November 13, 1851 The first trunk line in Russia begins operations between St. Petersburg and Moscow. When asked what route the railroad should take, the Czar sent for a ruler and drew a line. Fortunately the countryside along the ruler line is relatively flat and the Czar's survey could be followed.
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November 13, 1874 The New York Central & Hudson River Railroad completes a 4-track system between Albany and Buffalo. The line is operated as two double track railroads side by side, one on south side for passenger and one on north for freight. The project includes a freight bypass line around Syracuse.
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November 13, 1875 Horsecar service begins in Zanesville OH.
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November 13, 1882 The Cincinnati, Wabash & Michigan Railway (later Big 4, NYC) completes its line from Niles to Benton Harbor MI.
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November 13, 1887 Union Pacific inaugurates the "Overland Limited".
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November 13, 1937 Anderson IN streetcars end service.
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November 13, 1985 The Chicago & North Western begins running unit coal trains without cabooses.
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November 13, 2009 China announces that some domestic airline service will be cut as they cannot compete with China's growing high-speed network on routes less than 620 miles.
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November 13, 2017 General Electric announces it is planning to leave the transportation business, ending production in Erie PA.
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November 13, 2018 MTA announces it is planning to buy Grand Central Terminal from a private holding company, as well as the Harlem and Hudson lines.
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November 13, 2019 A burst 48” water main damages tracks and signaling equipment halting railway service in Surbiton, in suburban London. When workers attempt to repair the water main, they are chased away by a pig named “Pickle”, who is kept in the same field as the shut-off valve. “Pickle” is eventually lured away with a bag of crisps (potato chips), the valve is repaired, and the trains restored.
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November 14, 1832 First train on the New York & Haarlem Railroad.
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November 14, 1872 The War Department issues General Orders No. 98 setting rates for Government fares on the 67 land-grand railroads. The amount of discount required ranges from zero to fifty per cent. By this fare-reduction program, the railroads will pay back the costs of their grants many times over.
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November 14, 1889 The Battle Creek & Sturgis Railroad (later MC, NYC) is incorporated. Also on this day, the Battle Creek & Bay City, an extension of the BC&S receives its charter.
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November 14, 1889 Inspired by Jules Verne, New York World reporter Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochrane) sets out to travel around the world in less than 80 days. She will succeed, making the trip in 72 days. Later, the fastest Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train in New Jersey will be named "Nellie Bly" in her honor.
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November 14, 1890 The Denver & Rio Grande completes its standard gauge line between Denver and Ogden.
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November 14, 1926 The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe "Chief" begins daily Chicago to Los Angeles service.
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November 14, 1930 The Boston & Maine dedicates a new North Station.
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November 14, 1932 The Nelsonville & Athens Electric Railway (OH) quits due to the effects of the Depression and the decline of its local coal industry.
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November 14, 1989 The Canadian Pacific ends the regular use of cabooses.
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November 14, 1994 The first Eurostar "Chunnel" train runs between England and France.
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November 14, 2001 The movie "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" opens in the United States. Featured as "The Hogwart's Express": a 1937 4-6-0 "Hall" class steam engine number 5972, originally belonging to the Great Western Railway and named "Olton Hall".
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November 15, 1838 The Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore (later PRR) places a "Ladies' Maid" on its afternoon train.
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November 15, 1851 The first train on the southern shore of Lake Erie runs during opening ceremonies of the Cleveland, Painesville & Ashtabula Rail Road. (later CTRR. LSRR, LS&MS, NYC, PC, CR, NS)
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November 15, 1854 An excursion from Crestline, OH celebrates the formal opening of the Ohio & Indiana (later PRR) to Fort Wayne, IN. The road is only half ballasted, and the company has exhausted funds in the rush to finish the railroad. During 1855 the company will be generally short of funds to meet payrolls.
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November 15, 1866 The Blue Line, a second cooperative fast freight line, is organized at Albany. (The Red Line had been organized in the spring, running over the NYC and Wabash) The line will operate over the New York Central, the Great Western of Canada and the Michigan Central to Chicago as soon as Great Western lays a third rail for standard-gauge cars. It will run west of Chicago on the Illinois Central, Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, Chicago & North Western and the Chicago & Alton. The line will own 7,000 cars.
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November 15, 1869 Construction of the first Grand Central station in New York City begins.
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November 15, 1874 A new Pennsylvania Railroad book of rules approved on July 8 is put into effect, creating uniform rules for all of Lines East and replacing the separate rulebooks of the PRR predecessor companies. Among the new standards: red indicates stop, green caution and white clear. Also codified are rules prohibiting newsboys from annoying passengers or using seats to store their goods, passenger service personnel must wear badges and drunks are to be ejected.
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November 15, 1884 Horsecar service begins in Madison WI.
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November 15, 1889 The Chippewa Valley Electric Company inaugurates streetcar service in Eau Claire WI.
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November 15, 1899 The New York Central & Hudson River Railroad leases the Boston & Albany.
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November 15, 1916 For the first time the Dow Jones Industrial average exceeds the Dow Jones Railroad average.
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November 15, 1917 The National Surgical Dressings Committee of America opens a booth in Penn Station to change bandages of wounded traveling soldiers, granting emergency loans and other work that in later years will be handled by the USO.
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November 15, 1919 Golden Spike ceremony for the San Diego & Eastern, built at a cost of $18 million. ($250 million in 2019)
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November 15, 1924 The New York Central begins routing traffic to its new Selkirk Yard, located south of Albany.
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November 15, 1926 Most of the Grand Rapids, Holland & Chicago Railway (MI interurban) is abandoned. The track east of Jenison (8 miles) becomes the United Suburban Railway.
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November 15, 1928 A Sperry Rail Detector picks up its first hidden flaw in an in-service rail, on the Wabash.
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November 15, 1936 The City of Chicago reverts from Eastern Standard Time to Central Standard Time, requiring rearrangement of many railroad passenger schedules.
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November 15, 1939 Great Northern opens the Izaak Walton Inn near Glacier Park in Montana.
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November 15, 1948 General electric's new gas-turbine begins testing at Erie PA. Burning Bunker C, the locomotive has a B-B-B-B wheel arrangement.
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November 15, 1953 President Eisenhower returns from a trip to Ottawa on the "Ferdinand Magellan" POTUS car. It is the last use of "Ferdinand Magellan" for 31 years as Presidential travel takes to the air.
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November 15, 1962 Congress repeals a 10% tax on railroad tickets created during World War II to discourage travel. Railroads are given permission to raise fares to match the previous prices.
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November 15, 1973 The Chesapeake & Ohio abandons its line between Hamilton and Allegan MI.
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November 15, 1981 VIA's "Atlantic" (Originally Canadian Pacific's "Atlantic Limited") which provided passenger service to six stations in Maine is discontinued. Service will resume in 1985 and run for another 9 years.
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Mark Tomlonson