March 7, 1832 The New Jersey Railroad & Transportation Company (later PRR) is chartered to build across the state.
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March 7, 1834 The Detroit & Pontiac (later D&M, GT) receives its charter from Michigan Territory.
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March 7, 1848 The body of former President John Quincy Adams, who had died of a stroke on the floor of the House on February 21, is carried from Washington to New York via three separate railroads.
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March 7, 1850 The Toledo, Norwalk & Cleveland Railroad (later LS&MS, NYC) is chartered.
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March 7, 1865 A collision between an express train and a disabled passenger train kills five Union Soldiers and a train crewman and injures 48. The accident prompts Ashbel Welch to come up with a block system to control trains (which he had studied in England) for the Philadelphia & Trenton Railroad.
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March 7, 1873 In Prescott, AZ the last reported outbreak of the Great Epizootic devastates the horse population. The virulent equine flu has halted transportation within cities in 33 states, Canada and Cuba.
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March 7, 1887 Henry Whiting combines 7 Boston street railways into a single system, the West End Street Railway. At 1,700 cars and 200 miles of track it is the largest in the world. He is also given permission to build a subway.
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March 7, 1887 Lured by the prospect of gold in Indian Territory (later Oklahoma) Mathias Splitlog, a wealthy Native American, creates the Kansas City, Fort Smith & Southern. The gold in Indian Territory turns out to have been “salted” and all that was found in the mines was Fool’s Gold. Part of the line will become a section of the Kansas City Southern.
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March 7, 1887 The Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroad is incorporated.
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March 7, 1905 The first McKeen car, the first successful use of internal combustion on U.S. railroads, makes its first run, Omaha to Valley NE.
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March 7, 1909 The Winona Interurban Electric Railway is forced by its major creditor to begin operations on Sundays, a move resisted by its Sabbatarian founders, including H.J. Heinz and J. M. Studebaker.
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March 7, 1910 American Car & Foundry builds a sleeper car with traditional sections named "Peoria" for the interurban Illinois Traction Company. It has been preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum.
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March 7, 2005 Amtrak drops its “Three Rivers” west of Pittsburgh PA.
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March 8, 1855 The first train crosses the suspension bridge over Niagara Falls. Before this time, goods and passengers were ferried across the river. The bridge does not end the transfer, as the change in track gauge between lines in New York and Ontario remains, although the bridge itself has three gauges (56.5", 66" and 72"). The Bridge will allow the Michigan Central via the Great Western to reach markets in the east and will be a major selling point for the line. (Some sources say March 17)
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March 8, 1881 The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and Southern Pacific railroads meet at Deming NM, creating the United States’ second transcontinental railroad.
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March 8, 1884 The Mahopac Falls Railroad (NY - later NYC) is chartered.
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March 8, 1904 The Lucien cut-off, the causeway across the Great Salt Lake that has bypassed Promontory Summit, site of the Golden Spike Ceremony, is opened for service.
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March 8, 1905 The Aurora, Elgin & Chicago (Later CA&E) begins operations from its 52nd Street terminal eastward into downtown Chicago and the Loop. (Some sources say March 9)
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March 8, 1907 The Virginian Railway is formed. It is entirely controlled by Henry H. Rodgers of Standard Oil who is looking for a new outlet from the West Virginia coalfields.
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March 8, 1910 "Ann Arbor Carferry No. 1" burns at Manitowoc WI.
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March 8, 1920 Canadian National’s Board of Directors assumes management control of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway.
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March 8, 1924 New York Central President Alfred H. Smith is killed while riding a horse in Central Park. His horse had reared to avoid hitting another rider.
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March 8, 1926 The Illinois Central installs the first electro-pneumatic car retarders in the United States at Markham Yard near Chicago.
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March 8, 1933 The New Haven temporarily suspends the "Yankee Clipper" and "Merchants Limited" due to the Bank Holiday imposed by President Roosevelt.
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March 8, 1933 The movie "42nd Street" opens at the Strand Theatre in New York City. The movie features an extended musical number taking place in the interior of a Pullman all-section sleeper. In addition, the studio has hired a special train, "The 42nd Street Special" to carry many of the leading actors from Hollywood to the premier.
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March 8. 1941 The Nickel Plate's "Commercial Traveler" makes its final run in Ohio from Toledo to the Ohio/Indiana state line. Once the Toledo, St. Louis & Western's premier train, it is now a daily mixed train. Operation will continue for another two years in Indiana.
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March 8, 1955 The New Haven introduces a piggyback car patterned after those on the French National Railways. It is nine inches lower than a standard car.
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March 8, 1967 New York Central FA-2 #1102 becomes the last cab unit painted at NYC's Collinwood (OH) Shops.
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March 8, 1968 The last Soo Line passenger train runs on the former Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic between Champion and Calumet.
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March 9, 1875 The North Brookfield Railroad (later B&A, NYC, PC, CR) is incorporated.
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March 9, 1910 The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Executive Committee authorizes the purchase of the Toledo & Ohio Central Railway from the Hocking Valley, as well as joint ownership with the Chesapeake & Ohio of the Kanawha & Michigan Railway. This will give the New York Central system access to coal fields in Southeastern Ohio and West Virginia for fuel. It will also provide the NYC System with a connection to the Virginian Railway.
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March 9, 1917 Official opening of the New York Connecting Railroad Bridge, later known as Hell Gate Bridge. It will be the largest steel arch bridge in the world until 1931.
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March 9, 1930 The Elgin & Belvidere ends interurban service between Marengo and Elgin IL. The Illinois Railway museum uses a 5-mile segment of the line.
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March 9, 1933 Chicago & Northwestern abandons its branch from Martin’s Landing to Michigamee MI.
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March 9. 1937 In a joint announcement, Pullman and the New York Central announce the order of new streamlined equipment to be NYC's "Great Steel Fleet". At the same time Pullman and the Pennsylvania Railroad announce new streamline cars to be PRR's "Fleet of Modernism".
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March 9, 1954 The Santa Fe completes its dieselization.
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March 9, 1993 Eleven Russian-built 2,000hp locomotives (Alco RS-1 copies) are imported with the hopes of cracking the low-horsepower locomotive market. They don't pass FRA inspection. Other than providing fodder for invasion conspiracies, their only accomplishment is to slowly turn to rust on the Houston docks.
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March 9, 2008 After 30 years of planning, the diesel-powered "Sprinter" light railway serving the northern suburbs of San Diego opens for business.
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March 9, 2009 The Grand Elk Railroad (GDLK), a WATCO short line, begins operations between Elkhart IN and Grand Rapids MI. GDLK uses former Lake Shore & Michigan Southern tracks south of Kalamazoo and former Grand Rapids & Indiana tracks north, all most recently operated by Norfolk Southern. Grand Elk will operate the line in cooperation with Norfolk Southern until April 1, when it will assume full control.
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Mark Tomlonson
