November 12, 1831 The first public trials of the "John Bull" locomotive are held on the Camden & Amboy Railroad at Bordentown, N.J. for visiting dignitaries. The "John Bull" pulls two passenger coaches. Their design is based on a stagecoach body with three compartments. Top speed on the trip: 35-40 MPH.
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November 12, 1851 The Board of the Pennsylvania Railroad approves a contract with Adams Express Company. In time, Adams will become almost synonymous with the PRR.
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November 12, 1866 Union Passenger Depot opens at Cleveland. (Note: do not confuse this station with the later Cleveland Union Terminal.)
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November 12, 1873 Michigan Governor Bagley and Railroad Commissioners begin an inspection tour of the Grand Rapids & Indiana to Petoskey.
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November 12, 1880 The narrow-gauge Toledo, Delphos & Burlington Railroad runs its first passenger train between Toledo and Marion IN.
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November 12, 1891 The Valley City Street & Cable Railway ends service in Grand Rapids MI after three years of operation. At its height, the cable cars ran from Taylor and Sweet Streets at the north and Lafayette and Hall Streets to the south.
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November 12, 1897 inventor Frank Julian Sprague first demonstrates Multiple-Unit or "MU" control on the Chicago Elevated.
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November 12, 1902 The Pullman Company orders that Pennsylvania Railroad cars in the "Yellow Kid" paint scheme (running on the Pennsylvania Limited and the Congressional Limited) will be painted Tuscan Red the next time they are shopped.
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November 12, 1907 Formal dedication and opening ceremonies are held for the electrification of Grand Trunk's St. Clair Tunnel. The first tests were made the previous February, and full electric operation will begin in May.
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November 12, 1910 A Michigan Central express train hits a Kalamazoo City streetcar, killing 9. The flagman at the crossing had his view blocked by a standing cut of boxcars. This and other accidents will lead to the crossing being replaced with a viaduct in 1937.
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November 12, 1913 Concerned about the role sleep deprivation has played in recent accidents, the Pennsylvania Railroad announces it is considering requiring all employees to live within one hour of their workplace.
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November 12, 1925 The New York Public Service Commission approves a plan for electrifying the New York Central West Side Freight Line in Manhattan.
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November 12, 1926 The Grand Rapids, Holland & Lake Michigan Railway (MI interurban) is sold to the Iosco Land Company, ending rail operations.
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November 12, 1927 The Cincinnati Union Terminal Company is incorporated to build a new Union Terminal.
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November 12, 1931 The Smithsonian Institution commemorates the 100th birthday of the ''John Bull'' by operating its mechanism with compressed air.
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November 12, 1936 The Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Railroad orders the sale of all stock holdings in Transcontinental & Western Air, Inc., and Transcontinental Air Transport, Inc., severing all ties with the airline business. PRR had founded the airlines as part of its air-rail service. In 1939-40, Howard Hughes will acquire control of T&WA.
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November 12, 1939 New York Central's "The Mercury" begins service between Chicago and Detroit.
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November 12, 1957 The Pennsylvania Railroad runs its last passenger train pulled by a steam locomotive, from Camden to Pemberton NJ.
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November 12, 2003 The Shanghai Transrapid, a Maglev system, sets a world record for fastest unmodified commercial rail transportation with a speed of 501 k/ph (311 mph).
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Mark Tomlonson
