May 17, 1851 Railway service starts in Peru.
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May 17, 1853 The Mohawk Valley Railroad merges with 9 other railroads to create the New York Central. Erastus Corning has managed the merger.
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May 17, 1853 In the wake of the Rancocas Creek wreck, the Camden & Amboy Railroad adopts new running regulations. All conductors, engineers, switchmen and bridge tenders are furnished with watches at company expense. The conductor and engineer are to compare those watches with each other and with a standard clock at the beginning of each run and turn them in at the end. Express trains are limited to 45 MPH and way trains to 30 MPH. Two brakemen are to be always on duty, one on the gig-top and one on the front platform of the rear car. No smoking or drinking is allowed while on duty. Standard bell and whistle signals are adopted, as well as rules governing meets and late running.
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May 17, 1908 The last steam engine passes through the St. Clair Tunnel as operations become fully electric.
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May 17, 1909 Firemen on the Georgia Railroad strike to protest the hiring of African-Americans.
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May 17, 1915 Michigan Railway service (interurban) between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids begins.
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May 17, 1919 The USRA Director General denies the Pennsylvania Railroad's request to re-instate the Broadway Limited, citing lack of money to operate the train. However it does allow the second section of the 20th Century Limited to continue. A protest will be filed by the PRR later today.
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May 17, 1922 The Westinghouse Radio Network, consisting of stations in Pittsburgh, Chicago, Newark and Springfield MA broadcasts a safety message prepared by the Pennsylvania Railroad Insurance Department.
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May 17, 1936 Illinois Central's streamliner "Green Diamond" makes its debut.
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May 17, 1937 The Santa Fe's new eight-car Budd "Super Chief" makes a record run from Los Angeles to Chicago in 36 hours 49 minutes as a demonstration for the press. It will enter regular service tomorrow.
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May 17, 1945 The Federal Communications Commission allocates radio channels for exclusive railroad use.
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May 17, 1946 President Truman seizes control of the railroads in the hopes of preventing a nationwide strike.? The action delays, but does not prevent the strike
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May 17, 1957 Canadian National Railways opens a 40-mile diversion of its Cornwall Subdivision due to the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway. This subdivision will later be merged with the Gananoque and Oshawa Subdivisions to form the Kingston Subdivision.
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May 17, 1958 Steam ends on the Baltimore & Ohio as 2-8-2 #421 makes its last run, an excursion sponsored by the Cleveland Railroad Club.
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May 17, 1959 The Philadelphia Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society names the Pennsylvania GG-1 a "Classic" locomotive.
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May 17, 1965 Canadian National Railways opens "Toronto Yard", later known as "MacMillan Yard".
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May 17, 2007 Trains cross the border between North and South Korea for the first time in over 50 years. The cooperation will prove to be temporary.
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Mark Tomlonson
