November 30, 1832 For the first time, the Post Office authorizes the carrying of mail via rail road.
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November 30, 1850 The Madison & Indianapolis Railroad (IN - later JM&I, PCC&St.L, PRR) ships 1,365 hogs from Franklin and Edinburg to Madison in a single train of 28 double-deck cars pulled by the locomotive "Governor Whitcomb".
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November 30, 1850 The Northern Indiana & Chicago Railroad (later LS&MS, NYC, PC, CR, NS) is chartered.
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November 30, 1871 The Toronto, Simcoe & Muskoka Junction Railway opens from Barrie to Orillia. CNR will abandon the line in September 1996.
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November 30, 1872 The first through train runs over Chicago & North Western tracks via Menominee WI and Escanaba MI to the national network.
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November 30, 1877 The Pennsylvania Company contracts to use Janney automatic couplers for $10 per passenger car.
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November 30, 1890 The Peru & Detroit Railway is completed between Peru and Chili IN. It is immediately leased to the Wabash Railroad for 99 years. Later it will be purchased by the Winona & Warsaw Railway for their Peru extension.
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November 30, 1896 A tramline is opened between the English seaside towns of Brighton and Rottingdean. Two sets of two rails are laid to a gauge of 2' 8.5" and the two sets are then spaced 18' apart. The vehicles used on this tramway look like normal English trams, except wider, and they ride on four legs, each leg 24 feet high to allow for the tides of more than 15 feet. The vehicles are powered by overhead wire and will run until 1901. These trams will be used as inspiration for the CGI-rendered diving platforms in the 2005 movie "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"
[homepages.cwi.nl/~dik/english/public_transport/odds_and_ends/odd.html]
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November 30, 1901 President Roosevelt and other dignitaries travel in a special 3-car train to the Army-Navy game at Philadelphia.
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November 30, 1912 All-wood Pullman cars are banned by the Pennsylvania Railroad on mainline trains.
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November 30, 1917 The "Broadway Limited" is withdrawn for the duration of the war. New York Central will continue running the "20th Century Limited" as it does not have the freight congestion of the PRR.
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November 30, 1928 Interurban service ends between Jackson and Battle Creek MI.
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November 30, 1928 The Central Indiana Railway is abandoned between Muncie and Anderson, Lodoga, Waveland, Sand Creek and Brazil.
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November 30, 1950 Baldwin Locomotive Works and the Lima Locomotive Works merge to become Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporation.
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November 30, 1965 United Aircraft Corporation unveils its plans for a 160 mph train powered by aircraft engines. The train is a direct descendant of the New York Central’s "Train X".
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November 30, 1985 Pere Marquette 2-8-4 1225 moves under steam for the first time in 34 years.
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Mark Tomlonson
