October 9, 1877 President Hayes signs an Executive Order allowing the Southern Pacific to build across Arizona. It has already crossed the Colorado River at Yuma, making it the first railroad in Arizona.
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October 9, 1919 Ralph Budd becomes President of Great Northern Railways.
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October 9, 1931 Saginaw MI loses streetcar service.
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October 9, 1963 The interlocking tower at Cadillac MI, governing the crossing of the Pennsylvania by the Ann Arbor, is closed.
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October 9, 1995 Amtrak's Sunset Limited derails 60 miles southwest of Phoenix. Spikes were pulled from the track and the rails jumpered to fool detection systems. One person is killed. The incident will result in the third largest terrorist investigation in U.S. History, after the 9/11 attack and the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building. The case remains unsolved.
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October 9, 2001 The Canadian National absorbs the Wisconsin Central. Purchase price: $2.1 billion. [2024: $3.78 billion]
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October 9, 2019 Vietnam orders the closing of ¡°railway cafes¡± along the narrow-gauge line in Hanoi. The cafes draw tourists because seating is within inches of the passing train, and the recent rise in Vietnamese tourism is starting to create delays as the crowd the tracks for selfies.
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Mark Tomlonson
