June 8, 1857 The Grand Rapids & Mackinaw Railroad is incorporated in Michigan to build a railroad between the two namesake towns for the Grand Rapids & Indiana.
?
June 8, 1870 An excursion train of eight cars carrying 400 guests opens the Vandalia Line (later PRR, PC) between Indianapolis and East St. Louis.
?
June 8, 1871 The Continental Improvement Company contracts with Mansfield, Coldwater & Lake Michigan Railroad to operate track at its western end (Allegan to Monteith MI) pending the completion of the entire line.
?
June 8, 1872 The Northern Pacific Railroad is completed to Fargo, Dakota Territory.
?
June 8, 1879 At Altoona, the Pennsylvania Railroad conducts tests of heating passenger cars with a steam generator located in the baggage car, rather than using steam from the locomotive.
?
June 8, 1880 The Cincinnati Railroad (later CCC&St.L, NYC, PC, CR) is incorporated.
?
June 8, 1884 Horsecar service begins in Kalamazoo MI.
?
June 8, 1894 Green Bay Traction begins streetcar service in Green Bay WI.
?
June 8, 1912 Due to a transit strike, Boston's South Station posts its busiest day: 1,001 trains and 208,380 passengers.
?
June 8, 1919 A new elevated train shed is installed at Indianapolis Union station.
?
June 8, 1934 The Boston & Maine places an order with Budd for a trainset that will closely match the Burlington's "Pioneer Zephyr". The trainset, numbered "6000" will be best known as "The Flying Yankee".
?
June 8, 1953 Union Pacific places its new 4,800 hp gas-turbine in service. General Electric has designed the locomotive to use propane, hoping that propane will not leave deposits on the turbine blades. Ash build-up on the blades has been a problem with the coal turbines..
?
June 8, 1957 The Pennsylvania Railroad places 4-6-2 number 1361 at Horseshoe Curve as a monument.
?
June 8, 1962 The Trustees of the New Haven Railroad ask to be included in the Penn Central merger. The Presidents of the New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroads state they would rather see all the railroads of the Northeast united in a single system.
?
June 8, 1967 An 18-car New York Central freight trains runs from New York to Los Angeles in 54 hours, 17 minutes. This joint venture between NYC and the Santa Fe sets a new speed record, but does not lead directly to any changes in freight service.
?
June 8, 1968 As Robert F. Kennedy's funeral train passes through Elizabeth NJ, some onlookers fail to clear the tracks as the Pennsylvania Railroad's Chicago to New York "Admiral" passes between the crowd and the funeral train. Two spectators are killed and four seriously injured. After this incident, PRR will stop all train movements until the funeral train passes.
?
Mark Tomlonson
