MARCH 28, 1907
A misplaced switch causes the derailment of a Southern Pacific train at Colton, California, killing 22.
MARCH 28, 1913
A special committee of the Michigan Legislature is appointed to investigate the financial history of the Pere Marquette.
MARCH 28, 1975
The American Freedom Train departs Washington, D.C. behind ex-Reading 4-8-4 #2101 and begins a two year, 17,000 mile tour.
MARCH 28, 1980
The last train is operated on the former Rock Island track from Amarillo, Texas to Tucumcari, New Mexico.
CANADIANPACIFIC2816
CANADIANPACIFIC2816 wrote: MARCH 27, 1964 An earthquake in Alaska results in an estimated $30 million dollar damage to the Alaska Railroad. Freight service from Anchorage to Fairbanks was restored April 6th, while passenger service is back on line April 11th, and freight service to Whittier resumes April 20th.CANADIANPACIFIC2816
An earthquake in Alaska results in an estimated $30 million dollar damage to the Alaska Railroad. Freight service from Anchorage to Fairbanks was restored April 6th, while passenger service is back on line April 11th, and freight service to Whittier resumes April 20th.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
MARCH 27, 1857
The Memphis & Charleston Railroad completes it's 271 mile line from Memphis, Tennessee to Stevenson, Alabama.
MARCH 27, 1887
The Treaty of Boston agreement is reached between the Denver & Rio Grande, The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, and the Union Pacific railroads. The D&RG agreed not to build south of Espanola, New Mexico, the AT&SF was not to enter Denver or Leadville, Colorado for ten years and the Union Pacific agreed to stay out of the Colorado Rockies.
MARCH 27, 1938
The Santa Fe begins San Diegan service between San Diego and Los Angeles.
MARCH 27, 1953
21 die in a train crash in Conneaut, Ohio.
March 27, 1960
The Grand Trunk Western runs it's last official regularly steam-powered passenger train.
MARCH 27, 1964
MARCH 27, 1986
In the state of Michigan, the Huron and Eastern Railway begins operations on 83 miles of former Chessie System track in the Thumb area.
MARCH 26, 1884
High winds push eight coal cars for 100 miles on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad east of Denver, Colorado.
MARCH 26, 1891
Rogers Locomotive Works rolls out ten-wheeler #4493 which eventually becomes Sierra Railroad #3. Starting with the Virginian with Gary Cooper on March 26, 1929, Sierra Railroad #3 becomes the most photographed locomotive in the world. Other movie appearances include Dodge City, High Noon, Duel in the Sun and Back to the Future III. It also had many TV appearances including The Lone Ranger, Rawhide, Bonanza, Petticoat Junction, Gunsmoke and Little House on the Prairie.
MARCH 26, 1934
In the state of Michigan, the Soo Line and the Chicago & Northwestern agree to pool Gogebic Range ore operations. This step was taken to cut costs. The split was 69% for the C&NW and 31% for the Soo Line. All Soo Line trackage from the Hoyt, Wisconsin yard to Bessemer was made a part of the pool, and all operations were under the direction of the superintendent of the C&NW.
MARCH 26, 1985
Canadian National abandons it's Smith Falls subdivision between Smiths Falls and Strathcona, Ontario.
MARCH 26, 1987
Norfolk Southern fires up former Norfolk & Western 2-6 + 6-4 #1218.
MARCH 25, 1901
55 people died when a Rock Island train derailed near Marshalltown, Iowa.
MARCH 25, 1961
The Tallulah Falls Railway, which was used as a setting in the 1950 film "I'd Climb the Highest Mountain", and in 1960 by Disney for "The Great Locomotive Chase" ceases operation.
MARCH 25, 1986
Conrail goes public at $28.00 per share.
MARCH 24, 1828
Philadelphia & Columbia Railway (First state owned) authorized.
MARCH 24, 1890
The Supreme Court rules that a Minnesota state law authorizing a commission to set rates that are not subject to judicial review is unconstitutional.
MARCH 24, 1900
New York City Mayor Van Wyck breaks ground for the city's first subway.
MARCH 24, 1932
New York radio station WABC makes the first broadcast from a moving train, a variety show on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in Maryland.
MARCH 24, 1967
The last regularly scheduled passenger train is run on the Soo Line.
MARCH 23, 1858
Eleazar A. Gardner is issued the first cable car patent.
MARCH 23, 1874
Iowa becomes the third state to enact Granger Laws which regulate railroad freight rates.
MARCH 23, 1907
26 people are killed in a train accident at Colton, California.
MARCH 23, 1937
Los Angeles Railway Company begins using PCC streetcars.
MARCH 23, 1970
The California Zephyr makes it's last and final run.
MARCH 22, 1897
In United States v. Trans-Missouri Freight Association, the Supreme Court rules that 18 railroads are violating the Sherman Antitrust Act by banding together to fix rates.
MARCH 22, 1913
Oregon Electric's Corvallis branch opens.
MARCH 22, 1942
Wreck of No. 3 on the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway at Eavan, Washington.
MARCH 22, 1947
In the Canadian province of Ontario: Canadian Pacific completes the installation of an Atomatic Block Signal System on the Chalk River subdivision between Smiths Falls and Chalk River as wellas an Automated Interlocking at Carleton Place.
MARCH 22, 1952
In the Canadian province of Ontario: Canadian National abandons the Renfrew subdivision between Whitney and Cache Lake and the Algonquin subdivision between Cache Lake and Algonquin Park.
MARCH 22, 1957
New York Central declared the Ottawa Division from Rooseveltown to Ottawa abandoned. The St. Lawrence Seaway Authority was given the line from the border to 2nd Street West in Cornwall. The sale did not include the bridges since the Roosevelt International Bridge Company now owned them.
MARCH 22, 1967
Jersey Central files for bankruptcy.
MARCH 22, 1970
California Zephyr service ends on the Western Pacific, leaving that railroad freight only.
MARCH 22, 1985
In Canada, the Toronto Transit Commission opens the Scarborough rapid transit line using linear induction technology.
MARCH 22, 1999
RailLink Ltd. takes over operation of Canadian National's Coronado, Bonnyville, and Lac La Biche subdivisions, northeast of Edmonton. The line extends from St. Paul Junction, immediately north to Edmonton, to Boyle and northeast to Grande Centre and Elk Point. It also connects with RailLink's existing Lakeland and Waterways line at Boyle.
MARCH 21, 1896
In the Canadian province of Ontario: The Hull Electric Railway concludes an agreement with Canadian Pacific to lease the Hull-Aylmer branch.
MARCH 21, 1910
55 killed in train accident at Green Mountain, Iowa.
MARCH 21, 1911
Cornelius Pass Tunnel formally opened on the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
MARCH 21, 1918
The Railroad Control Act is adopted which provides the determination of how railroads under government control are compensated.
MARCH 21, 1988
In the Canadian province of Ontario: Canadian Pacific is authorized to remove it's diesel fuel oil bulk storage and handling facilities at Walkley Yard. In the future all fueling is done by tanker truck.
MARCH 20, 1899
In the Canadian province of Ontario: Ottawa and New York Railway trains begin using Central Depot (Canada Atlantic/Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railways) for passenger trains. Mixed trains continued to use the Canadian Pacific Sussex Street station until October 1901.
MARCH 20, 1949
The Californian Zephyr begins service over the Burlington Route, Denver & Rio Grande Western and Western Pacific Railroads.
MARCH 20, 2005
The Lacota depot in Michigan's Van Buren County is destroyed by fire.
From Arcamax History & Quotes:
March 20, 1995:
12 people were killed and more than 5,000 were made ill by a nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system. Members of a religious sect were blamed.
MARCH 19, 1855
In the Canadian province of Ontario: The vehicular suspension bridge across the Niagara Gorge (built in 1848) is strengthened for the passage of railway trains. The original wooden trusses were replaced by steel in 1888.
MARCH 19, 1895
The Los Angeles Railway was established to provide streetcar service.
MARCH 19, 1917
The US Supreme Court upholds 8-hour workday for railroad employees.
MARCH 19, 1918
Congress passes the Standard Time Act.
MARCH 18, 1834
The first railroad tunnel in the United States is completed in Pennsylvania.
MARCH 18, 1855
The world's first railway suspension bridge is completed across the Whirlpool Rapids below Niagara Falls.
MARCH 18, 1853
Rudolph C.K. Diesel, inventor of the diesel engine, is born.
MARCH 18, 1950
There was a wreck on the Canadian Pacific at Ashton, Ontario, Canada. The following is an extract from an article by Duncan duFresne of the Bytown Railway Society Branchline, from January of 1982:
But Travie Short is remembered better for another story, Ironically train number 83's return from Smith Falls as an extra is involved, as is Fourth Class train number 89 another Ottawa West - Smith Falls via Carleton Place job that also handled much of the CIP production from Gatineau. On the night of March 18, 1950, 83's extra and 89 were to meet at Ashton, Ontario. The extra had a car to set out at Ashton anyway, on the business siding parallel to the passing track. The extra planned to pull their train into the passing track, cut off the head end cars to the one they had to set out, pull out through the east end switch and then back into the business track. It was a bad night, a heavy March snow storm with very high winds was lashing the valley. The extra pulled slowly into the passing track, 89 was west of Stittsville and eating away the time and distance over to Ashton. The crew of the extra had correctly left their headlight on as they were not "in the clear". The story goes that the wind was whipping the smoke and exhaust, as well as the snow, around the extra's front end. As westbound 89 got the extra's headlight in sight the wind caused the smoke, steam and snow to obscure the light, then clear up, then obscure it again. In the cab of the onrushing 89 this was mistaken for a deliberate "highball" signal indicating (illegally) that the extra was "in the clear". The hogger on 89 opened up his throttle and roared past the east passing track switch not knowing that just ahead, obliterated by the flying snow, was the tail end of the Extra, still foul of the mainline. Standing on the west switch was a ballast car of rock. The 2624 plowed into it, rolling over in the process, cars piled up in all directions. The little station on the south side of the main was demolished. When all motion had ceased, 89's engine crew were dead and her head end brakeman, Tom Gilmer, had saved his life by jumping just before the collision. The dead fireman was George Hannam, the engineer was Travie Short.
Smashed and tossed by the tremendous impact of tons of steel, the wreckage of CPR freight no. 83 lies scattered across the main transcontinental line at Ashton, 20 miles southwest of Ottawa. The broken cars spew their cargo across the snow, the one in the upper right background spreading hundreds of cases of beer about. Seven cars, the engine and the tender were spread around in much the same confusion as would result if a small boy in temper had upset his toy train. The early morning collision Saturday of No. 83 with the rear end of an eastbound freight affected train schedules connections from Montreal to Sudbury, while dispatchers rerouted freight and Passenger trains to bypass the smashup in which two crewmen died and two others were injured. The wreckage was cleared, 250 yards of ripped-up track replaced and the line opened for traffic again late Saturday. At either end of the torn right-of-way, the railway wreck-clearing cranes can be seen beginning the job of working their way to the centre of the pile-up.
MARCH 18, 1983
The Chicago & Northwestern acquired the Rock Island's Twin Cities - Kansas City trackage.
CANADIANPACICIF2816
MARCH 17, 1853
The New York Central Railroad is formed.
MARCH 17, 1881
For the first time, a train covers a mile in less than a minute.
MARCH 17, 1909
A train runs out of control into the Canadian Pacific Windsor Street Station in Montreal. (track 7) A broken spring hanger on locomotive #2102 caused it to lurch and a driving wheel struck a washout plug. The escaping steam scalded the crew who were forced off the locomotive. The train brake was applied by a brakeman but it hit the stop blocks at around 25 mph. In this accident there were six fatalities.
MARCH 17, 1974
A CP Rail freight train hits a rock slide and derails at Spences Bridge, British Columbia. killing two crew members. This led to the eventual installation of ditch lights on Canadian trains.
MARCH 17, 1975
The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad declares bankruptcy.
MARCH 16, 1836
Andrew S. Hallidie, inventor of the cable car, is born.
MARCH 16, 1906
35 killed in train accident at Florence, Colorado.
MARCH 16, 1908
The Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway opens it's line between Vancouver and Lyle, Washington.
MARCH 16, 1910
In the Canadian province of Ontario: The Canadian Pacific completes construction of a second track on the Windchester subdivision between Ste. Anne de Bellevue and Smiths Falls. This work had been completed in stages from July of 1908.
MARCH 15, 1915
Great Northern Pacific Steamship Co. begins service between Flavel, Oregon to San Francisco, California.
MARCH 15, 1944
The Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway opens a new 39-room crew quarters at Wishram, Washington.
MARCH 15, 1946
Wartime restrictions on sleeping car service under 450 miles ends.
MARCH 15, 1958
Santa Fee Doodlebug service between Atchison and Topeka ends.
MARCH 15, 1962
In the Canadian province of Ontario, Canadian Pacific is authorized to discontinue local passenger service between Ottawa and Chalk River. The last train was RDC 9114 eastbound on March 18th.
MARCH 15, 1974
The 73 mile Black Mesa & Lake Powell Railroad becomes fully operational. This fully automated, electrified line delivers coal from the Black Mesa coal mining area to the Navajo power station near Page, Arizona.
MARCH 14, 1894
The Dalton gang robs the Woodward, Oklahoma train station, but leave an entire safe filled with money.
MARCH 14, 1940
27 people were killed and 15 injured when a truck full of migrant workers collided with a train outside of McAllen, Texas.
MARCH 14, 1948
Freedom Train arrives in Sanfrancisco.*
*This was a different train, not to be confused with the American Freedom Train which toured the nation during America's Bicentennial.
MARCH 14, 1960
14 die in a train crash in Bakersfield, California.
MARCH 14, 1977
W. Graham Claytor retires as Southern Railway Chairman to become Secretary of the Navy.
March 14, 1864:
Railroad engineer and hero of the ballad "Casey Jones", whose real name was John Luther Jones, was born.
MARCH 13, 1967
The Twentieth Century Limited made it's last and final run.
MARCH 12, 1857
A Great Western Railway train breaks an axle while crossing a swing bridge and plunges into the Desjardins Canal near Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. 59 people are killed.
MARCH 12, 1895
In the state of Michigan: Epworth League Railway in Mason County was organized (later named "Ludington Northern") and builds a 4 mile long line from Ludington to Hamlin Lake.
MARCH 12, 1912
Congress agrees to fund the construction and operation of a railroad from Seward to Fairbanks, Alaska. The estimated cost of construction was 35 million Dollars.
MARCH 12, 1914
George Westinghouse dies.
MARCH 11, 1908
A golden spike ceremony was held at Sheridan's Point, Washington on the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
MARCH 11, 1939
In Canada, Ottawa's Elgin Street streetcar line is abandoned. This is the first major abandonment in the City of Ottawa.
MARCH 10, 1902
U.S. Attorney General Philander Knox files an antitrust suit against Northern Securities Company, a railroad holding company that controls the Great Northern, Northern Pacific and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroads.
MARCH 10, 1980
The Milwaukee Road ceases to operate in Michigan, as Escanaba and Lake Superior takes over their 208 mile Green Bay, Wisconsin to Channing and Ontonogan line.
March 9, 1824:
Leland Stanford, railroad builder and founder of California's Stanford University, was born.
FROM 'ARCAMAX HISTORY & QUOTES:
March 3, 1831:
George Pullman, inventor of the railway sleeping car, was born.
FROM ARCAMAX HISTORY & QUOTES:
February 28, 1827:
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was chartered.
February 28, 1992:
A bomb blamed on the IRA ripped through a London railway station, injuring at least 30 people and shutting down the British capital's rail and subway system.
cherokee woman wrote: FEBRUARY 17, 1995:Jamaican emmigrant Colin Ferguson, was convicted of killing six passengers on a New York cummuter train in December 1993.
FEBRUARY 17, 1995:
Jamaican emmigrant Colin Ferguson, was convicted of killing six passengers on a New York cummuter train in December 1993.
I remember this incident quite well, CW. Does anyone remember what happened to this Colin Ferguson? Was he sent to prison for life or did the state of New York execute him?
Ray
February 18, 1991:
One person was killed and 40 more injured when the IRA bombed two railroad stations in Central London.
February 18, 2003:
Around 200 people died and many more were hurt in a South Korea subway fire, set by a man authorities say was upset at his doctors.
February 18, 2007:
An explosion on a train in Northern India and the resulting fire, killed 66 people, and injured more than 50 others. India's railways minister called it "an act of terrorism."
February 9, 1996:
A bomb exploded in a London rail station, killing 2 and wounding 100. The IRA announced that the Northern Ireland cease-fire was over. (Can anyone expound on this?
FEBRUARY 09, 1875
The Boston & Maine Railroad completes construction of it's tunnel under Hoosac Mountain in Massachusetts.
FEBRUARY 09, 1911.
Pacific & Eastern Railway is acquired by the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
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