a tourist railroad.
AUGUST 13, 1965
Pacific Electric Railway merges with parent Southern Pacific Railroad.
AUGUST 12, 1879
Canada's Intercolonial Railway gains access to Quebec by purchasing the Grand Trunk line between Quebec and Riviere du Loup.
AUGUST 12, 1882
Canada's Great Western Railway, controlling 1,009 miles of track, is merged into the Grand Trunk System.
AUGUST 12, 1988
The operations of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (Katy) were taken over by the Union Pacific Railroad.
AUGUST 11, 1950
General Motors opens it's plant in London, Ontario, Canada for the building of diesel electric locomotives.
AUGUST 11, 1955
The last Wabash steam locomotive in use, #573, is retired at the St. Louis Museum of Transportation.
11th August 1968
BR Pacific No. 70013, Oliver Cromwell, is one of Britain’s great steam survivors. On August 11th 1968 she hauled British Rail’s very last steam train, bringing down the curtain on an era that stretched back to 1804.
Photograph of 70013 at the great Central railway last year following overhaul in the workshop at Loughborough
AUGUST 10, 1883
The first train reaches Calgary, in the Canadian province of Alberta.
AUGUST 10, 1885
The Baltimore & Hampden Line becomes the first commercial electric railroad.
AUGUST 10, 1887
81 people were killed and hundreds injured at Chatsworth, Illinois when a burning bridge collapsed under the weight of a train.
AUGUST 10, 1972
The Illinois Central and Gulf, Mobile & Ohio merge to form the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad.
AUGUST 09, 1831
The DeWitt Clinton becomes the first train operated in New York State on the Mohawk and Western Railroad from Albany to Schenectady.
AUGUST 09, 1893
Rudolf Diesel recieves patent #608,845 for his diesel engine.
AUGUST 09, 1904
Flood waters wash a bridge out from beneath a Missouri Pacific Express, killing 96 people.
AUGUST 09, 1945
34 people were killed when the second section of Great Northern's Empire Builder rear-ended the first section which had stopped for a hot box at Michigan, North Dakota.
AUGUST 09, 1958
Canada's longest running named train, "Moccasin" (trains 25 and 26) ceases running between Montreal and Brockville. Although unofficial, it had been used almost since the train service went into operation on November 19, 1855.
AUGUST 09, 1988
Rio Grande Industries buys Southern Pacific for $1.8 billion.
AUGUST 08, 1829
The Stourbridge Lion becomes the first English steam locomtive to travel on a track in America between Carbondale and Honesdale, Pennsylvania on the Delaware & Hudson. It was found to be too heavy for the track and was converted to stationary use soon afterward and the Delaware & Hudson went back to horses to pull it's trains.
AUGUST 08, 1865
Patent #49,227 was issued to Samual Calthrop for a streamlined train.
AUGUST 07, 1904
76 people were killed when a flood damaged bridge near Pueblo, Colorado collapsed beneath the St. Louis bound World's Fair Flyer.
AUGUST 07, 1975
Amfleet cars enter service on Amtrak.
AUGUST 06, 1867
A group of Cheyenne Braves derail a Union Pacific train near Plum Creek, Nebraska.
AUGUST 06, 1912
The first Canadian Northern train reaches Smiths Falls, Ontario when a locomotive and five flat cars crossed the CPR tracks.
AUGUST 06, 1922
40 people were killed in a train accident at Sulphur Springs, Missouri.
AUGUST 06. 1927
In Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the third Toronto Union Station was officially opened by Edward, Prince of Wales. It was opened to the public on August 11, but passengers had to walk across the old station tracks. The first day on which trains used the new, elevated tracks through the new station platform was January 31, 1930.
AUGUST 06, 1974
Turbo train service commences between Montreal and Ottawa. This was withdrawn on September 24, 1975.
AUGUST 05, 1914
40 people were killed in a train accident at Tipton Ford, Missouri.
AUGUST 05, 1922
Railroad union leaders met with President Harding and demanded restoration of seniority and the right to strike.
AUGUST 04, 1885
Electric locomotives were introduced on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad to carry trains through the 3.6 mile Baltimore Tunnel.
AUGUST 04, 1944
47 people were killed in a train accident near Stockton, Georgia.
AUGUST 04, 1965
The Milwaukee Road opens a new depot in Milwaukee.
AUGUST 03, 1894
The Pullman strike is broken after a tragic loss of life and an estimated $80,000,000 loss in property and wages.
AUGUST 03, 1967
James Law rides the entire New York Subway system in 12 hours, 12 minutes.
AUGUST 02, 1860
In the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, the Prince of Wales traveled to Windsor on a special train from Halifax. Windsor was, at the time, the end of the railway track westward from Halifax, there being no bridge across the Avon River that could sustain the weight of a locomotive. Prince Albert Edward, son of Queen Victoria and later King Edward VII, was traveling to Windsor to make a speech at Kings College. The royal party left Government House on Hollis Street, and rode in carriages to Richmond, where at 7:00 a.m. the special train departed for Windsor. At Windsor they were met by a guard of honor made up of two Halifax regiments who had been brought to Windsor in a train that departed the city at 3:00 a.m, four hours ahead of the royal train. During the period of the royal visit, there were no second class passengers on the Nova Scotia Railway---everyone was carried first class at half fare.
AUGUST 02, 1873
The first trial run of a San Francisco cable car took place on Clay Steet.
AUGUST 02, 1919
Railroad workers strike for higher wages, and ask for profit sharing and government ownership.
AUGUST 02, 1924
SP&S Transportation Company incorporated, and would eventually become known as Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
AUGUST 02, 1965
Florida East Coast resumes state-ordered passenger service.
On August 2nd, 1870, the Tower Subway, the world's first underground railway, opened in London.
AUGUST 01, 1836
The Tuscumbia, Courtland & Decatur Railroad decided to use sand boxes on their locomotives to prevent them from slipping on mashed grasshoppers.
AUGUST 01, 1860
The European and North American Railway opens from Saint Johns, in the Canadian province of New Brunswick to Shediac. This line became a part of the Intercolonial Railway on July 1, 1867.
AUGUST 01, 1873
Andrew Hallidie demonstrates the first practical cable car system on Clay Street Hill in San Francisco.
AUGUST 01, 1970
Canadian Pacific ceases operation of passenger trains 232-6 between Montreal and Ottawa via South Shore. Daily service was maintained continuing operation of trains 1 and 2, "The Canadian".
JULY 31, 1809
The first practical railroad in the U.S. was established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with horse-drawn carts on wooden track.
JULY 31, 1847
The Monon Route was chartered.
JULY 31, 1851
The 5'6" broad gauge, is adopted as the standard gauge by the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It would remain in use until about 1870.
JULY 31, 1916
Through service commences on the Canadian Pacific Railway's Kettle Valley line between Nelson and Vancouver, British Columbia, the first regular passenger train having run between Midway and Merritt on the 31st of May, 1915.
JULY 31, 1940
43 people were killed in a train accident at Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
JULY 31, 1956
Great Northern Railway ends the electrification of it's Cascade division.
JULY 31, 1966
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the new Ottawa Station is opened. The old Union Station, along with the line across the Alexandra Bridge is closed. The last train to use this station was Canadian National's No. 5 "The Panorama". The electric train staff system between Hull West, Hull Beemer and Ottawa Union was abandoned on this date.
JULY 31, 1971
The Monon was merged into the Louisville & Nashville.
JULY 30, 1902
What was once the largest locomotive in the world, was wrecked at Denver, Colorado.
JULY 29, 1862
In Washington, D.C., the first horsecar service via rail commences from the Capitol to the State Department.
JULY 29, 1898
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the Ottawa and New York Railway opens between Cornwall and Ottawa. Incorporated as the Ontario Pacific Railway in 1882, it became the Ottawa and New York Railway in 1897. The first sod was turned at Cornwall on the 23rd of August 1897 and the first revenue freight was two carloads of hay from Crysler to Montreal which were routed through Finch on the Canadian Pacific in late October 1897. Agreement could not initially be negotiated with the Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway on the use of Central Depot and Ottawa and New York trains ran to and from the Canadian Pacific station at Sussex or McTaggert Street.
JULY 29, 1906
45 people were killed when the Pacific Express plunged into the Hudson River. My source of information is not specific, but does anyone know which railroad operated this train??
JULY 29, 1962
19 people die in a train crash at Steelton, Pennsylvania.
JULY 28, 1871
Track laying for the Denver & Rio Grande Railway begins in Denver, Colorado.
JULY 27, 1844
The Long Island Railroad opens the first section of track to Greenport.
JULY 27, 1955
Canadian National opens a branch line from Hillsport to Manitowadge, Ontario.
JULY 27, 1959
The Southern Pacific runs the first revenue train over the Great Salt Lake Fill.
JULY 26, 1847
Moses Garrish Farmer builds the first miniature train for children to ride.
JULY 26, 1877
A railroad strike expands from coast to coast, becoming the first nationwide strike against the railroads.
JULY 26, 1884
The East Cleveland Street Railway becomes the first to operate street cars as it begins operations in Cleveland, Ohio.
JULY 26, 1972
The Erie Lackawanna declared bankruptcy.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816JULY 25, 1832A cable chain breaks while demonstrating Granite Railway's incline to several visitors, resulting in the first railroad fatality.
JULY 25, 1832
A cable chain breaks while demonstrating Granite Railway's incline to several visitors, resulting in the first railroad fatality.
In 1832, one man was killed and three others injured in the first recorded railroad accident in U.S. history. The four were thrown from an otherwise vacant car on the Granite Railway near Quincy, Mass.
This came from Arcamax History & Quotes for Saturday, July 25.
JULY 25, 1922
President Harding orders federal rail and coal controls to ensure distribution of food and fuel.
JULY 25, 1953
Subway tokens are used for the first time in New York City.
JULY 25, 1967
Construction begins on San Francisco's Market Street subway.
JULY 24, 1850
In the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, "A meeting of the inhabitants of Kings County was held in the courthouse at Kentville on Wednesday, 24th, 1850.....for the purpose of ascertaining the views of the inhabitants of said county in reference to a railroad from Halifax to Digby.....It is the opinion of this meeting that the inhabitants of this County will cheerfully furnish the land that is necessary for a Railroad passing through it; also aid with their money, labour and materials to the utmost of their ability, in shares amounting to L25,000...."
The above quotations are from a report delivered at the Railroad Convention in Portland, Maine on July 31, 1850, by the two delegates sent to represent Kings County, John Hall and Samuel Chipman. This convention was attended by representatives of several states and the provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
JULY 24, 1870
The first railroad car to travel from the Pacific to Atlantic coasts, arrives in New York.
JULY 24, 1877
Patent # 193,357 is issued to Joel Tiffany for the first really successful refrigerated car design.
JULY 24, 1985
The Interstate Commerce Commission rejected the proposed merger of the Southern Pacific Railroad and the Santa Fe Railway.
JULY 23, 1877
Passenger service begins on the first municipal railroad in the United States, the Cincinati Southern, between Cincinati, Ohio and Ludlow and Sowerset, Kentucky.
JULY 23, 1899
The operation of cable cars came to an end in Washington, D.C.
JULY 23, 1945
Vista-dome cars were introduced on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad between Chicago and Minneapolis on the Twin Cities Zephyr.
JULY 23, 1959
The Union Pacific had used steam power for the last time in a regular revenue freight run to Cheyenne, Wyoming, the train was pulled by challenger class 4-6-6-4 #3713.
JULY 23, 1963
The Chicago & Northwestern's Twin Cities 400 made it's last run.
JULY 23, 1966
New York Central tests a jet powered RDC in Ohio.
JULY 22, 1906
Chicago's last cable car route, the State Street Line, ended operation.
The Grand Trunk Railway changes from left to right hand running on double track sections. The change involved considerable alteration in crossovers, switches and semiphore signals.
JULY 22, 1909
Construction begins on the Oregon Trunk Line.
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