September 29, 1849
The New Haven Railroad provides the first passenger service to Peekskill, New York.
September 29, 1890
Railroads forfeit unused land grants, which had been granted as an inducement for constructing new lines.
September 29, 1897
In Washington, D.C. the Capitol Tracton Company's cable car power house burns on the site of present day Wilson District and Ronald Reagan building.
September 29, 1913
Rudolph C.K. Diesel, inventor of the diesel engine, dies at the age of 55.
September 29, 1957
Spokane, Porland & Seattle's O-3 #539 is moved to Ester Short Park in Vancouver, Washington.
September 29, 1962
The last steam-powered run occurs on the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range.
September 29, 1967
The last RPO car is run on the Southern Pacific.
The Monon becomes freight-only.
September 29, 1978
VIA Rail Canada takes over Canadian Pacific's passenger operations.
September 29, 1988
Washington D.C.'s Union Station returns to service as a passenger terminal.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816
September 28, 1925
In the Canadian province of Ontario: An articulated two car diesel electric set, #15817 is placed in regular service between Montreal and Ottawa via Hawkesbury, making on trip in each direction daily except Sundays. 15817 was replaced by single car 15818 by the end of October.
September 28, 1929
The Hudson Bay Railway reaches it's northern terminus at Churchill, Manitoba. This was originally operated by the Canadian National on behalf of the Government. It became part of the CN system on September 5, 1951.
September 28, 1956
The C & O completes dieselization.
September 28, 1959
The last regularly scheduled Canadian Pacific steam powered train pulled out of Ottawa's Union Station. This was the Waltham mixed with D4 class 4-6-0 #425. Unscheduled steam power was used by the Canadian Pacific from time to time after this date, the last steam powered train being freight #76 over the M&O subdivision to Montreal on February 22, 1960 with 4-6-2 #1262.
September 28, 1981
The Illinois Central becomes the first RoadRailer operator.
September 28, 1996
Iron Road Railways, under the name of Quebec Southern Railway commences operation over the former Canadian Pacific lines in Quebec:
*Lennoxville - St.Jean *Brookport - Wells River (Vermont) *Farnham - Ste. Rosalie Junction *Farnham - Stanbridge
September 27, 1835
Phineas Davis, inventor of the first practical American coal burning locomotive, is killed when his invention, the York, derails.
September 27, 1890
Farmer's Transportation Company is renamed the Columbia Railway & Navigation Company.
September 27, 1903
Eleven people were killed when a Southern Railway train derailed on Stillhouse Trestle near Danville, Virginia. The wreck was popularized in the song "Wreck of the Old '97".
September 27, 1915
The Ottawa and New York Railway is leased to the New York Central Railroad for 21 years. The lease was subsequently renewed for 99 years in 1936. Before this time the line had been leased to the NYC on an annual basis.
September 27, 1923
37 were killed in a train accident at Casper, Wyoming.
From Arcamax History & Quotes:
September 27, 1825:
The Stockton and Darlington Railway opened, becoming the first permanent steam locomotive railway.
In England, George Stephenson operated the first locomotive to pull a passenger train.
September 26, 1884
The St. Lawrence and Ottawa Railway is leased to the Canadian Pacific Railway for 999 years.
September 25, 1866
The pop safety valve was patented by George W. Richardson of the Troy & Boston Railroad.
September 25, 1905
J.H. Hulbert and C.T. Dunbar acquire United Railways for James J. Hill.
September 24, 1869
Railroad speculators Jay Gould and Jim Fisk's attempt to corner the gold market fails.
September 24, 1904
A head on collision in Tennessee kills 62 and injures 120 others.
September 23, 1874
The first East Broad Top train makes it's first run.
September 23, 1983
The U.S. Railway Association sets the fair market value of the Alaska Railroad at $22.3 million.
September 23, 1988
Boston & Maine's 49-mile Connecticut River line is transferred to Amtrak for restoration of the Montrealer.
September 22, 1851
Charles Minot, Superintendent of the Erie Railroad, became the first railroad employee to use telegraph in the movement of trains. His westbound train pulled into a siding at Turner (now called Harriman), New York, to allow an eastbound to pass. The eastbound was late, so Minot went to the nearest telegraph office to find out where the train was; it hadn't yet reached Goshen, 13 miles west, so he wired ahead orders for that train to be held there for the meet. On returning to his own train, he ordered the engineer to move the train to Goshen, but the engineer refused to take such a risk, so Minot drove the train himself to Goshen where they met the errant eastbound train.
September 22, 1924
In the Canadian province of Ontario: A special train conveying the Prince of Wales from Long Island to Alberta leaves St. Henri and runs to Ottawa East where a 15 minute stop was made in the yard. From there it went on via Pembroke and Brent to North Bay.
September 22, 1928
In the Canadian province of Ontario: The last spike is driven by Premier John Bracken on the Canadian National line between Flin Flon and Cranberry Portage. The line had been built in record time by the Dominion Construction Company under it's President, Harry Falconer McLean.
September 22, 1946
Santa Fe PA A-B-A set number 51 becomes Alco's 75,000the locomotive.
September 22, 1950
Toledo's new Central Union Terminal is dedicated.
September 22, 1995
The BNSF was created with the merger of Burlington Northern Inc. and Santa Fe Pacific Corp.
September 21, 1856
The Illinois Central connects Chicago to Cairo. With 700 miles of track at the time, this was the largest railroad in the country.
September 21, 1905
The Truckee Republican reports on the greatest snowshed fire on the Central Pacific in many years. Rail traffic is halted for nearly three days as nearly one mile of the wooden sheds are destroyed.
September 21, 1906
In the Canadian province of Ontario: A Grand Trunk express hits a standing freight at a crossover just west of Napanee. While other trainmen leaped to safety, engineer Frank W. Blaine, known as "Sailor Blaine", stuck to his post to slow his train and save the passengers. He was killed. A monument in his memory was erected in a Brockville cemetary by his passengers.
September 21, 1982
San Francisco's cable cars cease operations for 2 years of repair work.
September 20, 1850
President Millard Fillmore signs an Act giving land grants and loans by the Federal Government to railroads.
September 20, 1953
The first Union passenger station opens in Indianapolis, Indiana.
September 20, 1873
The New York Stock exchange is forced to close in and attempt to contain panic resulting from the failure of Jay Cooke & Company.
September 20, 1943
A fire in the Denver & Salt Lake's Tunnel #20 force a 72 day detour of traffic over Tennessee Pass.
September 20, 1984
Singer, song writer Steve Goodman, who composed the song "City of New Orleans" dies in Seattle, Washington.
September 20, 1986
The Soo Line discontinues the practice of hauling passengers in cabooses in Wisconsin and upper Michigan.
September 19, 1838
The first patent for a railroad brake is issued to Ephraim Morris of Bloomfield, New Jersey.
September 19, 1839
In Canada, the official opening of the Albion Mines Railway betweem Albion Coal Mines and New Glasgow, Nova Scotia using the Timothy Hackworth steam locomotives "Samson", "Hercules" and "John Buddle" imported from England.
September 19, 1854
Patent #11,699 is issued to Henry B. Myer for a mode of converting the backs of car seats into beds or lounges.
September 19, 1905
Construction of the Durango to Farmington branch is completed on the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
September 19, 1921
Railroad officials are arrested in Chicago for denying workers two hours to vote.
September 19, 1959 (?)
The nation's first steam locomotive builder, Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns Ltd., announces it is going out of business.
September 19, 1982
Streetcars stop running on San Francisco's Market Street after 122 years of service.
September 18, 1877
The Bass gang pulls off the largest train robbery of that time, taking $60,000 from a Union Pacific train at Big Springs, Nebraska.
September 18, 1893
The Great Northern Railway completes it's transcontinental route near Everett, Washington.
September 18, 1937
The Canadian speed record for a steam locomotive in Canada was set at 112.5 MPH by a Montreal Locomotive Works Jubilee F2a class 4-4-4.
September 17, 1832
Seventeen months after it was formally opened, the first railroad in the Mississippi valley, the Ponchartrain Railroad, places it's first steam engine, the Ponchartrain, into regular service.
September 17, 1873
The Panic of 1873 was sparked by the failure of Jay Cooke & Company, which was involved in the financing of the Northern Pacific Railroad.
September 17, 1909
The first trolley car crosses over the Queensboro Bridge in New York.
September 17, 1967
The Mount Washington cog railway train derailed, killing 8 people.
September 17, 1989
Steam Powered passenger service returned to the Grand Canyon.
September 16, 1838
Railroad builder and founder of the Great Northern, James J. Hill was born.
September 16, 1872
Construction of the East Broad Top Railroad begins.
September 16, 1875
The first Fast Mail train departs New York's Grand Central Station.
September 16, 1931
Canadian National is authorized to operate over a diversion of the Beachburg subdivision between mile 35 and mile 37.5. This was required to keep the line clear of the lake formed by the Chats Falls power dam.
September 16, 1985
Conrail removes Pennsylvania Railroad K4 4-6-2 #1361 from Horseshoe Curve and replaces it with a PRR GP-9.
September 16, 1993
In Canada, the official sod-turning took place for the Canadian National's Sarnia rail tunnel with the "Excalibore" tunnel boring machine.
FROM ARCAMAX HISTORY & QUOTES:
On August 10, 2001, about 250 people were killed in a train wreck in Albania, caused by a mine, set on the tracks by rebels.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816 wrote: JULY 29, 1906 45 are killed when the Pacific Express plunges into the Hudson River.I am wondering if this would have been a New York Cental or Pennsylvania Railroad train. My source of information doesn't give any indication as to which railroad this happened on.CANADIANPACIFIC2816
45 are killed when the Pacific Express plunges into the Hudson River.
I am wondering if this would have been a New York Cental or Pennsylvania Railroad train. My source of information doesn't give any indication as to which railroad this happened on.
Probably NYC. From the PRR's crossing of the river, a train would have to plunge upward.
OTOH, if it was the New Haven plunging off the Poughkeepsie Bridge, I'm sure it would have been a more widely-known disaster.
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)
JULY 30, 1902
What had been the largest steam locomotive in the world, is wrecked at Denver, Colorado. Now, keep in mind that this was more than a hundred years ago.
JULY 29, 1906
JULY 29, 1962
19 die in a train crash at Steelton, Pennsylvania.
JULY 28, 1871
The last spike is driven in Denver, Colorado on the Denver & Rio Grande Railway.
JULY 27, 1844
The Long Island Railroad opens the first section of track to Greenport, New York.
JULY 27, 1921
One day short of the fiftieth anniversary of the driving of the first spike on the Denver & Rio Grande Railway, the courts approve the purchase of the then current D&RG to the Western Pacific Railroad Corporation.
JULY 27, 1955
Canadian National opens a branch line from Hillsport to Manitowadge, Ontario.
JULY 27, 1959
The Southern Pacific runs it's first revenue train over the Great Salt Lake Fill.
JULY 26, 1847
Moses Garrish Farmer builds the first miniature train for children to ride.
JULY 26, 1877
A railroad strike expands coast to coast, becoming the first nationwide strike against railroads.
JULY 26, 1884
The East Cleveland Street Railway becomes to use the first electric streetcars as it begins operations in Cleveland, Ohio.
JULY 26, 1972
The Erie Lackawanna declares bankruptcy.
JULY 25, 1832
A cable chain breaks while demonstrating Granite Railway's incline to several visitors resulting in the firs railroad fatality.
JULY 25, 1922
President Harding orders federal rail and coal controls to ensure distribution of food and fuel.
JULY 25, 1953
The first use of subway tokens is used in New York City.
JULY 25, 1958
Pacific Great Eastern completes construction on it's line to Fort St. John, British Columbia. Construction on the line to Dawson Creek would be completed a few weeks later.
JULY 25, 1967
Construction begins on San Francisco's Market Street subway.
JULY 24, 1870
The first railroad car to travel from the Pacific to Atlantic coasts, arrives in New York.
JULY 24, 1877
Patent #193,357 is issued to Joel Tiffany for the first really successful refrigerated car design.
JULY 24, 1942
The Minneapolis & St. Louis, a component of the Chicago & Northwestern, emerges from receivership.
JULY 24, 1986
The Interstate Commmerce Commission rejects the proposed merger between the Santa Fe Railway and the Southern Pacific Railroad.
JULY 23, 1877
Passenger service begins on the first municipal railroad in the U.S., the Cincinnati Southern, between Cincinnati, Ohio and Ludlow and Somerset, Kentucky.
JULY 23, 1899
Cable cars are operated for the last time in Washington, D.C.
JULY 23, 1945
Vista-dome cars are introduced in service on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad between Chicago and Minneapolis on the Twin Cities Zephyr.
JULY 23, 1959
The last regular use of steam power in freight service on the Union Pacific occurs when a Challenger class 4-6-6-4 #3713 makes a run to Cheyenne, Wyoming.
JULY 23, 1963
The Chicago & North Western's Twin Cities 400 makes it's last run.
JULY 23, 1966
New York Central tests a jet-powered RDC in Ohio.
JULY 23, 1971
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Canadian Pacific abandons it's Havelock subdivision between Glen Tay and Tweed.
JULY 23, 1975
In the Candadian province of Ontario, Canadian National opens a diversion of the Kingston subdivision between m. 172.32 and m. 173.37 which removes the tracks from downtown Kingston.
JULY 22, 1871
In the Canadian province of Ontario, a formal ground breaking ceremony for the Canada Central Railway section between Sand Point and Renfrew takes place at Renfrew.
JULY 22, 1906
Chicago's last cable car route, the State Street Line, ends operation.
The Grand Trunk Railway changes from left to right hand running on double track sections. This change involved considerable alteration in crossovers, switches and semaphore signals.
JULY 22, 1909
Construction begins on the Oregon Trunk Line.
JULY 20, 1871
British Columbia is admitted to the Dominion of Canada. One of the conditions of entry is that the Dominion Government should, within two years from the date of union, commence the construction of a railway from the Pacific towards the Rocky Mountains and from a point east of the Rocky Mountains towards the Pacific to connect the seaboard of British Columbia with the railway system of Canada.
JULY 20, 1877
Nine strikers are killed and several wounded in Baltimore by state militia which was trying to prevent a crowd from reaching the railroad station. 50 people are killed in four days of rioting.
JULY 20, 1894
Federal troops are withdrawn from Chicago as the power of the Pullman strikers is broken.
JULY 20, 1907
33 are killed in a train accident at Salem, Michigan.
JULY 20, 1914
The New York Central & Hudson River was renamed to New York Central Railroad.
JULY 20, 1948
The Chicago Railroad Fair opens.
JULY 20, 1973
A former Canadian National turbo train is wrecked at Lachine, Quebec. It had been sold to Amtrak and was painted in Amtrak colors, units 54 and 55.
JULY 21, 1836
The first steam railroad in Canada, the Champlain and Saint Lawrence Railroad opens from Laprarie on the St. Lawrence River to St. John on the Richelieu River (16.5 miles). This was Canada's first public railroad. The inaugural train was pulled by the locomotive "Dorchester". In 1857 the Champlain & St. Lawrence became part of the Montreal and Champlain Railroad which was leased to the Grand Trunk in 1864 and now forms part of the Canadian National system.
JULY 21, 1873
Jesse James and his gang hold up their first train, a Rock Island express at Adair, Iowa and escape with $3,000. The train's engineer was killed when the train was derailed prior to the robbery.
JULY 21, 1877
After a violent clash between railroad strikers and State troops in Pittsburgh, a battle and riot ensues in which 2000 freight cars are burned and $10,000,000 in railroad property is destroyed.
JULY 21, 1881
The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railway Company files it's Articles of Association in the Territory of Utah.
JULY 21, 1898
Alaska's first railroad, the narrow gauge White Pass & Yukon Route Railway opens.
JULY 21, 1922
Nearly a year after it is incorporated, the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad enters receivership with Joseph H. Young, the D&RGW's first president, as receiver.
JULY 21, 1952
An earthquake forces the closure of Southern Pacific's mainline at Tehachapi, California for 25 days.
July 21, 1873:
Jesse James held up the Rock Island express train at Adair, Iowa and escaped with $3,000.00.
JULY 19, 1860
The first railroad reaches Kansas.
JULY 19, 1967
The first air-conditioned New York City subway car makes it's debut.
JULY 19, 1968
The Santa Fe drops it's Dallas connection of the Texas Chief.
JULY 19, 1987
The Red River Valley & Western begins operation over 667 miles of ex-Burlington Northern trackage in North Dakota.
JULY 18,1846
The first international trains between the United States and Canada run from Portland, Maine to Montreal on the Atlantic & St. Lawrence Railroad.
JULY 18, 1858
The Pennsylvania Railroad introduces the smoking car on it's first through run from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.
JULY 18, 1959
The Nickel Plate operates steam power for the last time.
JULY 18, 1968
The Santa Fe operates the last of it's California Special trips.
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