February 24, 1812 John Stevens issues the first publication in the United States to advocate steam rail roads. He suggests a rail road built on posts three to six feet off the ground over a canal.
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February 24, 1846 Congress is asked to fund a land grant to build a rail road from Lake Michigan to Oregon.
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February 24, 1853 Missouri passes a law requiring all railroads in the state to use a gauge of 5 feet 3 inches.
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February 24, 1865 The Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw Railroad (later MC, NYC, PC, CR, NS, A&B) receives its charter.
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February 24, 1875 The Pennsylvania Railroad YMCA is organized at Altoona. Railroad YMCA's will provide cheap and safe accommodations for crew layovers across the United States.
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February 24, 1879 The Pittsburgh & Lake Erie opens for passenger service between Pittsburgh and Youngstown.
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February 24, 1888 The Grand Trunk Railway acquires the Northern & Northwestern Railway.
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February 24, 1893 The Lake Superior & Ishpeming is formed.
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February 24, 1900 The Cincinnati & Miami Valley Traction Company is consolidated into Southern Ohio Traction
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February 24, 1910 The Cleveland Short Line Railway, a subsidiary of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, opens its first section of track between Rockport and Marcy OH.
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February 24, 1916 The Pennsylvania Railroad makes its first payout under Pennsylvania's new Worker Compensation Law. The widow of a man killed by a locomotive on his way to work will receive $100 in funeral expenses plus $21.48 per month until November 1921. [$2,966.00 and $637.00 respectively in 2024]
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February 24, 1930 The Standard Steel Car Co. is incorporated as a Pullman subsidiary.
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February 24, 1933 The Kankakee & Seneca Railroad, running 42 miles between Kankakee and Seneca IL, is abandoned. It was built as a link between the Rock Island and Big Four railroads.
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February 24, 1955 The Pennsylvania Railroad announces it has purchased a "tubular" train from Budd. It will be known as the "Keystone".
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February 24, 2021 Amtrak tests 110 mph operation between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek MI.
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Mark Tomlonson
