December 1, 1824 The Montreal ¡°Gazette¡± prints an editorial calling for the construction of a railway to link Lake Champlain with the St. Lawrence River. This line was eventually built, the Champlain & St. Lawrence (later M&NY, GTR, CN)
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December 1, 1901 The Chicago Kalamazoo & Saginaw completes its Pavilion Branch running southeast from Kalamazoo, connecting with the Grand Trunk at Pavilion. GT (et seq.) will lease this branch for access to Kalamazoo.
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December 1, 2007 Norfolk Southern terminates its Joint Section agreement with Canadian National, initiated between the Wabash and the Grand Trunk in 1898, ending 109 years of operation into Ontario. However, NS and CN cannot come to agreement to handle Fort Erie interchange traffic, and service is allowed to continue under a new temporary agreement.
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December 2, 1934 Illinois Central's premier "Panama Limited" is re-instated after a two and a half year suspension due to the Depression.
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December 2, 1939 A Grand Trunk Western crewman riding on the footboards of a tender is killed as his engine backs across US-12 in Kalamazoo, striking a semi-truck that had tried to beat the train to the crossing.
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December 3, 1853 Illinois Central and Michigan Central railroads begin using a temporary station built on fill on the lakefront of Chicago between Randolph and Water Streets. The track has been extended north from 12th Street.
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December 3, 1919 The Quebec Bridge opens to pedestrian, rail and automobile traffic. Planning for the bridge began in 1899, and it has collapsed twice during construction, killing 89 workers. It is currently owned by Canadian National.
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December 3, 1920 Canadian National launches its new trans-continental ¡°Continental Limited¡± passenger train. The train features electrically lit, all-steel cars, and will include open-air observation cars between Jasper and Kamloops in the summer months.
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December 3, 1979 The ICC grants permission to Grand Trunk Western to buy the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton, confirming a court order handed down in July. The ICC gives GTW six months to compete the sale.
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December 3, 1980 The last continuous, daily, non-fireless steam operation in the United States comes to a close as Chicago's Northwestern Steel & Wire drops the fires of its ex-Grand Trunk Western 0-8-0 switchers for the last time.
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Mark Tomlonson
