May 20, 1830 The first railroad timetable published in a newspaper appears in the Baltimore American.
?
May 20, 1852 The Michigan Central is completed to Calumet (Kensington) south of Chicago, forming an unbroken line from Detroit. It enters the city over the Illinois Central from Calumet to 22nd Street after Illinois refuses to grant the MC an Illinois charter. (Some sources say 5/21, others say 5/22)
?
May 20, 1873 The Westinghouse air brake is demonstrated on the Pennsylvania Railroad.
?
May 20, 1876 The Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad begins operating through Pullman sleeping cars between Grand Rapids MI and Centennial Station in Philadelphia.
?
May 20, 1877 In response to last week's announcement of a new fast train bypassing Chicago, the Pennsylvania Railroad breaks an agreement with the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern and Michigan Central to begin a new fast passenger train between Chicago and New York, scheduled for 29 hours.
?
May 20, 1892 The last Broad-gauge (7 feet, 1/4 inch) train runs on the Great Western Railway, out of London's Paddington Station.
?
May 20, 1908 Gary Railways begins streetcar service in Gary IN.
?
May 20, 1926 The Railway Labor Act becomes law.
?
May 20, 1936 The first locomotive rolls out of Electro-Motive Corporation's (later EMD) LaGrange plant in McCook IL: a 100-ton, 600-horsepower switcher built for the Santa Fe.
?
May 20, 1940 Sixty-six railroads in the United States, in cooperation with the Travelers' Credit Corporation, begin selling railroad tickets, Pullman accommodations and all-expense tours on an installment basis, known as the Travel Credit Plan. Purchases over $50 [2020: $954] could be charged.
?
May 20, 1962 On the floor of the U.S. Senate, Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island, in talking about railroads, calls for a "Public Authority that would carry passengers while existing companies would continue their more profitable function of hauling freight".
?
May 20, 1963 The Rutland Railroad ceases operations after failing to come to terms with its operating unions over a proposed operations center move from Rutland to Burlington VT.
?
May 20, 1964 The presidents of the Pennsylvania and New York Central Railroads sign an agreement in anticipation of the Penn Central merger that will provide job protection in the new company for Union employees. In turn the unions drop their opposition to the merger.
?
May 20, 1983 Canadian National abandons its Haliburton Sub.
?
May 20, 2008 The trailer of a semi-truck carrying an 80-ton locomotive (ex-Timken #7948) breaks free, hitting three bridge supports under I-74. The bridge deck comes to rest on top of the locomotive. Officials expect the repair to take up to three months.
?
Mark Tomlonson
