June 2, 1861 Confederate troops destroy the Baltimore & Ohio's Opequon Bridge by setting fire to over 50 loaded coal cars standing on it. The wreckage will burn for two months.
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June 2, 1873 Construction begins on San Francisco's first cable car line, Clay St.
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June 2, 1881 The Owasco River Railway, owned by the International Harvester Company, is chartered. Later the switching line in Auburn, NY will be jointly owned by the New York Central and Lehigh Valley.
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June 2, 1897 The Burlington's "Limited", hailed by George M. Pullman and several contemporary accounts as "The finest train ever" is put into service.
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June 2, 1913 The U.S. Department of Labor settles a strike by Railroad Clerks, the first use of Federal Mediation.
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June 2, 1903 The Chicago, Cincinnati & Louisville Railroad (later C&O) completes its first section of track in Indiana from the Ohio State line to Cottage Grove.
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June 2, 1923 The New York State Legislature passes the Kauffman Act, outlawing the use of steam locomotives in parts of New York City after January 1, 1926.
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June 2, 1929 The Erie Railroad inaugurates the "Erie Limited" between Jersey City and Chicago, scheduled at an even 25 hours.
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June 2, 1929 Streetcars in Massillon OH end service.
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June 2, 1934 The last car of the last interurban to operate in Michigan, the Southern Michigan Railway running from South Bend through Niles to St. Joseph, arrives in St. Joseph at 12:10 am.
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June 2, 1934 The Northern Indiana quits interurban operations as Train 71 arrives in Michigan City at 12:30 am. Streetcar service ends in Elkhart IN.
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June 2, 1935 The "Detroit Arrow" (jointly operated by the Pennsylvania and Wabash) and "Twilight Limited" (New York Central) have their Chicago-Detroit times cut to 5 hours.
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June 2, 1965 Governor Rockefeller signs a bill creating the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Authority, serving New York City's metropolitan area. The state of New York also reaches an agreement with the Pennsylvania Railroad to buy the Long Island.
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June 2, 1995 Last day of operation of Z-1-a, Z-4-a, and Z-5-a electric locomotives, EP-59a and EP-69a electric multiple units, and Canadian Flyer coaches on the Montreal -Deux-Montagnes line. Locomotives Z-1-a 6710 and 6711, built for Canadian Northern in 1914, powers the last train. Locomotive 6711 had also powered the very first revenue train on this line.
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June 2, 1997 Conrail agrees to a merger with CSX Transportation. CSX Transportation promptly enters into an agreement with Norfolk Southern to divide Conrail's assets between them according to the split NS and CSX agreed to in April (pending approval of the Surface Transportation Board).
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June 2, 2010 A bank robber in San Jose CA uses a light rail train for a getaway. The police are waiting for him as he arrives at the next station.
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Mark Tomlonson
