January 15, 1829 The "America", the first steam locomotive in the United States, arrives at New York.
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January 15, 1831 The first American-built locomotive to pull a passenger train, "Best Friend", runs from Charleston to Hamburg, South Carolina. On board are a Mr. & Mrs. Pierson, who are making the first railroad honeymoon trip in the U.S.
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January 15, 1838 The Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad (later PRR) reports that it has ordered two locomotives, two 8-wheel coaches with private apartments for ladies, drinking water and water closets, and seats stuffed with hair instead of moss. They have also ordered two coaches without ladies apartments and water closets.
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January 15, 1862 Michigan extends the construction deadlines for the Grand Rapids & Indiana.
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January 15, 1868 The Pan Handle [sic] Railway Company (later PRR) is incorporated in Pennsylvania as a reorganization of the Pittsburgh & Steubenville Railroad.
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January 15, 1885 An experimental streetcar line opens between South Bend and Mishawaka IN.
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January 15, 1898 The Pennsylvania Railroad paints its premier passenger train, "The Pennsylvania Limited", in a green/yellow/red scheme. This earns the train the nickname "The Yellow Kid" after a popular comic strip of the time.
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January 15, 1903 The New York Central & Hudson River Railroad stages a competition for the design of the new Grand Central Terminal. Among the entries: a 60-story tower that would be the tallest building in New York.
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January 15, 1915 The final spike is driven on the transcontinental Canadian Northern Railway at Basque, British Columbia.
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January 15, 1918 Noted railroad artist Gil Reid is born in St. Louis MO.
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January 15, 1928 The seven and a half-mile Mechanicsburg & Dillsburg Railway (PA), owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad, calls it quits. The interurban used a unique side trolley that required four poles on each car.
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January 15, 1937 The Pennsylvania Railroad, via trackage rights over the Grand Trunk Western, establishes new freight routes to the west. The ferry used for this service is the Grand Trunk's "Grand Rapids", running between Muskegon and Milwaukee.
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January 15, 1939 The Market St. Railway and Municipal Railway of San Francisco connect to the Transbay Terminal.
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January 15, 1943 The New York Central pays a dividend for the first time since 1931.
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January 15, 1950 The last through car leaves Peoria on the Illinois Terminal.
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January 15, 1953 The Pennsylvania Railroad's "Federal Express" crashes into the concourse of Union Station in Washington DC, injuring 87 passengers. By 7:00 AM the next day all of the train's cars will be removed from the station, leaving only GG-1 #4876 in the baggage room. So as not to restrict traffic in the station during the upcoming Presidential Inaugural, the engine will be lowered into the basement and a temporary floor built over it. The station will open as usual within 72 hours of the accident. The engine will eventually return to service.
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January 15, 1990 VIA Rail Canada cuts services by 51%.
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January 15, 1998 Ms. Fannie Mae Barnes becomes the first woman to demonstrate enough upper-body strength to become a grip operator on a San Francisco cable car.
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January 16, 1830 The Tuscumbia Railroad, the first in Alabama, is chartered.
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January 16, 1836 The first railroad out of Chicago, the Galena & Chicago Union, receives its charter. The railroad, later part of Chicago & North Western, will be constructed to reach the lead mines at Galena IL.
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January 16, 1837 Pennsylvania Governor Ritmer asks the Legislature to allow the use of locomotives between Philadelphia and Belmont Plane on the grounds that it will prevent cruelty to horses.
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January 16, 1857 The Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad (later DGH&M, GT) completes its line to St. Johns MI.
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January 16, 1868 William Davis, a Detroit fish dealer, patents a refrigerator car.
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January 16, 1873 Representatives of the Reading, Delaware & Hudson, Lehigh Valley, Central of New Jersey, and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western set uniform prices for anthracite coal and fix the amounts to be shipped.
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January 16, 1892 The Chicago, St. Paul & Kansas City becomes the Chicago Great Western [later C&NW, UP].
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January 16, 1906 The Pennsylvania Railroad opens a new car shop at Hollidaysburg PA.
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January 16, 1932 The Fostoria & Fremont and Western Ohio (interurbans) quit.
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January 16, 1932 The last segment of the Chambersburg, Greencastle & Waynesboro Street Railway (PA) quits.
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January 16, 1939 The U.S. Circuit Court overturns a lower court ruling that would have allowed the New Haven Railroad to discontinue passenger service at 93 stations on its East End.
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January 16, 1944 A train crashes in Torro Tunnel in Leon Province, Spain. More than 500 are killed.
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January 16, 1969 Penn Central's "Metroliners" begin service between New York and Washington DC.
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January 17, 1854 The Great Western of Canada is completed to Windsor, ONT.
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January 17, 1870 Regular service begins between Grand Rapids and Jackson MI on the Grand Valley Railroad [later MC, NYC, PC, KBEC].
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January 17, 1871 The first cable car is patented by Andrew S. Hallidie, but it's another two and a half years before one enters service.
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January 17, 1880 The Louisville & Nashville takes control of the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis.
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January 17, 1888 The Bay View, Little Traverse & Mackinaw Railroad becomes part of the Grand Rapids & Indiana.
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January 17, 1908 The Manistique & Northern (later M&LS) is incorporated to take over the ailing Manistique, Marquette & Northern.
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January 17, 1917 The two-foot gauge Gilpin Tram Railway in Colorado ceases operation.
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January 17, 1932 The Arlington & Fairfax streetcar quits, ending its service in Washington DC.
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January 17, 1957 The New York Central begins changing the destination of some Michigan Central passenger trains to LaSalle St. Station in Chicago from Central Station raising the ire of the ICC and saving the railroad several million dollars annually.
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January 17, 1958 The Northern Pacific gives up steam.
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January 17, 2009 President-Elect Barack Obama journeys to Washington DC on a special Amtrak train for the inauguration. He rides in the "Georgia 300", a private car owned by John Heard of Fernandina Beach FL.
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Mark Tomlonson
