December 19, 1881
In the state of Michigan, the Detroit, Mackinac & Marquette RR completed a line into St. Ignace creating a through route from Marquette to the Straits.
December 19, 1882
The Denver & Rio Grande reached the Utah border. Because the D&RG had no charter to operate in Utah, William Palmer incorporated the milage in that state seperately as the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railway.
December 19, 1898
The Colorado & Southern incorporated on this date.
December 19, 1911
James J. Hill acquired the Astoria & Columbia River Railroad for the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
December 19, 1916
In the state of Michigan, the Michigan Central Railrway granted permission to the Detroit United Railway to cross the Detroit, Grand Haven and Milwaukee Railway at Milwaukee Avenue, Detroit, and ordered the installation of of a full interlocking system at the crossing.
An order in council gave authority for the shipment of rails and fastenings from Canadian railways to France for war service. Under this and a subsequent order, some 800 miles were taken up from sidings and divisional yards of the of the eastern division of the National Transcontinental Railway (98.2 miles between Moncton and Diamond Junction; 11.8 miles east of Levis; 206.6 miles from between Quebec and Winnipeg) and a further 300 miles from the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, partly from the portion of the line running through the Yellowhead Pass which closely Paralled the Canadian Northern Railway.
December 19, 1977
The Milwaukee Road filed for bankruptcy.
December 19, 2000
In Michigan, The Michigan Department of Transportation sold the Lenawee County railroad system to the Adrian & Blissfield Railroad Company for $1.7 million.
December 20, 1883
The international cantilever railway bridge opened at Niagara Falls.
December 20, 1892
In the state of Michigan, the Manistee & Grand Rapids opened a line from Manistee to Peacock.
December 20, 1917
41 people were killed in a railroad accident at Louisville, Kentucky.
December 20, 1918
In Canada, all government-owned railroads were brought under the management of the Canadian National Railway.
December 20, 1986
In Michigan, the CSX abandoned the South Haven branch. It was a 15.3 mile branch westward from the Chicago subdivision at Hartford and served a foundery in South Haven and the Consumers Power Palisades plant nearby.
December 21, 1829
The first stone arch railroad bridge in the world, the Carollton Viaduct, was officially opened on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad over Gwynn's Falls at Baltimore, Maryland.
December 21, 1896
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway opened throughout between Ottawa and Parry Sound.
December 21, 1903
In the state of Michigan, the Harbor Beach and Port Hope Railroad was merged into the Pere Marquette Railroad.
December 21, 1907
F.B. Clarke became President of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
December 21, 1949
Operations came to an end on the Gales Creek & Wilson River Railway.
December 21, 1962,
The last Budd RDC (Rail Diesel Car) manufactured, was delivered to the Reading.
December 21, 1981
In Michigan, the Chessie System ran it's last train to Hart. The rails were pulled up north of Montogue May 13, 1982.
December 22, 1829
The Baltimore & Ohio began passenger operations from Baltimore to Ellicott's Mills.
December 22, 1885
Patent #332,762 was issued to La Marcus Adna Thompson for a gravity switchback railroad.
December 22, 1931
In Michigan, the Pere Marquette acquired control of the Manistee & North Eastern Railroad.
December 22, 1950
2 self-propelled trains of the Long Island Railroad collided, killing 77 people.
December 22, 1965
The Pennsylvania Railroad sold the Long Island Railroad to the state of New York.
December 22, 1982
The Missouri Pacific and the Western Pacific were merged into the Union Pacific.
December 22, 1988
In Michigan, the CSX sold the Saginaw to Bad Axe line from Saginaw to Bad Axe to the Huron & Eastern.
December 23, 1851
Construction began on the Illinois Central Railroad.
December 23, 1852
The Pacific Railroad of Missouri (later known as the Missouri Pacific Railway) began first passenger service west of the Mississippi River.
December 23, 1867
In the state of Michigan, the Grand Rapids & Indiana opened a line between Grand Rapids and Cedar Springs.
December 23, 1895
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the Canada, Atlantic, Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railways opened a temporary passenger station alongside the Rideau Canal just north Maria Street (later Laurier Avenue). From this date, the Canada Atlantic station at Elgin Street was closed for passenger traffic and quickly converted to a store house. A special inspection train had been run on Saturday, the 21st of December when the new station was formally opened.
December 23, 1907
The first all-steel railroad passenger coach was completed,
December 23, 1926
20 people were killed in a railroad accident at Rockmont, Georgia.
December 23, 1946
The New York City Subway system recorded it's highest ridership in history, 8.8 million passengers.
December 23, 1965
In Michigan, the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton abandoned it's Petersburg Junction - Lambertville route in favor of trackage rights over the Ann Arbor Railroad.
December 23, 1975
In Michigan, the Grand Trunk Western eliminated 4 miles of track along the western edge of Bay City by switching to trackage rights over the Penn Central. From approximately Main Street to Bay City West Side.
December 24, 1852
The Baltimore & Ohio's tracks reached the Ohio River at Wheeling, West Virginia.
December 24, 1898
The first interurban arrived at Dearborn, Michigan.
December 12, 1912
A holocaust unparalleled in Michigan's history occurred about 5:00 pm in the Italian hall on north Seventh street in Calumet when approximately 80 lives, mostly children, were lost. An unknown person yelled "fire" in the upstairs of the hall, which was hosting a Christmas party for the children of striking miners. In the rush to the exits, the dead were trampled. This was the last straw for most in the mining community, and Charles H. Moyer, the President of the Western Federation of Miners was deported. It was reported that he was shot, beaten and dragged through the streets of Hancock, and guarded on the train until 2:00 the next morning when the train reached Channing, Michigan. This ended the 6 month long strike in that region.
December 24, 1959
In the state of Michigan, New York Central's "Beeliner" was discontinued between Jackson and Bay City via Owosso and Saginaw.
December 24, 1985
The Illinois Central Gulf sold it's 681 mile Iowa division to the Chicago, Central and Pacific.
December 26, 1903
In the state of Michigan, a Pere Marquette passenger train accident at East Paris killed 18 people. The accident occurred after high winds extiguished the flame in a kerosene warning light. A second report indicated that 22 died, and as many as 30 were injured.
December 26, 1917
President Wilson took control of the nation's railroads by proclomation. This resulted in the formation of the United States Railroad Administration, which operation the country's railroads March 30, 1920.
December 26, 1956
The Denver & Rio Grande Western operated it's last standard gauge train with steam power.
December 27, 1859
The Grand Trunk Railway completed it's line between Tornonto and Sarnia and established a ferry service across the St. Clair River to Fort Gratiot (Port Huron).
December 27, 1900
In the state of Michigan, the Lake Shore opened their new station in Elkhart, Indiana. The 2nd floor included the passenger-conductor bunkroom, brakeman's bunkroom, two rooms for the trainmaster, and the claim agent's office.
December 27, 1942
In Canada, a 13-coach troop train, with Hudson 2802, ran into the rear of Canadian Pacific train 550, with Pacific 2518, at Almonte. This accident, in which 155 people were injured and 36 killed, was the most serious to have occurred in the Ottawa area. Following an investigation, the Board of Transportation Commissioners approved, on April 3, 1943, the installation of automatic signals to be installed at Almonte.
December 27, 1943
Fearing a threat to national security, President Roosevelt ordered the government to seize the nation's railroads in order to avert a strike.
December 27, 1951
The Rio Grande Southern operated it's last train on this date.
December 28, 1878
In the state of Michigan, the Muskegon River and Rose Lake Railway opened a 7.5 mile long 3' gauge line. It was abandoned in 1881.
December 28, 1882
In Michigan, the Ithica and Alma Railroad Company completed a line from Alma to Ithica.
December 28, 1900
In Michigan, the Escanaba and Lake Superior opened a line from Watson to Channing. This was the result of an agreement with the Milwaukee Road for the purpose of hauling iron ore to the Milwaukee Road docks at Escanaba. This arrangement was terminated in 1936 when the Milwaukee Road decided to enter a pooling arrangement with the C&NW rather than undergo the heavy expense of major improvements to the Escanaba docks.
December 28, 1901
In Michigan, the Escanaba & Lake Superior Railway started regular service between Escanaba and Channing.
December 28, 1912
The first municipally owned streetcars began operating in San Francisco.
December 28, 1917
A wartime emergency called by the Federal government, took control of U.S. railroads on January 1, 1918.
December 28, 1966
13 people died in a railroad accident at Everett, Massachusetts.
December 28, 1972
Amtrak announced the purchase of French-built Turboliners.
December 29, 1841
In the state of Michigan, the Central road reached Jackson from Chelsea.
December 29, 1870
In Michigan, the Pere Marquette opened their line from Clare to Lake.
December 29, 1876
A bridge collapsed beneath the Lakeshore & Michigan Southern's Pacific Express, killing 84 people. Another source of information tells me that as many as 92 people were killed in this accident, and 64 others injured when 11 cars of the train fell into the Ashtabula River, and stoves within the cars themselves started fires after the bridge had collapsed.
December 29, 1879
In Canada, the locomotive J.G. Haggert was taken over the ice of the Red River into Winnipeg by the contractor Joseph Whitehead to start construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway westward across the prairies in the spring of 1880.
December 29, 1884
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the Kingston and Pembroke Railway opened between Kingston and Renfrew. The actual connection with the Canadian Pacific Railway at Renfrew was made on December 26. The line had been opened in sections as follows:
*Kingston to Sharbot Lake (46 1/2 miles) on June 17, 1875 *Sharbot Lake to Mississippi (12 1/2 miles) in 1877 *Mississippi to Levant (10 miles) in 1881 *Levant to Clyde Lake (10 miles) in 1882 *Clyde Lake to south side of Grassy Bay (8 miles) in 1883 *South side of Grassy Bay to Refrew (16 miles) in 1884
December 29, 1894
In Michigan, the Detroit & Mackinac Railway was chartered as a reorganized Detroit, Bay City & Alpena RR.
In Michigan, the Drexel, Morgan and Company syndicate purchased the Alpena and Northern, which had already been completed from Alpena to McKinnon Lake.
December 29, 1953
In Michigan, electric train operations through the Detroit River railroad tunnels ended, the electric locomotives were replaced with diesels.
December 29, 1982
The Louisville and Nashville merged into the Seaboard Coast Line, which then changed it's name to Seaboard System.
December 30, 1906
53 people were killed in a train accident in Washington, D.C. This happened near present day Fort Totten, and it resulted in the ICC banning the future construction of wooden passenger coaches.
December 30, 1907
United Railways began passenger service.
December 30, 1955
The last Grand Trunk Western mixed passenger and freight train departed Grand Haven, Michigan.
December 31, 1860
The first railway tunnel in Canada opened on the Brockville & Ottawa Railway beneath the town of Brockville. The tunnel itself was one third of a mile in length.
The total rairoad milage in the state of Michigan was 700 miles.
December 31, 1873
By the end of this year, Michigan had 3,719 miles of track, operated by 47 railroads that are in active operation or partly built. Of this amount, 55 miles are double track, and 410 are sidings.
December 31, 1880
Michigan's railroad milage totaled 3,823 miles.
December 31, 1881
In Michigan, the Flint & Pere Marquette (Manistee Railroad Co.) completed a line from Walhalla to Manistee,
In Michigan, the Port Huron & Northwestern completed it's line from Marlette to East Saginaw. It was officially opened for service on February 21, 1882.
December 31, 1883
The Michigan Central Railroad opened car ferry service between Detroit and Windsor.
December 31, 1887
Michigan's only international railroad bridge, the 1.2 mile series of spans across the rapids of St. Mary's River at Sault Ste. Marie was opened. The double bascule spans were, at the time, the largest of this type in the world.
December 31, 1890
The total railroad milage for the state of Michigan was 6957 miles.
December 31, 1898
In Michigan, the Manistique and Northwestern Railway opened a line from Manistique to Shingleton.
December 31, 1900
In Michigan, the Detroit United Railway consolidated city street car lines.
Michagan's railroad milage totaled 7,946 miles.
December 31, 1903
In Calumet, Michigan the services of the town marshall were requested at the Calumet Mineral Range depot, on account of the many small boys who congregate there for the purpose of taking up parcels and newspapers. The marshall cleared the depot of the small boys who were there "in swarms". It was said that the boys indulged in tobacco chewing in the depot. They were also addicted to the habit of wrestling and passengers on more than one occasion had been "carried off their feet".
December 31, 1909
The high point of Michigan's steam railroad milage reached 9,059 road miles in operation at the end of the year, while there were 81,695 people employed on steam powered railroads.
December 31, 1910
Michigan's railroad milage totaled 9,021 miles.
December 31, 1920
Michigan's railroad milage totaled 8,734 miles.
December 31, 1930
In Michigan, the Onaway & North Michigan Railway was dissolved.
Michigan's railroad milage totaled 8,072 miles.
December 31, 1940
Michigan's railroad milage totaled 7,303 miles.
December 31, 1943
The Gales Creek & Wilson River Railway was purchased by the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
December 31, 1944
50 people were killed in a train accident at Bagley, Utah.
December 31, 1950
Michigan's railroad milage totaled 6,803 miles.
December 31, 1954
In Michigan, the Grand Trunk Western dropped the coach from it's mixed train between Pontiac and Jackson. The line became freight only.
December 31, 1955
One of Michigan's last "mixed passenger and freight trains" , Grand Trunk Western's service from Pontiac to Caseville was withdrawn.
In Michigan, mixed train service was discontinued on Grand Trunk Western's Pontiac, Oxford & Northern line. The current twice per week freight normally turned at Pigeon. Service to Caseville was rare due to a lack of customers.
December 31, 1957
In Michigan, Grand Trunk Western closed it's Haslett station. The depot was torn down some years later.
December 31, 1960
Michigan's railroad milage totaled 6,640 miles.
December 31, 1968
The last Pullman service was operated in the United States on this date.
The New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad became a part of the Penn Central Railroad.
December 31, 1970
Michigan's railroad milage totaled 6,140 miles.
December 31, 1978
The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific's Peoria Rocket made it's final run.
December 31, 1979
The Penn Central closed it's Town Line train order station in Dearborn, Michigan. The shanty was torn down on June 5, 1981.
December 31, 1980
Michigan's railroad milage totaled 5,370 miles.
December 31, 1989
The last part of the railway on Canada's Prince Edward Island, which was operated by CN Rail, was abandoned.
January 01, 1839
The New Jersey Railroad & Transportation Co. was opened between New Brunswick and Trenton, New Jersey.
January 01, 1855
In the Canadian province of Ontario, the Bytown and Prescott Railway began carrying mail as well as passengers.
January 01, 1866
In the state of Michigan, the first train arrived at Schoolcraft on the Schoolcraft & Three Rivers Railroad.
January 01, 1867
In Michigan, Detroit River car ferry service began with the "Great Western" at the time the largest iron or steel vessel on the Great Lakes.
January 01, 1870
In Michigan, the Michigan Central completed it's line between Eaton Rapids and Grand Rapids via Charlotte.
In Michigan, the first train was operated into Kalamazoo on the Kalamazoo & South Haven Railroad. The Kalamazoo was leased to the Michigan Central on July 1, 1870.
January 01, 1872
In Michigan, the Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore opened a line from Montague to Pentwater, and from Holland to Grand Rapids.
In Michigan, the Flint & Pere Marquette opened a line from Wayne to Monroe.
The Denver & Rio Grande Railway began service between Denver and Colorado Springs.
January 01, 1873
In Michigan, the Saginaw Valley and St. Louis Railroad completed a line from Paines to St. Louis.
January 01, 1874
In Michigan, a horse car with coach began operation on the Belding Railroad, between Kiddville (on the Iona & Lansing) and Belding. It connected with all passenger trains at Kiddville and the faire was ten cents.
January 01, 1877
The Chicago & Northeastern Railroad opened a line from Lansing to Flint, Michigan.
January 01, 1881
The Denver & Rio Grande Railway reached Chama, New Mexico.
January 01, 1882
In Canada, William Cornelius Van Horne was appointed General Manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Van Horne succeeded in laying 480 miles of track across the Canadian prairie that summer.
January 01, 1884
Grand Trunk (Michigan Air Line Ry.) opened a line from Ridgeway to Jackson, Michigan.
January 01, 1888
Tracks of the Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie & Atlantic Railway (later "Soo Line") reached Sault Ste. Marie.
January 01, 1890
The Wisconsin and Michigan opened a line from Fisher to Faithorn Junction.
January 01, 1900
In the state of Michigan, the Chicago & West Michigan, Flint & Pere Marquette, and Detroit, Grand Rapids & Western were consolidated to form the Pere Marquette Railroad, the state's largest railroad system under one management. The general offices were moved from Saginaw to Detroit.
The Pere Marquette opened a line from Freeport to Belding, Michigan.
January 01, 1902
The Saint Marie Union Depot Co. opened a line in Sault Ste. Marie to downtown.
January 01, 1903
Following the collapse of the Everette-Moore syndicate, the Pleasant Bay Railway sold it's right of way to the new Detroit & Toledo Shore Line. They constructed a freight-only connector line between Toledo and Detroit.
January 01, 1906
In Michigan, the Copper Range Railroad added several additional trains between Houghton and Calumet since navigation had been closed. A train would leave Calument for Houghton at 7:00 p.m. and return at 11:15 p.m, giving Calument residents a chance to witness all hockey games at Portage Lake. The fare was five cents, the same as the Street Railway.
In Michigan, the Manistee & Grand Rapids opened a line from Peacock to Marion via Luther.
January 01, 1908
Oregon Electric (OE) opened between Portland and Salem, Oregon.
January 01, 1913
In Ontario, Canada, the Kingston and Pembroke Railway was leased to the Canadian Pacific Railway. The CPR had exercised control over the K&P since November 1901. The K&P had been leased to the CPR for 999 years.
January 01, 1914
The last part of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway was opened for service between North Vancouver and Horseshoe Bay, 12 miles.
The last spike was driven in the Canadian Northern Ontario Railway from Montreal to Port Arthur at Little White Otter River, about 400 km east of Port Arthur.
January 31, 1935
In Michigan, the Hancock & Calumet was acquired by the Mineral Range Railroad.
January 01, 1941
In Ottawa, Canada, the New York Central began using it's own Mann Avenue Station instead of the more expensive Union Station for it's passenger trains.
January 01, 1946
The Atlanta, Birmingham & Coast was merged into the Atlantic Coast Line.
January 01, 1948
14 people were killed in a railroad accident at Syracuse, Mo.
In Michigan , the Erie and Michigan Railway and Navigation Company returned the leased Alabaster Branch to the Detroit & Milwaukee.
January 01, 1952
The first gas-turbine-electric locomotive in the United States began service on the Union Pacific Railroad.
January 01, 1953
J.C. Moore was elected Vice-President of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
January 01, 1956
In Michigan, the Grand Trunk Western dropped mixed trains from it's PO&N branch, and it became a freight-only line.
January 01, 1958
In Michigan, Railcar trucks, applied to new cars, were required to have ARR approved sideframes. The new sideframes were required to be of the cast "U" section type with integral journal pedestals. Cast steel truck side frames having "T" or "L" section compression or tension members were prohibited on all cars in interchange. Railcar trucks with archbars, were prohibited under all cars, locomotive cranes, locomotive tenders, and derricks in interchange service.
January 01, 1962
Canadian Pacific abandoned the Kingston subdivision between Calabogie and Snow Road. The last through freight ran over the Kingston and Pembroke line on December 29, 1961.
January 01, 1964
Canadian Pacific was authorized to abandon the Kingston subdivision between Sharbot Lake and Tichborne.
January 01, 1966
A transit worker strike shut down the New York City subway system for 12 days.
January 01, 1971
The Alabama, Tennessee & Northern Railroad merged with the Frisco.
January 01, 1983
The Fort Worth & Denver Railroad was merged into the Burlington Northern.
January 01, 1986
The Soo Line merged with the Milwaukee Road.
Canadian Pacific took over the operation of the Vancouver and Lulu Island Railway in Vancouver.
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Canadian Pacific abandoned the Maniwaki subdivision between Wakefield and Maniwaki.
January 01, 1998
The Ontario Southland Railway took over the operation of the Guelph Junction Railway (formerly the Goderich subdivision) which had been leased by Canadian Pacific from the city of Guelph since 1888. The Ontario Southland also took over the 3.1 mile remnant of the CP owned Guelph and Goderich Railway.
January 01, 2002
Fare paying service began on the Ottawa/Hull Street Railway. Before this time passengers travelled free.
January 02, 1849
A predecessor of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois, the Evansville & Illinois was chartered.
January 02, 1871
In Michigan, the Kalamazoo and South Haven Railroad completed a line from Kalamazoo to South Haven.
January 02, 1899
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Pembroke Southern Railway, which was incorporated on May 27, 1893, opened from Golden Lake to Pembroke. The first train into Pembroke had arrived on November 14, 1898. The company was leased to the Canada Atlantic Railway on August 1, 1899 which took over operation on the 1st of September 1899.
January 02, 1906
The President of the First National Bank in Calumet, Michigan announced that a new railroad, known as the Keweenaw Central is opening up the country to the north and that prospects are good for the area to contain 10,000 to 15,000 more people in the next two years.
January 02, 1907
33 people were killed in a train accident at Volland, Kansas.
January 02, 1916
Interurban service between Battle Creek and Grand Rapids, Michigan began, via Richland.
January 02, 1930
In the state of Michigan, the New York Central System acquired a 99-year lease on the Michigan Central Railroad and the "Big Four" (Cleveland, Chicago, Cincinnati & St. Louis RR's) lines.
January 02, 1991
Frank G. Turpin retired as the first President and CEO of the Alaska Railroad Corporation, the Board of Directors hired Robert S. Hatfield Jr., a 17 year veteran of the Southern Pacific Transportation Company, to head the operation.
January 03, 1839
In the state of Michigan, the first mail contract west of the Allegheny Mountains involving a railroad was made with the Erie & Kalamazoo.
January 03, 1889
The Detroit City Railway received a grant for new trackage.
January 03, 1926
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Canadian National discontinued service (trains 73 and 74) between Kingston and Harrowsmith thus ending the exercise of running powers commenced in 1889 by the Napanee, Tamworth and Quebec Railway over the Kingston and Pembroke tracks.
January 03, 1956
The New York Central consigned to scrap the last two steam locomotives which were used on their Detroit-Mackinaw City run.
January 03, 1965
The state of Maine lost it's passenger train connection with the rest of the U.S. when the Boston & Maine ended it's Boston to Portland trains.
January 03, 1967
The Chesapeake & Ohio acquired the Chicago, South Shore & South Bend Railroad.
January 03, 1986
The Skytrain commenced operation between Vancouver and New Westminster, British Columbia.
January 04, 1831
The Baltimore & Ohio made a bid for the first locomotive of American manufacture by placing advertisements in the Baltimore American.
January 04, 1877
Railroad mogul Cornelius Vanderbilt died at the age of 83. He was probably the richest man in the world at that time.
January 04, 1892
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Central Counties Railway, which was incorporated on June 23, 1877 as the Prescott County Railway, opened from Glen Robertson to Hawkesbury. The line was leased to the Canada Atlantic Railway on April 17, 1891. A formal inspection had been made by Inspector Marcus Smith on December 3, 1891 who found the line ready to be opened to the public provided two culverts were strengthened and proper provision made for turning the locomotive at Hawkesbury. The first sod had been turned at Glen Robertson on March 31, 1891.
January 04, 1920
In the Canadian province of Ontario, at Ottawa, the Grand Trunk Railway Central's station was renamed to Union Station. On the same date the Canadian Pacific's Broad Street or Union Station in the Chaudiere was closed to passengers and trains began using the Grand Trunk Union Station.
January 04, 1952
In the state of Michigan, the C&O car ferry "Spartan" was launched. Along with sister ship "Badger", these were the largest, best equipped and last coal-fired passenger-carrying steamships built in the United States.
January 04, 1954
In Michigan, the last regularly scheduled passenger train, the Milwaukee Road's Chippewa-Hiawatha, between Channing and Ontonagan was discontinued. The Ontonagan Herald reported that the train arrived at 11:00 p.m. and one hour later the equipment deadheaded back to Channing. The train, which the railroad had tried to eliminate since 1950, was finally ordered discontinued by the Michigan Supreme Court, who overturned the Michigan Public Service Commission to keep the train. The remainder of the route from Milwaukee to Channing lasted until 1960.
January 04, 1955
The operation of steam power on the Milwaukee Road came to an end when 2-8-4 #239 arrived in St. Paul, Minnesota.
January 04, 1962
New York City's first automated subway train entered service.
January 04, 1970
The Erie Lackawanna's Lake Cities train made it's final run.
January 04, 1980
The interlocking facility at Dearborn, Michigan closed.
January 04, 1987
16 people were killed when Amtrak's northbound Colonial collided with errant Conrail diesels which had run through a stop signal and a switch at Chase, Maryland.
January 05, 1861
In the state of Michigan, the Amboy, Lansing and Traverse Bay RR completed 20 miles of railroad (location unknown) and received 1st land grant.
January 05, 1885
The Long Island Railroad created the first piggyback service with a train consisting of flatcars carrying farmer's wagons and horses and a coach for teamsters.
January 05, 1893
The Great Northern Railroad completed it's line from the Great Lakes to Everett, Washington.
January 05, 1905
Baltimore & Ohio introduced the first electric freight locomotive.
January 05, 1908
In Michigan, the car ferry Manistique was damaged in the Manistique port. The boat made it back to port but sank at the dock of the Chicago Lumber Company. She was raised four days later and taken to dry dock at South Chicago. Ann Arbor No. 1 was chartered by the Manistique, Marquette and Northern Railroad as her replacement.
January 05, 1912
Spokane Portland & Seattle Railway completed it's Ceililo bridge.
January 05, 1920
The Jennings & Northeastern Railroad discontinued service in Jennings, Michigan.
January 05, 1956
General Motors introduced the Aerotrain. The New York Central conducted tests of the the Aerotrain, composed of 10 coaches and a single 1,200 hp diesel locomotive, it made non-stop test runs between Chicago and Detroit. It consumed only $18.00 in fuel during the 283 mile run. After the run, it was put on display at the Michigan Central Railroad passenger terminal in Detroit.
January 05, 1984
The Delaware & Hudson became a part of Guilford Transportation Industries.
January 05, 1985
The Alaska Railroad became property of the state of Alaska in transfer ceremonies which were held in Nenana and Seward.
January 05, 1988
The Michigan Central Depot in Detroit was closed.
First of all, Happy New Year, Ray, and thank you for continuing the work on this thread! I hope to see a full year put together sometime, then expanded or corrected whenever more facts become known.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816 January 05, 1861 In the state of Michigan, the Amboy, Lansing and Traverse Bay RR completed 20 miles of railroad (location unknown) and received 1st land grant.
The first stretch of this railroad to open was from Owosso southwestward to Laingsburg, on its way to Lansing. It eventually became part of the Michigan Central system, after various foreclosures and other changes of ownership.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816January 05, 1908 In Michigan, the car ferry Manistique was damaged in the Manistique port. The boat made it back to port but sank at the dock of the Chicago Lumber Company. She was raised four days later and taken to dry dock at South Chicago. Ann Arbor No. 1 was chartered by the Manistique, Marquette and Northern Railroad as her replacement.
The full name of the ferry was Manistique, Marquette & Northern 1. The damage was caused by ice, just outside the harbor at Manistique.
Soon after the boat was repaired, the MM&N railroad was taken over by a company affiliated with the Ann Arbor Railroad (which had plenty of ferries of its own), and the Manistique, Marquette & Northern 1 was sold to the Grand Trunk. The Grand Trunk renamed the ferry Milwaukee, and its misfortunes continued when it foundered with all hands off the Wisconsin shore in 1929.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
January 06, 1866
The first robbery of a train en rounte occurred when $500,000 in bonds, specie, government securities were taken from an Adams Express company safe on the New Haven Railroad between New York City and Boston.
January 06, 1887
In the state of Michigan, the Mason and Oceana Railroad opened a 3' line from Buttersville (near Ludington) to Crystal Valley. It was abandoned in 1909.
January 06, 1889
In Michigan, the first passenger train was run on the Manistique & Northwestern.
January 06, 1893
The Great Northern Railway completed it's transcontinental route at Everett, Washington.
January 06, 1916
In Michigan, the Michigan Central Railway approved a new design for a half-interlocking plant at North Bay City for the Michigan Central and the Detroit & Milwaukee.
January 06, 1919
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Canadian Pacific Walthan branch trains began using the Grand Trunk Central Station in Ottawa, instead of Broad Street.
January 06, 1936
The Great Northern Steamship Co. (GNPSS) dissolved.
January 06, 07, 1998
In Canada, a serious ice storm blanketed eastern Ontario and Quebec and the railway system in the triangle Ottawa-Kingtson-Drummondville was virtually shut down. A long term casualty of this storm was the centralized Traffic Control signal system on the Alexandria subdivision which would have cost some $6 million to restore. This system, installed in January 1960, was converted to the computer assisted Occupancy Control System (OCS). The existing CTC system was retained for the Ottawa Terminal and between Coteau and De Beaujeu.
January 07, 1830
The first commercial railroad service began with horse drawn carriages in Baltimore on the first stretch of track on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
January 07, 1872
In Michigan, the Northern Central Michigan Railroad opened their Jonesville to Albion line.
January 07, 1891
In Michigan, the Lowell & Hastings completed their line from Lowell, across the river to Elmdale. The first passenger train ran from Lowell to Grand Rapids.
January 07, 1912
Through service was initiated on the Oregon Trunk line (OT) between Wishram and Bend, Oregon.
January 07, 1946
The Baltimore & Ohio shifted passenger trains from Detroit's Fort Union Depot to Michigan Central Station.
January 07, 1995
The New Brunswick Southern Railway commenced operation over former Canadian Pacific trackage from McAdam to Saint John, New Brunswick with a branch from McAdam to St. Stephen.
The Algoma Central Railway was taken over by the Wisonsin Central Railroad.
January 07, 2002
Amtrak train 351 became the first in regular service to hit 90 mph between Kalamazoo, Michigan and Porter, Indiana using the new GPS-based Incremental Train Control System.
January 08, 1863
The Central Pacific Railroad began construction.
January 08, 1914
A through fast freight service was inaugurated by the Canadian Northern Railway between Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec using the recently opened section between Ottawa and Toronto.
January 08, 1933
In the state of Michigan, arrangements were made with the Mineral Range Railroad and the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic to operate jointly between Hancock and Calumet, with a joint agency in Calumet. This continued for a short time until May 15, 1934 when the roads resumed using seperate lines.
January 08, 1954
New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal opened.
January 08, 1981
In Michigan, Sister Ann Joachim, 79, died at the Dominican Mother House in Adrian. Sister Ann was also a lawer, and had opposed before the I.C.C. in 1969 the discontinuance of Norfolk & Western's St. Louis to Detroit "Wabash Cannon Ball". The famous train continued in service until making it's last run on April 30, 1971 - one day before the startup of Amtrak.
January 08, 1982
In Michigan, the "Badger" made it's final run from Ludington to Manitowoc.
January 08, 1999
RailAmerica Inc. took over the operation of the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway from Canadian Pacific. The new company, known as E&N Railway Company (1998) Ltd, purchased the line between Port Alberni and Nanaimo and leased the section from Victoria to Nanaimo.
Although it's possible that the C&O hauled its last freight cars across the Lake with the Badger in 1982, that wasn't its last trip across the Lake from Ludington to Manitowoc, by a long shot.
http://www.ssbadger.com/home.aspx
January 09, 1830
Construction began on the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road in Charleston, South Carolina.
January 09, 1852
The Michigan Southern Railroad reached LaPorte, Indiana from South Bend.
Januray 09, 1891
In Michigan, the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Street Railway opened a line from Ann Arbor to Ypsilanti.
January 09, 1899
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Hull Electric purchased, for $100,000, the Canadian Pacific line between Aylmer and the main line at Hull. Before this Hull Electric had used the line under lease.
January 09, 1911
A snow storm hit Michigan's Upper Peninsula, dropping more than 9 feet of snow in the Steuben area, train operations of the Michigan & Lake Shore.
January 09, 1956
The New York Central roundhouse in Jackson, Michigan informed the Big Four that they will no longer service steam locomotives after 12:01 a.m. Big Four trains into Jackson were powered by Alco 1,500 hp diesel locomotives or other diesel power after this time.
January 09, 1990
Gateway Western purchased the Chicago, Missouri & Western's Kansas City-St. Louis line.
January 09, 2003
The Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Canada Company commenced operation through the purchase of the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad and it's operating subsidiaries, the Canadian American Railroad, the Northern Vermont Railroad, the Quebec Southern Railway and the Van Buren Bridge Company.
January 10, 1853
The first meals were served on board a train.
January 10, 1872
Michigan's first Grange was organized. By 1875, 600 local Granges would form throughout the state. The Grange movement would become one of the leading lobbyists for railroad rate regulation.
January 10, 1898
In Michigan, the Grand Rapids, Kalkaska & Southeastern Railroad completed a line from Rapid City to Stratford. It was standard gauge and was laid with 60-lb. rail.
January 10, 1911
United Railways (UR) opened between Burlington and North Plains, Oregon.
January 10, 1942
In Michigan, the Chicago & Northwestern placed new streamlined diesel equipment and passenger cars into service north of Milwaukee. The Peninsula 400 was one of those trains which used this equipment. Over 3,500 people walked through the new train, while it was parked on display at the Escanaba depot. Trackage on the U.P. between Escanaba and Negaunee was upgraded to allow operation between 60 and 80 mph.
January 10, 1945
The Los Angeles Railway streetcar lines closed.
January 10, 1989
In Durango, Colorado, a fire destroyed the Durango & Silverton roundhouse and damaged it's six 2-8-2's.
January 11, 1889
In the state of Michigan, the Toledo, Saginaw & Mackinaw Railroad built north from Saginaw to Bay City, reaching Oa-at-ka Beach, north of Bay City. It was sold later that year to the Cincinnati, Saginaw & Mackinaw, which in turn was leased in 1901 to the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada.
January 11, 1899
The Colorado & Southern Railway began operation. It's predecessors included the Denver, Leadville & Gunnison Railway (formerly the Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad) and the Union Pacific, Denver & Gulf Railway.
January 11, 1916
In Michigan, the Michigan Central Railroad approved a new design for signal protection at Owendale for the Pontiac, Oxford & Northern Railroad.
JANUARY 12, 1853
After 25 years, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad reached the Ohio River at Wheeling, West Virginia.
JANUARY 12, 1877
U.S. railroad workers went on strike against wage reductions.
JANUARY 12, 1883
The Southern Pacific Railroad completed it's New Orleans to California route near the Pecos River in Texas.
JANUARY 12, 1899
The Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad became a part of the Colorado & Southern Railroad.
JANUARY 12, 1912
In the state of Michigan, the Ann Arbor Railroad's 100-room resort hotel at Frankfort, the Hotel Frontenac, built in 1907, burned.
JANUARY 12, 1919
21 people were killed in a train accident at Byron, New York.
JANUARY 12, 1926
An interlocking tower was installed at Carleton, Michigan at the crossing of the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton, Pere Marquette and the Pennsylvania. Prior to this time, it was a stop and proceed crossing.
JANUARY 12, 1929
Great Northern's 7 mile, 1397 yard Cascade Tunnel opened in Washington state. At that time it was the longest tunnel in North America.
Seatrain's railroad cars on ships began service between New Orleans and Havana.
JANUARY 12, 1958
In Michigan, the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroad discontinued it's St. Ignace-Marquette passenger service and became a freight-only line. The last passenger train they operated was a Budd car. (They continued to run the MILW Copper County Limited to Calumet.)
JANUARY 12, 1962
The merger of the New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroad was proposed.
JANUARY 12, 1977
VIA Rail Canada was created as a Canadian National subsidiary to provide inter-city rail passenger service.
JANUARY 13, 1857
Patent #16,381 was issued to Thaddeus Fairbanks for the first railway track scale.
JANUARY 13, 1873
In Michigan, the Northern Central Michigan Railroad opened a line from Eaton Rapids to Lansing.
JANUARY 13, 1899
The Canadian Northern Railway was formed by the amalgamation of the Winnipeg Great Northern Railway and the Lake Manitoba Railway and Canal Company. William MacKenzie and Donald Mann then proceeded to expand the Canadian Northern system so that by 1915 the system comprised 9,362 miles of trackage.
JANUARY 13, 1955
Canadian National opened it's line from Terrace to Kitimat, British Columbia. The line was opened officially on July 8th with a "last spike" ceremony, the spike was made from aluminum produced at the Kitimat plant.
JANUARY 14, 1867
A new Brush Street Station was opened in downtown Detroit. It was described by the Detroit Advisor as a two-story structure with two large and convenient waiting rooms, one for the ladies and one for gentlemen, a conductor's room, a telegraph office each for the DM & Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana railroads, and the MS&NI's Superindendent's office. It also held two baggage rooms and a refreshment room. The 2nd floor was for D&M executives (I am assuming this was the Detroit & Milwaukee?). It closed 106 years later in 1973.
JANUARY 14, 1878
The Supreme Court ruled that states cannot forbid racial segregation on public transportation vehicles. The court held that segregation is not a matter for states to decide and that it places a burden on interstate commerce.
JANUARY 14, 1904
In Michigan, the oil house in Manistique, of the Manistique, Marquette & Northern caught fire and burned to the ground.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816 JANUARY 14, 1867 A new Brush Street Station was opened in downtown Detroit. It was described by the Detroit Advisor as a two-story structure with two large and convenient waiting rooms, one for the ladies and one for gentlemen, a conductor's room, a telegraph office each for the [Detroit & Milwaukee and the] Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana railroads, and the MS&NI's Superindendent's office. It also held two baggage rooms and a refreshment room. The 2nd floor was for D&M executives (I am assuming this was the Detroit & Milwaukee?). It closed 106 years later in 1973.
A new Brush Street Station was opened in downtown Detroit. It was described by the Detroit Advisor as a two-story structure with two large and convenient waiting rooms, one for the ladies and one for gentlemen, a conductor's room, a telegraph office each for the [Detroit & Milwaukee and the] Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana railroads, and the MS&NI's Superindendent's office. It also held two baggage rooms and a refreshment room. The 2nd floor was for D&M executives (I am assuming this was the Detroit & Milwaukee?). It closed 106 years later in 1973.
You assume correctly, Ray. The Detroit & Milwaukee (later Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee) eventually became a principal part of the Grand Trunk Western.
JANUARY 15, 1831
The first American built locomotive to pull a passenger train, the Best Friend of Charleston, ran from Charleston to Hamburg, South Carolina. The train also provided the first recorded railroad honeymoon trip-Mr. & Mrs. Henry L. Pierson of Ramapo, New York.
JANUARY 15, 1908
The Portland & Seattle, a forerunner of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway, opened a line from Cliffs, Washington to Lyle, Washington.
JANUARY 15, 1927
In Michigan, the Pere Marquette reduced thumb branches to one mixed train per day on each line. The Almont Branch was reduced to three round trips per week.
JANUARY 15, 1952
The final passenger run was made on the Astoria Line of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
JANUARY 15, 1953
Pennsylvania Railroad's GG1 #4876 ended up in the basement of Washington Union Station when the Federal Express ran away.
JANUARY 15, 1981
In Michigan, the Ludington & Northern stopped operating after the Chesapeake & Ohio raised it's rates.
JANUARY 15, 1990
VIA Rail cut half of it's passenger network. Included in these cuts are a decision to run just one transcontinental train between Toronto and Vancouver via CN through Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Jasper.
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Canadian Pacific abandoned the Carleton Place subdivision between Nepean (m. 9.0) and Carleton Place (m. 28.1) with the passage of the last "Canadian" transcontinental Passenger train which was hauled by VIA #6409 westbound and VIA #6433 eastbound.
JANUARY 16, 1868
In Michigan, a refrigerator car was patented by William Davis, a Detroit fish dealer.
JANUARY 16, 1906
United Railways was incorporated.
JANUARY 16, 1952
After three days of digging, passengers of the west bound City of San Francisco were rescued from Yuba Gap where they had been snowbound by the worst storm to hit the Sierras in many years. Recovery of the engines and passenger cars required three more days.
JANUARY 16, 1969
The Penn Central began Metroliner service in the Northeast Corridor.
JANUARY 16, 1990
The Canadian Rail Operating Rules were approved by the Minister of Transport.
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