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.
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.
November 23, 1912
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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
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.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
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 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 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 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 17, 1870
In the state of Michigan, the Kalamzoo & South Haven completed their line from Kalamazoo to South Haven.
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.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816December 17, 1870 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 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.
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