April 19, 1821 The Stockton & Darlington Railway is incorporated in Great Britain to build from coal mines to Stockton on the River Tees.
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April 19, 1825 The La Plaisance Bay Harbor Co. receives a charter to build a half-mile rail road in Monroe, the first charter issued in Michigan.
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April 19, 1841 The Philadelphia & Trenton Railroad temporarily suspends all service to permit relaying its track with T-rail. Traffic is re-routed via the Camden & Amboy.
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April 19, 1847 The Mohawk & Hudson changes its name to Albany & Schenectady Railroad (later NYC).
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April 19, 1848 The Illinois & Michigan Canal opens between Chicago and La Salle, IL, uniting Lake Michigan with the Mississippi River system. The canal will contribute to the rise of Chicago, making it a goal for many railroads building from the east.
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April 19, 1865 Pennsylvania Railroad offices are closed and all non-essential employees given a day off to mark Lincoln's funeral, which is held in the White House.
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April 19, 1891 Two Lake Shore & Michigan Southern trains collide near Kipton OH, killing 9. One conductor's watch being off time caused the accident. This will lead directly to the "Railroad Standard" watch, a fixture on American railroads for 80 years.
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April 19, 1908 The Illinois Central opens a line to Birmingham AL and begins through sleeper service between Chicago and Jacksonville.
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April 19, 1935. Streetcar service ends in Marquette MI.
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April 19, 1940 The Lake Shore Limited wrecks at Little Falls NY. Thirty-nine people are killed. The Road Foreman of Engines, who was riding in the cab and survived the wreck, reported that the engineer, approaching a curve too fast, seemed disoriented. The engineer cut the throttle instead of applying brakes, causing a severe run-in and derailment.
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April 19, 1994 The north tube of the Detroit River Tunnels reopens after a $27.5 million ($47 million in 2019) clearance project, allowing 19'6" double-stack cars to use the tunnel.
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April 19, 2011 The Toronto Globe & Mail reports that the foundations of Grand Trunk's original roundhouse have been uncovered in the course of a construction project. The roundhouse, near the shore of Lake Ontario, is near the Bathurst Street Bridge and was uncovered during construction of a new library.
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April 19, 2013 Because of river flooding, CSX halts operations in Wyoming Yard near Grand Rapids MI and parks hopper cars on the bridge over the Grand River.
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Mark Tomlonson
