April 13, 1771 Richard Trevithick, a Welsh inventor, is born. His most notable contribution to railroading will be the invention of high-pressure steam engines, enabling self-propelled steam locomotives to do useful work.
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April 13, 1846 The Pennsylvania Railroad receives a charter to run between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh.
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April 13, 1868 The Continental Improvement Company is incorporated in Pennsylvania by officers of the Pennsylvania Railroad for the purpose of building the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad. It is the first pure holding company in America.
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April 13, 1869 George Westinghouse receives the first patent for an air brake for railroad cars. The brake uses steam from the locomotive boiler as its power source.
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April 13, 1888 The Valley City Street & Cable Railway begins operations in Grand Rapids MI. The line is no more than 11,000 feet long, and a single cable car is in operation.
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April 13, 1921 At noon, all Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive and shop whistles are blown for 30 seconds to mark the 75th anniversary of the railroad.
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April 13, 1925 The Pennsylvania Railroad constructs a replica of the "Broadway Limited's" rear platform for display in Macy's Department store window in New York. Later it will travel to other department stores along the PRR system.
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April 13, 1953 Complaining of poor service, the U.S. Navy sends an LST to pick up sailors originally scheduled to travel on the Pennsylvania Railroad's "Furlough".
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April 13, 1987 The Iowa Terminal Railroad [IA interurban] is sold to David Johnson and renamed ¡°Iowa Traction Railroad¡±.
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Mark Tomlonson
