April 23, 1831 The Pontchaitrain Railroad (later L&N), the first in the Mississippi valley, begins horse car operation between New Orleans and Milneburg.
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April 23, 1835 The New Castle & Frenchtown Railroad appoints a committee to meet with officials of the Camden & Amboy Railroad. Their goal: To set up a through line that would allow travel from New York to Baltimore in one day.
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April 23, 1849 The Michigan Central line is completed to New Buffalo, the first railroad to cross the state. On this same day it enters negotiations with a steamship line for a connection to Chicago.
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April 23, 1853 A westbound Michigan Southern Immigrant train ignores a stop signal and slams into an eastbound Michigan Central Express train at Grand Crossing, Chicago. Twenty-one German immigrants are killed, 40 people are injured. (Some sources say April 25 or May 5)
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April 23, 1860 The Staten Island Railway begins operation. As of 2019, it is the oldest rapid transit right-of-way in New York City.
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April 23, 1867 The Chicago & Lake Shore Railroad (later PM, C&O, CSX) is formed to build a line from New Buffalo to St. Joseph MI.
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April 23, 1873 The Pennsylvania Railroad Board rejects a proposal of the American Railway Literary Union to control the sale of all publications in PRR trains and stations as part of its nationwide campaign to stamp out "smut". The Board decides to police the sale of objectionable materials with PRR employees. PRR Vice-President A. J. Cassatt notes that travelers demand light reading and romantic novels to alleviate boredom while traveling and would rebel at a diet of religious tracts.
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April 23, 1874 The Pennsylvania Company Board authorizes the construction of an eating house at Valparaiso, IN.
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April 23, 1900 The Dayton-Xenia Traction Company opens its Belmont to Spring Valley branch.
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April 23, 1905 Pontiac IL begins streetcar service.
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April 23, 1927 Pennsylvania passenger trains leaving Chicago Union Station switch from the former "Panhandle" route through Washington Heights to the Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne & Chicago.
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April 23, 1930 The Baltimore & Ohio installs air conditioning in the dining car "Martha Washington". It is the first air-conditioned car in revenue service.
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April 23, 1938 Richmond IN streetcars give way to buses.
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April 23, 1941 The Pennsylvania Railroad Board authorizes $375,000 for the development of a steam turbine locomotive. The efforts will result in the Class S2 6-8-6.
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April 23, 1954 The air space over Penn Station's approach between 9th and 10th Avenues is sold. The developers plan to construct a Post Office expansion, commercial office space and a heliport.
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April 23, 1955 Passenger service ends on Canadian Pacific Railway's two interurbans: the Grand River Railway and the Lake Erie & Northern Railway.
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April 23, 1955 Regular passenger service ends on the former Grand Rapids & Indiana, as the Pennsylvania Railroad drops service between Sturgis and Grand Rapids MI. Summer-only service will continue on the former GR&I until 1961.
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April 23, 2004 Amtrak runs its last Toronto to Chicago "International". The train is replaced by the Chicago-Port Huron "Blue Water".
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April 24, 1832 The Tonawanda Railroad (later B&R, NYC) is chartered to run between Rochester and Attica NY. It will be the second railroad built in the state of New York.
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April 24, 1834 The Long Island Rail Road Company is incorporated to build a line down the middle of Long Island.
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April 24, 1847 The Grand Junction and Depot Company (later B&A) is incorporated as a renaming of the Chelsea Branch Railroad.
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April 24, 1855 The Cleveland & Toledo Railroad (Later LS&MS, NYC) is completed from Sandusky to Toledo OH
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April 24, 1901 The Toledo & Michigan Terminal Railway is incorporated in Ohio to build from Toledo towards Monroe MI.
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April 24, 1902 Per Diem freight car rates are formally set for the first time. Experiments date back to 1888, and general use started in the 1890's. These rates allow car owners to be paid rent while their cars are on foreign roads.
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April 24, 1918 The Muskegon, Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad Company is dissolved into its parent company, the Pennsylvania Railroad.
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April 24, 1932 Chesapeake & Ohio's "George Washington" begins service. Planned as the first long distance, air-conditioned train, it lost that honor to the Baltimore & Ohio by four days.
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April 24, 1932 Both the "Broadway Limited" and the "20th Century Limited" cut their New York to Chicago running time from 20 hours to 18 hours. Fares are raised $10 [$175 in 2017 dollars] to cover the added expense.
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April 24, 1932 The Detroit, Toledo & Ironton ends passenger service between Detroit and Springfield OH.
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April 24, 1949 The New York Central adds the Detroit-Cincinnati "Mercury".
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April 24, 1949 The Erie Railroad begins using Cleveland Union Depot, abandoning its old station.
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April 24, 1950 The Pennsylvania Railroad establishes second-morning service for LCL and freight forwarding companies New York to Chicago and New York to East Saint Louis.
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April 24, 1955 Canadian Pacific debuts its new train "The Canadian" and Canadian National debuts its new "Super Continental", claimed as the first streamliners in Canada. Both trains will carry some heavyweight equipment.
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April 24, 1958 Southern Pacific donates its "Daylight" 4-8-4 #4449 to the City of Portland OR.
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April 24, 1960 Coaches are permanently added to the "20th Century Limited".
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April 24, 1961 The Pennsylvania Railroad opens its 28th TrucTrain (TOFC) terminal, at Marion IN.
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April 24, 1962 Grand Trunk Western paints its first locomotive in the "wet noodle" scheme recently adopted by parent Canadian National.
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April 24, 1965 The New York Central ends all branch line passenger service with the end of service between Utica and Lake Placid.
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April 24, 1983 The Rio Grande Zephyr, the remnant of the California Zephyr and the last privately owned long distance train in America makes its final run. The trip was shortened to a Denver to Grand Junction run because of a mudslide.
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April 25, 1831 Matthias Baldwin builds his first locomotive, a small demonstration engine that pulls up to four people on a small circle of track laid out in his shop yard.
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April 25, 1831 The New York & Harlem Railroad is incorporated to build from 23rd Street, New York City to the Harlem River. It is the first predecessor of the New York Central in New York City.
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April 25, 1832 The Brooklyn & Jamaica Railroad is incorporated, the first Pennsylvania Railroad predecessor in New York State.
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April 25, 1855 The Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana Railroad [later LS&MS, NYC, PC, CR, NS] is formed by the consolidation of the Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana railroads.
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April 25, 1861 Four Pennsylvania Railroad telegraphers arrive in Washington, becoming the first telegraphers regularly employed in the U.S. Army. (Some sources say April 27)
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April 25, 1896 The Cincinnati Northern Railroad [later CCC&StL, NYC, PC, CR] is completed to Jackson MI from Hudson MI and south.
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April 25, 1918 The USRA places an order for 100,000 freight cars. Only 19,037 will be delivered by the time USRA is dissolved.
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April 25, 1926 First run of the Michigan Central "Twilight Limited" between Chicago and Detroit. The amenities on this first-class train will rival those on the "20th Century Limited". Amtrak will use the name for many years on one of its Chicago-Detroit trains.
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April 25, 1931 Detroit United Railways ends service from Royal Oak to Pontiac. It sells its Palmer Park to 8 Mile Road segment to the Detroit Street Railways and the 8 Mile Road to Royal Oak Segment to the City of Royal Oak. DSR will operate the latter segment for another 16 years.
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April 25, 1937 The Baltimore & Ohio establishes a "Stewardess Corps" to serve on its long-distance passenger trains.
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April 25, 1946 The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy “Advance Flyer” is struck from behind by the “Exposition Flyer” as it stops to check its running gear. The “Exposition Flyer” was only able to reduce its speed to 60 mph at the point of collision. Forty-seven people are killed in the accident and 125 injured. The ICC rules after the crash that trains traveling over 79 mph must have “an automatic cab signal, automatic train stop or automatic train control system”. Because these items are considered too expensive by most railroads, train speeds are reduced to comply with the order.
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April 25, 1949 The New York Central adds Albany-Boston service to their LCL freight "Pacemaker" program.
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April 25, 1949 The Erie Railroad begins using Cleveland Union Terminal.
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April 25, 1950 Fairbanks-Morse introduces its "C-Liner" line of locomotives.
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April 25, 1952 RPO service is discontinued between Grand Rapids and Cadillac MI.
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April 25, 1953 The Pennsylvania Railroad cancels "The Jeffersonian", an all-coach member of the Blue Ribbon Fleet, and replaces it with the more prosaic "Indianapolis Limited".
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April 25, 1954 The "Broadway Limited" is carded at 15 hours and 30 minutes between Chicago and New York, its fastest time ever.
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April 25, 1959 The St. Lawrence Seaway opens. The new water route for ocean-going ships will divert freight from many northeastern railroads.
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April 25, 1960 Canadian National operates its last steam locomotive in regular service, 4-8-2 #6043, on train #76 from The Pas to Winnipeg.
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April 25, 1976 Canadian National issues a timetable calling its passenger service "VIA". Turbotrains are the first to carry the new name.
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April 25, 2005 A Japanese commuter trains derails just short of Amagasaki station during the morning commute. Two of the derailed cars slam into an apartment building. 107 people are killed.
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April 25, 2011 Canadian National issues a Press Release naming Microsoft founder Bill Gates as its largest single shareholder, owning just over 10% of the company.
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Mark Tomlonson
