March 19, 1836 The Lexington & Ohio Railroad (later L&N, CSX) relegates its single steam engine to freight service and returns to using horses for passenger trains.
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March 19, 1851 The Illinois Central Railroad is organized in New York City.
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March 19, 1917 The railroads accept President Wilson's proposal for an 8-hour workday to stave off possible strikes. Later in the day the U.S. Supreme Court in Wilson v. New, upholds the eight-hour workday for railroads.
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March 19, 1918 The U.S. Congress adopts Standard or "Railroad" time, in use since 1884, as the national standard.
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March 19, 1928 The New York Central opens a new, 31-stall roundhouse at Harmon NY.
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March 19, 1933 Cincinnati Union Terminal opens.
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March 19, 1944 Southern Pacific purchases its last steam locomotive: cab forward AC-12 4-8-8-2 # 4294.
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March 19, 1949 The Chicago Burlington & Quincy, Denver & Rio Grande Western, and the Western Pacific railroads jointly announce the inauguration of the “California Zephyr”, running between Chicago IL and San Francisco CA.
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March 19, 1948 The Lakefront Terminal & Dock Company opens its new terminal at Toledo. The terminal will be used jointly by the New York Central and Chesapeake & Ohio. The terminal has two Hulett-type unloaders and three McMyler coal dumpers.
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March 19, 1964 Passenger service ends on the New York Central between Detroit and Bay City MI. This ends intercity passenger service to Bay City and Saginaw.
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March 19, 2007 Demolition begins on the Pennsylvania Railroad roundhouse at Crestline, OH. Built around 1918, the facility had enlarged stalls to accommodate the Pennsy's T-1 and S-1 steam locomotives.
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March 19, 2011 The Amtrak station in Wilmington, DE is named for Vice President Joe Biden, who as a Senator departed from the station on a regular basis to travel to Washington DC.
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March 19, 2020 Amtrak suspends the “Pere Marquette” between Chicago and Grand Rapids MI due to declining ridership caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. “Wolverine” service between Chicago and Pontiac MI is cut back from 6 daily trains to 4, and will be cut back to 2 on March 21. Other Chicago regional trans are affected as well.
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Mark Tomlonson
