December 11, 1845
The Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railroad was chartered.
December 11, 1882
In the state of Michigan, the Port Huron and Northwestern Railway completed a line from Pams to Port Austin.
December 11, 1887
Operations began on Colorado's 2-foot gauge Gilpin Tramway.
December 11, 1900
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the bridge over the St. Lawrence River at Cornwall, which was wrecked during construction on September 6th, 1898, was opened thus allowing the Ottawa and New York Railway to commence through train service from Ottawa and Cornwall to Tupper Lake, N.Y. (the company had been advertising through service since October 5th). A formal inspection had taken place on October 11, 1900.
December 11, 1905
Ground was broken for the Willamette Valley Traction Company.
December 11, 1940
Canadian Pacific opened a new station and greatly enlarged the passenger facilities at Rigaud, Ontario. The new station was blessed by Msgr. P. Sabourin, the cure of Rigaud.
December 11, 2004
The Kettle Falls International Railway, an Omnitrax subsidiary, takes over the operation of the former BNSF line from Kettle Falls to San Poil, Washington and from Chewelah, Washington to Columbia Gardens, British Columbia.
December 10, 1850
In the state of Michigan, the Michigan Southern Railroad reached Coldwater, from Jonesville.
December 10, 1852
The Pennsylvania Railroad's tracks reached the Ohio River at Pittsburgh via the famous Horseshoe Curve.
December 10, 1858
The Pennsylvania Railroad connected Philadephia with Pittsburgh.
December 10, 1929
Service was discontinued on the Ottawa Electric Railway streetcar line from Carling Avenue to the Experimental Farm.
December 10, 1968
In Canada, the Turbo train was placed in limited service between Montreal and Toronto, but because of technical problems the service was suspended on January 9, 1969. On the initial press run, the Montreal-bound train struck a truckload of frozen meat just west of Kingston.
December 10, 1970
500,000 railroad workers began a nationwide walkout. Within hours President Nixon signed a bill providing a 13.5% wage increase and postponing the strike for 80 days.
December 09, 1852
The Pacific made the first demonstration run west of the Mississippi River, from St. Louis to Chelentham, a distance of 5 miles.
December 09, 1869
In the state of Michigan, the Michigan Air Line opened a line from Ridgeway to Romeo.
December 09, 1885
The Farmer's Railway, Navigation & Steamboat Portage Company (TFRN&SP) was incorporated in Washington Territory. Their goal was to build a railroad around the many rapids of the Columbia River between The Dalles and Celilo Falls. The line would be used to transport steamboat and barge cargoes around the rapids.
December 09, 1895
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Central Counties Railway opened from South Indian (Limoges) to Rockland (an excursion from Rockland to South Indian had been run on the 25th of July).The line was leased to the Canada Atlantic Railway on the 29th of August, 1895. A formal inspection was made by Mr. J. St. V. Caddy of the Department of Railways and Canals on 6-8 December 1895 and authority was given to the Canada Atlantic Railway to open the line for public traffic, subject to a 15 mph speed restriction on the last two miles into Rockland until this section could be properly ballasted.
December 09, 1916
Canadian Pacific inaugurated the opening of the 5-mile Connaught Tunnel which eliminated the old route over Rogers Pass and shortened the line through the Selkirk Mountains by 4 1/2 miles.
December 09, 1988
Fox River Valley Railroad began operating on 208 miles of ex-Chicago & Northwestern Railway.
December 09, 1997
The Center for Railroad Photography & Art, in Madison, Wisconsin, was incorporated as a nonprofit corporation in Wisconsin on December 09, 1997 to inform the public about railroad photography and art through education, research and public service programs. The Center was fostered by John Gruber of Madison, a career journalist with a lifelong interest in railroads and their history.
December 08, 1862
In Michigan, the Flint & Pere Marquette began train service to Flint (from Mt. Morris).
December 08, 1874
The Jesse James Gange boarded a train at Muncie, Kansas.
December 08, 1885
William Henry Vanderbilt fell to the floor in his office and died.
December 08, 1919
All passenger train service in Michigan was temporarily halted due to the effects of a month-long national coal miner's strike. 250,000 Michigan workers were also laid off.
December 08, 1927
The Grand Trunk Western's car ferry, Grand Rapids, struck a sand bar that had been formed by storms about 150 feet off the pierhead in Grand Haven. The mishap caused the ship to suffer $11,000 in damages.
December 08, 1953
In Michigan, the Chesapeake & Ohio restarted car ferry service between Port Huron and Sarnia. It had been discontinued by the Pere Marquette in 1933.
December 08, 1994
In Michigan, crews from both sides broke through to create the new Port Huron-Sarnia international railroad tunnel.
December 07, 1873
In the state of Michigan, the Michigan, Midland and Canada Railroad opened their line from St. Clair to Ridgeway.
December 07, 1891
Passenger service began through the first international tunnel, under the St. Clair River between Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario.
December 07, 1899
In Michigan, the Copper Range Railroad opened a linge from Houghton to Winona.
December 07, 1900
In Michigan, Officials of the Toledo & Western ride the first car over the interurban line from Toledo to the Wabash tracks at Adrian.
December 07, 1941
The New York Central streamlined the Empire State Express with 32 new cars from Budd.
December 06, 1915
The Connaught Tunnel on the Canadian Pacific Railway opened beneath Mount McDonald. For 70 years, this five-mile tunnel was Canada's longest.
December 06, 1936
Canadian national opened a line between Senneterre and Val D' Or, Quebec.
December 06, 1968
The Denver & Rio Grande Western made the last steam powered revenue run outside the Silverton branch from Durango to Alamosa.
December 06, 1971
December 05, 1870
The Ft. Wayne, Jackson & Saginaw opened their line from Algona, Indiana to Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
December 05, 1883
The Rock Island, Milwaukee Road and Union Pacific Railroads made an agreement for interchange of traffic at Omaha.
December 05, 1913
In the state of Michigan, the Interstate Commerce Commission ruled that car switching charges on the Michigan Central and Pere Marquette were adequate. The Commission ruled that the Detroit Terminal Railroad may increase switching rates, not to exceed $4.50 per car for a switching movement between any two points on it's line.
December 05, 1968
The Denver & Rio Grande Western operated it's last narrow gauge train west out of Alamosa, Colorado.
December 04, 1867
The Grangers, a secret order of farmers, was founded in Washington, D.C. It saught to control railroad shipping rates and middlemen.
December 04, 1872
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the Canada Central Railway's inaugural train began operating between Sand Point and Renfrew. The works had been inspected my Mr. F.A. Those who found that the line, although in an incomplete state for want of fencing and cattleguards was not unsafe for public travel. Freight trains had started operating from November 11 while a special excursion is believed to have be run from Arnprior to Renfrew on November 6 to accomodate people wanting to visit the Renfrew fair. Regular passenger service commenced Monday December 9.
December 04, 1907
In the state of Michigan, the Pere Marquette Railroad relenquished control of the Toledo Railway & Terminal Co.
December 04, 1967
The Kansas City Southern informed the ICC that it planned to drop passenger service.
December 03, 1855
The Great Western Railway "branch" between Hamilton and Toronto was opened to traffic.
December 03, 1863
A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Union Pacific Railroad at Omaha, Nebraska.
December 03, 1938
Canadian National opened it's line between Val D'Or and Rouyn Noranda, Quebec.
December 03, 1967
The last Twentieth Century Limited arrived at Chicago's LaSalle Street Station. The New York Central had been running this service, which began in 1902.
December 02, 1856
The first patent was issued for a sleeping car.
December 02, 1892
Railroad financier, Jay Gould died.
December 02, 1901
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the Pontiac Pacific Junction Railway was authorized to open from a junction with the Hull Electric Railway to Aylmer, about seven miles. From this date passenger trains from Aylmer were routed through Hull and into Central Depot over the Interprovincial Bridge.
December 02, 1926
The Cleveland Railway Company placed the first all aluminum streetcar into service.
December 02, 1928
The last interurban car departed Marshall, Michigan at 12:15 a.m.
December 02, 1980
The Pullman Company was dissolved.
December 02, 2004
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the City of Ottawa agreed to purchase the Canadian Pacific corridor from the Prince of Wales Bridge, through the Dows Lake Tunnel and along the Ellwood subdivision to Leitrim Road for O Train expansion. The cost for this 13 km. stretch of line was $12.6 million dollars.
December 01, 1848
In the state of Michigan, the Michigan Central RR reached Niles.
December 01, 1852
The Pacific, with a wheel arrangement of 4-6-2, became the first steam locomotivee to operated west of the Mississippi River when it made it's first run for the Pacific of Missouri Railroad.
December 01, 1867
In Michigan, the Bay City & East Saginaw Railroad began regularly scheduled service between East Saginaw and Midland.
December 01, 1874
In Michigan, the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad completed a line from Reed City to Ludington.
December 01, 1875
In Michigan, the Chicago, Saginaw & Canada completed their line from Rosedale to Cedar Lake.
In Michigan, Mrs. A. Clark, a passenger on a Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore train No. 3, fell or walked off the rear of the train one mile north of Norris station. "It is supposed she was partly asleep."
December 01, 1881
In Michigan, the Port Huron & Northwestern opened it's Court Street station in Port Huron.
December 01, 1884
The Oregon Short Line and the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company (later forming the Union Pacific's route to the Northwest) officially opened.
December 01, 1886
In Michigan, the Grand Rapids & Indiana opened a line from Muskegon Junction (near Grand Rapids) to Muskegon.
December 01, 1890
In Michigan, the Detroit City Railway became the Detroit Street Railway.
December 01, 1900
In Michigan, the Detroit & Mackinac opened the Harrisville cutoff. It discontinued the use of the line north of W. Harrisville (Lincoln).
In Ottawa, Ontario, Canadian Pacific opened a new station at Ottawa Broad Street, known as Union Station, to replace the one destroyed in the Hull-Ottawa fire.
December 01, 1901
In Michigan, the Detroit & Mackinac Railway opened it's Harrisville cutoff, bringing the mainline closer to Lake Huron and running it through Alcona County's seat of government.
In Michigan, the Chicago, Kalamazoo & Saginaw completed their Kalamazoo to Pavilion line.
December 01, 1903
The first Western film, The Great Train Robbery, was released.
December 01, 1909
In the state of Michigan, the Mason and Oceana Railroad abandoned their 3' gauge lines from Maple to Crystal Valley via Buttersville.
G.B. French became President of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
December 01, 1933
In Washington, D.C., Capital Transit was formed by the consolidation of Washington Railway & Electric Company and Capital Traction Co., thereby placing all street railways under one management for the first time.
December 01, 1952
Canadian Pacific launched an intermodal freight system by carrying truck trailers on railway flat cars between Toronto and Montreal.
December 01, 1955
The first remote control railroad passenger car was tested on the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad between New Rochelle and Rye, New York.
The Chesapeake & Ohio began using the New York Central Railroad tunnel to reach Windsor from Detroit. The C&O's carfloat operations were curtailed.
December 01, 1959
The Norfolk & Western acquired the Virginian.
December 01, 1994
The Societe des chemins de fer du Quebec commenced operation over the former Canadian National line from Limoilou to Clermont, Quebec.
December 01, 1996
Chemin de fur Baie des Chaleurs, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Quebec Railway Corporation, commenced operation over the former Canadian National line between Matapedia and Chandler, Quebec.
December 01, 1998
The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad (Quebec) began operation over the Canadian National's Sherbrooke subdivision between St. Rosalie, Quebec and Norton, Vermont.
November 30, 1893
Mattoon, Illinois Train Wreck
A Passenger Train Wrecked
Five Persons Badly Injured and Two Coaches Thrown Into a Creek.
Mattoon, Ill. Nov. 30.-The passenger train on the Illinois Southern
Railroad was wrecked while running at a slow rate of speed
through the city limits this morning. The following passengers were
injured: GOULEY, J.R., Terre Haute, Ind.; commercial traveler;
severe sprain in back. HERRON, MRS. HELEN, Odin, Ind.; bruised
about face and shoulders. HERRON, two children of Mrs. Herron,
ages six and two years respectively; badly cut and bruised about
faces and heads. JOHN, EDWARD T., Mount Vernon, Ill.; sprained
back.
Two coaches left the rails and were thrown into Beezer Creek, a
shallow stream running parallel with the tracks. The accident was
caused by a broken rail.
The New York Times, New York, NY Dec. 1, 1893
November 30, 1872
In the state of Michigan, the Detroit & Bay City opened their line from Oxford to Lapeer.
November 30, 1897
In Michigan, the Munising Railway opened a line from Munising to Little Lake and Princeton, as well as Stillman to Cusino.
November 30, 1944
United Railways dissolved.
November 30, 1955
In the state of Michigan, the Manistee & Northeastern was merged into the Chesapeake & Ohio.
November 30, 1959
November 29, 1847
In the state of Michigan, Michigan's first telegraph line was completed along the Michigan Central Railroad tracks between Detroit and Ypsilanti. The first messages sent were long and ranged from the price of wheat and putty to news of the Mexican War. Eventually the line would be extended to Chicago and be used by the Michigan Central to dispatch trains.
November 29, 1849
The Michigan Central Railroad scheduled a 2nd train between Detroit and the west side of the state.
November 29, 1870
The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe signed contracts to build the railroad from Atchiston to Topeka, Kansas.
November 29, 1899
In the state of Michigan, the Grand Rapids, Belding & Saginaw Railway opened their line from Lowell to Belding.
November 29, 1954
The first Budd dome cars entered service, connecting with the North Coast Limited on the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
November 28, 1877
The first two foot gauge railroad in the U.S., the Bedford & Billerica Railroad, opened.
November 28, 2009
Canadian National locomotive engineers went on strike. They returned to work after December 2nd with a binding arbitration.
November 27, 1873
The Boston & Maine Railroad made the first breakthrough in construction of it's tunnel under Hoosac Mountain in Massachussetts.
November 27, 1901
In the state of Michigan, a head-on collision on the Wabash Railroad near Seneca, in Lenawee County killed 24 people.
November 27, 1910
New York's Penn Station opened as the world's largest railway terminal.
November 27, 1954
In the Canadian province of Ontario at Hull, streetcar #918 made it's final run from Hull to Ottawa on the Hull Electric Railway.
November 27, 1957
The operation of steam power came to an end on the Pennsylvania Railroad.
November 27, 1964
The Pennsylvania Railroad ended Pittsburg commuter service.
November 26, 1832
America's first streetcar system started public service in New York City from City Hall to 14th Street.
November 26, 1867
The first patent for a refrigerated freight car was granted to J.B. Sutherland of Detroit, Michigan. J.B. Sutherland was employed by the Michigan Central as a Master car builder.
November 26, 1910
In Michigan the car ferry "Ann Arbor No. 5" was launched, the first Great Lakes ferry with a seagate to keep out the high waves.
November 25, 1845
In the state of Michigan, Central Rail Road reached Battle Creek from Marshall.
November 25, 1884
The Oregon Short Line and the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company (both later forming Union Pacific's route to the northwest) join rails.
November 25, 1889
In Michigan, the Frankfort and South Eastern Railroad completed a 3' guage line from Frankfort to Beacher.
In Michigan, the Toledo, Ann Arbor & North Michigan RR (later named Ann Arbor RR) began service from Toledo to Frankfort.
November 25, 1912
In Hull, Ottawa, Ontario, operation of the Hull Electric through the turning tunnel under the Chateau Laurier was authorized.
November 25, 1926
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Canadian National relocated part of the Maniwaki subdivision between mile 13.26 and 14.6 for a hydro-electric scheme on the Gatineau River. The section between mile 8.12 and mile 12.67 was opened the following day while mile 14.96 to mile 15.28 was opened on the 3rd of December.
November 25, 1955
Race segregation was forbidden on trains and buses between U.S. states.
November 25, 1963
All rail and transit services in the United States were halted for 1 minute to commemorate the National Day of Mourning for President John F. Kennedy who had been assassinated the afternoon of 11/22 in Dallas, Texas.
November 25, 1964
Canadian National opened a new technical research center in Ville St. Laurent, Montreal, Quebec.
November 24, 1912
The Pennsylvania Railroad's Broadway Limited made it's first run.
November 24, 1929
In the state of Michigan, the car ferry "City of Saginaw 31" was placed into Lake Michigan service by the Pere Marquette, their sixth steel car ferry.
November 24, 1964
The Great Slave Lake Railway, operated by the Canadian National was opened for traffic from Pine Point, Northwest Territories, to Roma Junction, Alberta. The open for carriage order was not issued by the Canadian Transport Commission until July 7, 1967.
November 24, 2002
The Toronto Transit Commission opened the four mile Sheppard Avenue Subway.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816 November 23, 1912 In Michigan, the Lake Shore placed into service the first single track automatic block signals on its line. They were installed on the Old Road, between Elk Hart and White Pigeon, Michigan. The signals were three position, upper quadrant. Three meeting points were arranged between the two towns Morehous and Bristol, Indiana, and at Vistula, Michigan. Railroad men anticipated that this would greatly help the operation on that busy track.
November 23, 1912
In Michigan, the Lake Shore placed into service the first single track automatic block signals on its line. They were installed on the Old Road, between Elk Hart and White Pigeon, Michigan. The signals were three position, upper quadrant. Three meeting points were arranged between the two towns Morehous and Bristol, Indiana, and at Vistula, Michigan. Railroad men anticipated that this would greatly help the operation on that busy track.
Another "Old Road" reference. You only needed to wait a couple of days, Ray, to come up with the answer I spent all morning digging out! . That is, of course, Elkhart, Indiana, to which they're referring. I couldn't find Morehous(e), but it's probably close to Elkhart. Vistula is also in Indiana.
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)
November 23, 1868
In the state of Michigan, the Kalamazoo, Allegan & Grand Rapids Railroad reached Allegan from Kalamazoo.
November 23, 1898
Andrew Jackson Beard received patent #594,059 for a railway car coupler. Born a slave, Beard worked a number of occupations, including the railroad industry. This led to the improved railroad coupler, which was credited with preventing many serious injuries among railroad workers.
In Michigan, the Lake Shore placed into service the first single track automatic block signals on it's line. They were installed on the Old Road, between Elk Hart and White Pigeon, Michigan. The signals were three position, upper quadrant. Three meeting points were arranged between the two towns Morehous and Bristol, Indiana, and at Vistula, Michigan. Railroad men anticipated that this would greatly help the operation on that busy track.
November 23, 1915
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Canadian Northern Ontario Railway opened from Rideau Junction (Federal) to Pembroke.
November 23, 1968
The Denver & Rio Grande Western had operated the last passenger train between Durango and Alamosa, Colorado.
November 20, 1850
The first train was operated over the Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific.
November 20, 1887
In the state of Michigan, the Milwaukee & Northern Railroad completed a line into Champion from Milwaukee.
November 20, 1888
In the state of Michigan, the Manistee and Northeastern opened a line from Manistee to Nessen City.
November 20, 1893
In Michigan, the first passenger train traveled from Alpena to Posen on the Alpena & Northern.
November 20, 1918
By Order in Council P.C. 2854 the management of the Canadian Government Railways was entrusted to the Board of Directors of the Canadian Northern Railway Co. On the same day the Government took over the Canadian Northern Railway and appointed a new Board of Directors.
Canadian Northern Railway was named a constituant company of Canadian National Railways.
November 20, 1961
Union Pacific's 4-8-4 #844 made it's first post-regular service excursion run.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816 November 19, 1956 In Michigan, the last regularly scheduled passenger train ran on "The Old Road" through Coldwater, Hillsdale and Adrian to Toledo. (Would Carl know what "The Old Road" was? My source of information does not spell that out for me.)
November 19, 1956
In Michigan, the last regularly scheduled passenger train ran on "The Old Road" through Coldwater, Hillsdale and Adrian to Toledo. (Would Carl know what "The Old Road" was? My source of information does not spell that out for me.)
Of course he would! (He had to look up some stuff, though.) The "old road" was the part of the NYC system that originated as the Michigan Southern Railroad (the "MS" in "LS&MS"). The first railroad in Michigan, the Adrian & Blissfield, was a component of this line. It originally ran from Monroe, Michigan, through Adrian, Hillsdale, Coldwater, Sturgis, and White Pigeon (a couple of days ago we had the anniversary of the White Pigeon roundhouse being torn down) to Elkhart, Indiana. The route of this train is something I couldn't look up, but it came up from Toledo, and joined the "old road" at Lenawee Junction. Hillsdale is still an interesting town, with tracks seemingly going everywhere. I'm pretty sure that the passenger train would have gone to White Pigeon, but from there I couldn't say whether it went down to Elkhart or up to Kalamazoo. South of the Michigan Central line across the state from New Buffalo to Detroit, the bottom of Lower Michigan was extensively crisscrossed with railroads, and most of them were NYC.
November 19, 1855
The Grand Trunk opened through Cornwall, Ontario from Ste-Anne-de-Belleveue to Brockville in broad guage. A passenger train originating at Brockville to Montreal (Nos. 25 and 26) became known as "the Moccasin" for the Native Americans who used that train to sell their wares in the city. Cornwall had a station (situated on the north side of Ninth Sreet East where Sydney Street was extended), engine house, freight house and dining hall. Cornwall itself at one time was part of New York Central's Ottawa division.
November 19, 1873
In the state of Michigan, the Detroit Transit Railway (East Side) was opened from a connection with the Detroit & Milwaukee Road near Riopelle and orleans to a point 1.5 miles away using street running. The line followed Guion St. to Walker, across Walker to Wight and up to the Detroit Stove Works. The company became the Detroit Manufacturers Railroad on January 30, 1902. It was leased to the Michigan Central RR on April 1, 1902, because the MCRR did most of the business with the company.
November 19, 1891
Granville T. Woods receives a patent for a third rail to operate electrified railways. This black inventor from Columbus, Ohio dedicated his life to developing a variety of inventions relating to the railroad industry and held more than 60 patents.
November 19, 1953
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the Walkley Line was opened between Wass and Hawthorne by Canadian National and through freight trains began to by-pass the City.
November 19, 1957
Canadian National opened it's line from Bartibog to Heath Steele, New Brunswick.
November 19, 1981
Norfolk & Western's Maumee River Bridge in Toledo, Ohio was strengthened to handle 6-axle locomotives
November 19, 1986
The Chicago & Northwestern's Alco C628's made their final run.
November 19, 1995
Canadian Nation shares began to trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816 November 18, 1869 In the state of Michigan, the Iona and Lansing rail road opened a line from Lansing to Grand Ledge and Portland.
November 18, 1869
In the state of Michigan, the Iona and Lansing rail road opened a line from Lansing to Grand Ledge and Portland.
That's Ionia, probably the largest town anywhere between Lansing and Grand Rapids. This line eventually became part of the Detroit, Lansing & Northern. From Ionia, lines went further west, and north in one or two directions to such bustling metropoli as Howard City, Greenville, and White Cloud.
Later on, as an afterthought, a branch line was built from Grand Ledge to Grand Rapids. That's the line that has survived--the branches beyond Ionia were removed by PM before the 1947 merger with C&O, and the line between Grand Ledge and Ionia hasn't survived, either.
Back in the late 1960s and 1970, in my pre-career, I'd ride GTW trains through Ionia, where, a short distance east of the GTW station, the line crossed the C&O on a sharp-angled diamond controlled (IIRC) by an automatic interlocking (definitely overkill, even then--a gate would have sufficed). No 30-mph (a la West Chicago) or 35-mph (a la Rochelle) restrictions on that puppy--the GTW through freights had a 45-mph timetable speed with no reduction for that diamond, and I'm here to tell you that 45 wasn't always adhered to out there! C&O still had a number of industries in Ionia at that time, some of which were automotive in nature. They also supplied coal to the boilers at the State Reformatory there, which was up a significant grade from the rest of the town.
November 18, 1881
Construction of the Georgia Pacific Railroad began.
November 18, 1883
Standard time zones (Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific) were created, abolishing 100 different local times in use in the U.S. and in Canada.
November 18, 1889
Oahu Railway began public service in Hawaii.
November 18, 1893
In Michigan, the Alpena and Northern completed a line from Alpena to La Rocque. It was owned by Alger Smith and Company, a logging firm, which also owned the Detroit, Bay City & Alpena.
November 18, 1980
In the state of Michigan, Conrail and Grand Trunk Western operations thrugh downtown Battle Creek were consolidated onto the GTW tracks. The Conrail (former MCRR) main line through downtown and past the NYC depot was abandoned.
November 18, 1981
Nichols Tower in Battle Creek, Michigan was closed. It was a Conrail structure.
November 17, 1837
The Sandusky, believed to be the first locomotive equipped with a steam whistle in the United States, arrives on the Mad River & Lake Erie at Sandusky, Ohio.
November 17, 1855
The Grand Trunk Railway was opened between Montreal and Brockville, Ontario.
November 17, 1889
In the state of Michigan, the Toledo, Ann Arbor and Lake Michigan Ry opened a line from Cadillac to Beecher.
The first daily railroad service to the Pacific Coast, without change was between Chicago and Portland, Oregon and between Chicago and San Francisco, California on the Union Pacific Railroad.
November 17, 1897
In Michigan, the Lake Shore closed their White Pigeon roundhouse.
November 17, 1907
In Washington, D.C., the first Pennsylvania Railroad train operated in and out of Union Station. Other rail lines from the south also commenced usage of the same depot.
November 17, 1908
Service begins between Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon on the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
November 17, 1938
Today marks the 72nd birthday of the well known Canadian folk artist & composer, Gordon Lightfoot. I mention this because he had written a lot of good material, including "Canadian Railroad Trillogy" and "Steel Rail Blues"
November 17, 1986
The CSX freight agency in Howell, Michigan, which was housed in the depot, was closed.
November 16, 1952
Northern Pacific's North Coast Limited began interchange of coaches and sleepers with trains 1 & 2 of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway at Pasco, Washington.
November 16, 1963
The Norfolk & Western operated it's last mixed train on it's Abingdon Branch.
November 16, 1967
Canadian Pacific began testing Canada's first remote-controlled mid-train diesel locomotives in regular freight service, using a new "Robot" radio-command system.
November 16, 1972
GE introduced it's E60C electric locomotive.
November 16, 1998
Goderich and Exeter Railway took over operation of the former Canadian National Guelph subdivision between London and Silver, Ontario.
November 15, 1863
A connection was made between the Chicago, Burlington and Iowa Railroad and the Hanibal and St. Joseph Railroad. These two roads would eventually become part of the CB&Q, or Burlington Route.
November 15, 1889
In the state of Michigan, the Flint & Pere Marquette line between Yale and East Saginaw was widened to standard guage.
The Flint & Pere Marquette built a new standard guage line between Yale and Port Huron, and between Brown City and Deanville (their quarry spur).
November 15, 1896
The Flint & Pere Marquette completed a line from Monroe to Alexis, Ohio (Toledo).
November 15, 1908
Oregon Electric's Forest Grove branch was opened.
November 15, 1910
Penn Station opened in New York City.
November 15, 1920
W. F. Turner became President of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
November 15, 1928
The first rail detector car to be placed in commercial service began operation on the Wabash Railroad.
November 15, 1948
The Union Pacific Railroad began track tests of a gas-turbine-electric locomotive.
November 15, 1957
The longest and heaviest train (500 coal cars, 4 miles long, 42,000 tons) was hauled by the Norfolk & Western between Iager, West Virginia and Portsmouth, Ohio.
November 15, 1965
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Canadian National abandoned the former Canada Atlantic line from Chaudiere (m 0.31) to Ottawa West (m 1.71). Rail service to the E.B. Eddy Mills in Ottaw had ceased the previous month.
November 15, 1981
In the Canadian province of Ontario, passenger service was discontinued on Canadian Pacific's Lachute subdivision (RDC 6102)and on the Canadian Pacific M&O subdivision between Rigaud and Ottawa. Temporary end of transcontinental passenger service through Ottawa (with VIA 6537-6614 in both directions). Local service with RDC's was commenced between Ottawa and Sudbury.
November 14, 1832
The world's first streetcar system opened in New York City with horse drawn cars on tracks on Fourth Avenue between Prince and 14th Streets.
November 14, 1945
In the Washington, D.C., area, the Sheperd's Landing Bridge was withdrawn from service. During 3 years of service it required 1 train per day to maintain safety. It averaged 3 to 7 trains daily with a maximum of 184 trains reached in the entire month of October, 1944. The Bridge was demolished in early 1947.
November 14, 1981
In Canada, VIA cut 20% of it's services.
November 14, 1988
The Department of Transportation announced random drug testing for 90,000 railroad workers.
November 14, 1989
CP Rail commences the operation of trains without cabooses. CN Rail would follow on February 01, 1990.
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