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January 27, 1824 The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Company is incorporated in Virginia.

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January 27, 1836 The State of Indiana enacts "Internal Improvements" legislation, calling for roads, canals and railroads to be built. The program is to be funded by a $10.5 million loan. (2025: $354 million)

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January 27, 1840 The New Jersey Railroad Board approves the issuing of commuter tickets, good between Jersey City and Newark, for $100 per year. (2025: $3,608)

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January 27, 1851 The first train arrives in Dayton OH, on a trip that started in Springfield on the tracks of the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad Company (later CCC&StL, NYC).

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January 27, 1854 The Great Western Railway (later GT, CN) opens between London and Windsor Ontario.

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January 27, 1870 The Pennsylvania Railroad signs its first contract with the Pullman Company.

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January 27, 1877 The Fairland, Franklin & Martinsville Railroad (later Big Four, NYC, PC) is incorporated as a reorganization of the Cincinnati & Martinsville.

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January 27, 1879 The worst wreck in monorail history occurs when the Bradford & Foster Brook Monorail in Pennsylvania tests its new steam locomotive. Running at high speed to demonstrate its capacity, the boiler explodes, killing the fireman, engineer and three company officials riding a flatcar behind the engine. Other passengers were severely injured. The line will close shortly after.

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January 27, 1883 The Toledo & Indianapolis (later T&OC, NYC) reaches Bowling Green OH. The first “train” is a handcar.

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January 27, 1889 The last passenger car in a Chicago & North Western train derails, overturns, and then is dragged over tree stumps near Elmwood MI. Michigan’s Lieutenant Governor and an acquaintance are killed,

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January 27, 1912 The Pennsylvania Railroad reports that last year's "Safety First" campaign has reduced injuries by 66%.

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January 27, 1920 Groundbreaking ceremonies are held for Cincinnati’s subway.

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January 27, 1935 The Pennsylvania Railroad begins service between New York and Washington DC with its new GG-1 electric locomotive.

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January 27, 1940 The Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn Railroad, a narrow-gauge suburban railroad, discontinues operations in preparation for abandonment.

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January 27. 1947 The Chesapeake & Ohio begins accepting credit cards as payment for passenger tickets.

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January 27, 1962 Washington DC streetcars run for the last time.

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January 27, 1976 The Hillsdale County Railroad is incorporated. Operations will begin in April on former Penn Central routes in Hillsdale County MI, with extensions to Stubenville IN and Quincy MI.

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January 27, 2011 Amtrak begins providing WiFi service to Cascades Service riders between Eugene OR and Vancouver BC. Plans are being formed to extend the service system wide.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 24, 1828 Horatio Allen of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company sets sail for England. His mission is to examine rail roads in that country and to buy 5 steam locomotives of no more than 5 ? tons, one of which is to come from Robert Stephenson & Co.

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January 24, 1833 Freight service begins on the Camden & Amboy Railroad. Three cars, each pulled by its own horse, provide the service.

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January 24, 1848 William Marshall discovers gold at Sutter's Mill on the American River in California. This discovery, combined with famine and revolution in Europe, will restore prosperity in the United States. Many railroad projects will be revived and new ones launched, particularly in the Midwest.

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January 24, 1853 The Toledo, Norwalk & Cleveland Railroad Company (later LS&MS, NYC, PC, CR, NS) opens, forming the last link in the chain of roads from Chicago to New York and Boston.

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January 24, 1916 In “Brushaber v. Union Pacific Railroad”, the United States Supreme Court rules that the Federal Income Tax is legal.

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January 24, 1954 Cleveland streetcars make their last revenue run.

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January 24, 1970 President & Mrs. Nixon take the Metroliner from Washington to Philadelphia to attend a chamber music concert.

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January 24, 1980 Bankruptcy Judge Frank McGarr orders the shutdown of the Rock Island Railroad. Lines south of Kansas City will quit by March 24. All other lines will finish up by March 31.

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January 25, 1842 Locomotive builder Baldwin & Vail tests a six-wheel geared locomotive. It will later be used on the Philadelphia & Reading.

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January 25, 1853 The Cincinnati, Cambridge & Chicago Short Line Railway (later PRR) is incorporated in Indiana to build from New Castle southward to the Ohio state line.

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January 25, 1899 The St. Joseph, South Bend & Southern (later MC, NYC) is incorporated in Indiana to acquire the Indiana & Lake Michigan.

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January 25, 1905 Fairview Yard on the Pennsylvania Railroad is re-named "Enola", matching the nearest station and Post Office. A land company is authorized by the PRR to develop a town at Enola for employees.

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January 25, 1907 The Chicago, South Bend & Northern Indiana takes over all of the property owned by the Northern Indiana. The public will generally continue to refer to the new interurban company as the Northern Indiana.

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January 25, 1911 In Harrisburg PA the Pennsylvania Road Improvement train makes its first of 165 stops. The train carries experts and demonstrations of how farmers can use logs and other equipment to improve farm roads.

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January 25, 1919 "Hotel Pennsylvania" opens in New York City. It is located across the street from Penn Station. With 2,200 rooms to handle mostly railroad travelers, it will be the world's largest hotel until 1927.

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January 25, 1928 The Board of the Pennsylvania Railroad authorizes spending $25,000 ($456,000 in 2025) for one Cummins Diesel locomotive.

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January 25, 1959 American Airlines makes the first commercial domestic flight of a Boeing 707 airliner. The 707, along with the Interstate Highway System, will deal major blows to the U.S. passenger rail system.

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January 25, 1963 Two thousand employees strike Florida East Coast Railway when the railroad proposes reducing the number of people required in a train crew. The strike will remain unsettled for nine years.

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January 25, 1973 Canadian National Railways expands the Turbos to 9-car sets, eliminating two Turbos. The remaining equipment is stored and will eventually be sold to Amtrak.

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January 25, 1979 22.2-km (13.79 mile) Oshimizu railroad tunnel is "holed through" in Honshu, Japan.

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January 25, 1995 Amtrak operates its last Dome car as the Lake Shore Limited pulls into Chicago. (Some full-length dome cars will continue.)

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January 25, 2011 The Association of American Railroads announces that the car defect card, in use for almost 125 years, is discontinued. Instead of using the 3.5 x 8 inch card, problems with freight cars will now be reported and tracked using AAR's Raillinc car-tracking program.

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January 25, 2021 Amtrak tests four of their new Siemens “Venture” cars between Chicago and Pontiac MI. Testing will look at 110-mph operation and compatibility with the ITCS and I-ETMS train control systems. Also in the train: former heritage sleeper “Pacific Bend”.

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January 26, 1876 The Pennsylvania Railroad Board decides to provide uniforms for conductors, train agents, brakemen, baggage masters, stationmaster and gatemen. They also approve construction of a "Centennial Station" in Philadelphia on the Centennial Celebration grounds.

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January 26, 1886 The Mountain Central Railway Company (later GN) is established)

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January 26, 1909 The Jamestown, Franklin & Clearfield Railroad (OH, PA - later LS&MS) is chartered.

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January 26, 1925 The "Orange Blossom Special" is inaugurated as a deluxe winter-only train, running between New York and St. Petersburg/West Palm Beach. ?It replaces the previous "All-Florida Special". (Some sources say January 27)

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January 26, 1927 The Michigan Public Utilities Commission approves the abandonment of the Grand Rapids & Indiana's Jennings branch. The abandonment of the 3.7-mile line between Jennings and Round Lake had been approved five days before by the ICC.

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January 26, 1964 Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee "Electroliners" make their debut as "Liberty Liners" on Philadelphia's Red Arrow Lines.

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January 26, 1967 A major blizzard in the Great Lakes states shuts down many railroads.

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January 26, 1978 Over 2 feet of snow falls on the Midwest. High winds with the snow snarl all forms of transportation, including rail. Several railroads use wedge plows and snow blowers to clear the rails after the blizzard passes.

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January 26, 2004 RailAmerica completes its purchase of the Central Michigan Railroad.

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January 26, 2005 Juan Manuel Alvarez drives his SUV into the path of a Metrolink train in Los Angles in an attempt to gain the attention of his estranged wife, killing 11 and injuring 180. Alvarez will be sentenced to eleven consecutive life sentences. The accident will launch an investigation into the safety of "push" mode passenger trains, which will show they are as safe as traditional "pull" trains.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 23, 1869 George Westinghouse applies for his first air-brake patent.

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January 23, 1872 The Baltimore & Ohio completes the first grain elevator at Locust Point, Baltimore.

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January 23, 1876 A plan is formed to consolidate all railroads operating on Long Island NY into the Long Island Railroad, eliminating duplication of services.

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January 23, 1880 The Coney Island Elevated Railroad is incorporated.

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January 23, 1896 Construction begins on the Chicago “L”. The first structure is built at the corner of Fullerton and Sheffield Avenues.

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January 23, 1900 The Dayton-Xenia Traction Company opens from Dayton to Xenia via Belmont.

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January 23, 1905 The Great Northern-owned steamship "Minnesota" makes its maiden voyage from Seattle to ports in Japan and China. Patrons can buy a single ticket for their St. Paul to Tokyo journey.

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January 23, 1911 A new speed record is set for Washington to New York: 3 Hours 55 minutes. J.P. Morgan has rented a special Pennsylvania Railroad train for the trip.

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January 23, 1932 The Pennsylvania Railroad begins a trial of fixed ladders for upper berths in New York to Washington service.

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January 23, 1946 The Pennsylvania Railroad Board of Directors authorizes the purchase of 214 passenger cars to re-equip Blue Ribbon trains at a cost of $20.5 million. ($355 million in 2025) Eighty-seven cars are ordered from Pullman-Standard, 70 from Budd and 57 from AC&F. PRR wants the cars in the first quarter of 1947, but the crush of orders from other roads and postwar reconversion problems will cause the last delivery to be in August 1949.

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January 23, 1949 The Pennsylvania Railroad cuts its Chicago-Detroit service to two daily round trips.

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January 23, 1952 The Pennsylvania Railroad queries a consulting firm about reducing the financial losses of passenger service. The idea of eliminating long-distance trains duplicated by the New York Central and Baltimore & Ohio railroads is suggested.

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January 23, 1955 A new ticket bureau is installed in 30th Street Station, Philadelphia. With new "Ticketfax" and other machines, it can deliver a Pullman ticket in as little as 1 minute, as opposed to up to 1 hour previously.

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January 23, 1980 Amtrak AEM-7 900 makes its first trial run. The AEM-7's will eventually replace the GG-1's.

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January 23, 2014 The London Underground’s Victoria Line is shut down when workers accidently pour fast-setting concrete into a signal-relay vault.

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January 23, 2024 The U.S. Department of Transportation approves a $2.5 billion bond offering to build Brightline West. The planned 218-mile line between southern California and Las Vegas is to reach speeds of 186 mph (300 km/h) or more, half the time of making the same trip by car.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 22, 1857 The Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad (later PM, C&O, Chessie, CSX) is chartered to construct a rail line from Flint to Lake Michigan via Saginaw.

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January 22, 1858 The directors of the Great Western take control of the Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad (later GT).

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January 22, 1869 The Muskegon & Ferrysburg Railroad (later MLS, GHR, C&WM, PM, C&O, Chessie, CSX, MQT) files incorporation papers in Michigan to build from Ferrysburg to Muskegon Harbor. The papers were drawn up last April.

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January 22, 1880 Jay Gould announces the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway (later Wabash) has leased the Toledo, Peoria & Western.

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January 22, 1893 The Ashland Light Power & Street Railway Company begins streetcar service in Ashland WI.

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January 22, 1912 The Florida East Coast's line to Key West is opened. It will become a popular passenger train destination with boat connections to Havana.

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January 22, 1914 The Great Northern opens a new passenger depot in Minneapolis.

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January 22, 1929 The driver of a Greyhound bus in Bellevue OH does not see an approaching Lake Shore Line interurban in heavy snowfall and pulls onto the tracks in front of the car. Nineteen of the 32 passengers on the bus die. Passengers on the interurban suffer only minor injuries.

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January 22, 1949 The first American Freedom Train officially ends its tour.

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January 22, 1956 A two-RDC train from Los Angeles bound for San Diego approaches a 15-mph curve at 70 mph and is unable to slow down. Thirty people are killed and 130 injured in Los Angeles' worst railroad accident. The Los Angeles police are unable to completely control the crowds. Widespread looting of the dead and injured takes place. The LAPD ties at least one person to a tree in their attempts to restore order.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 21, 1841 George Hacker patents a passenger car based on a tobacco barrel. The car was intended to be 30’ long with 20 windows, but the design was never built.

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January 21, 1873 The New York, Boston & Montreal Railway (later NYC) is created out of a reorganization of the New York, Boston & Northern.

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January 21, 1880 The Ontario & Western (later NYO&W) is incorporated to run between Oswego NY and New York City.

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January 21, 1883 Eight locomotives are involved in a head-on collision in Iowa on the Wabash Railroad. Four of the engines were on a train that had stalled in a snowdrift. The other four were sent to rescue them and, owing to imprecise orders, collided head-on with the stalled train.

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January 21, 1902 Peoria IL sees its first scheduled Chicago & North Western passenger train.

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January 21, 1903 The Grand Trunk moves into a new depot at Lansing MI. Grand Trunk officials tout the station as "the handsomest between Portland ME and Chicago". (Some sources say January 20)

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January 21, 1910 Canadian Pacific’s “Soo Express” derails on a bridge crossing the Spanish River in northern Ontario. Forty-four people are killed.

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January 21, 1929 The Pennsylvania Railroad announces the formation of coordinated rail-bus service on some long distance routes. Travelers will ride the bus by day, connecting to towns and villages not on the PRR, and then ride the train by night.

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January 21, 1931 The first of three boat trains leave New York for San Francisco. There they will connect with a Matson Liner for the trip to Hawaii.

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January 21, 1946 Streetcars end service in New Albany IN.

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January 21, 1954 New York Central President William White says he has made plans with Rail-Trailer Company of Chicago to introduce modern piggyback service on the NYC.

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January 21, 1963 The last Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee RR interurban train pulls into Milwaukee at 2:55 a.m., ending 68 years of service on America's fastest Interurban. One of the cars in the last train is currently on display at the Illinois Railway Museum.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 20, 1837 An advertisement in the “Toledo Blade” states that the Erie & Kalamazoo has received its first steam engine, and service will commence “in a few days”.

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January 20, 1846 An act of the Indiana Legislature charters the Martinsville & Franklin Railroad (later Big Four, NYC). It will be another 7 years before it is built.

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January 20, 1848 The Schenectady Locomotive Engine Manufactory is incorporated. It is a predecessor of both the Schenectady Locomotive Works and Alco.

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January 20, 1856 The first train arrives in Wabash IN on the Toledo, Wabash & Western Railroad (later WAB, NW, NS).

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January 20, 1862 The Flint & Pere Marquette (later PM, C&O, Chessie, CSX, LSR) begins operations between East Saginaw and Mt. Morris MI.

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January 20, 1874 The Chicago lakefront depot used by the Michigan Central, Illinois Central and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroads is destroyed by fire.

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January 20, 1877 Charles Collins, Chief Engineer of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway, commits suicide over last month's Ashtabula bridge disaster.

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January 20, 1880 The Illinois Central completes its purchase of the New Orleans, St. Louis & Chicago Railroad, which it has controlled since 1877.

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January 20, 1903 The Grand Trunk Western opens a passenger depot in Lansing MI.

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January 20, 1903 The Kanawha & West Virginia (later NYC, PC, CR) is incorporated.

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January 20, 1907 The Pennsylvania Railroad establishes trains 186 and 187, running only on Sundays between Chicago and Valparaiso IN. The trains are to serve city dwellers going to the countryside and returning in the evening.

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January 20, 1923 Canadian Government Railways incorporate as Canadian National Railways. Railways affected are Canadian Northern, Intercolonial, National Transcontinental, Grand Trunk Pacific Branch Lines, New Brunswick & Prince Edward Island, International Railway of New Brunswick, Salisbury & Albert, Elgin & Havelock, St. Martin's, Lotbiniere & Megantic, Caraquet & Gulf Shore and the New Glasgow Iron, Coal & Railway.

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January 20, 1938 The ICC grants the request of the Wisconsin & Michigan to abandon the entire line. In early 1939 Chicago & North Western will buy the W&M property in Menominee MI.

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January 20, 1953 More than 600 coaches, sleepers, parlor cars and diners converge on Washington DC for Dwight Eisenhower's first inauguration. Over 10,000 people use parked Pullmans as hotels; two thousand one hundred at Baltimore & Ohio's Eckington Yard alone.

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January 20, 1959 The Seaboard Air Line opens its new St. Petersburg FL station.

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January 20, 1986 Plans for the construction of a railroad tunnel under the English Channel are announced. Actual work will not begin for another 23 months.

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January 20, 2009 Washington DC's Metrorail sets a record as it handles more than 930,000 riders. Most of the increase is due to the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

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January 20, 2017 Reviving a tradition he began as a Senator, Vice President Joe Biden takes an Amtrak train from Washington to Wilmington following the inauguration of Donald Trump.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 17, 1854 The Great Western of Canada is completed to Windsor ON.

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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 will be 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, 1964 The first Alco C-628 comes off the assembly line, bound for the Atlantic Coast Line.

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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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January 17, 2023 The second part of the Hamilton OH Baltimore & Ohio passenger station is moved 1,100 feet to its new home. The first section moved on December 20. CSX has donated the station to the city.

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January 18, 1854 The Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad is organized to build from Hartford, IN, to the Michigan state line as part of a route between Louisville and northern Michigan.

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January 18, 1878 Construction begins on The Ghan route south of Part Augusta Australia.

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January 18, 1878 The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern experiments with arc lighting in its Cleveland Shops.

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January 18, 1898 Union Traction Company [IN] begins regular service between Anderson and Alexandria. This line has traditionally been considered the first interurban line in Indiana. (Some sources say January 1)

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January 18, 1900 The Office of Public Buildings and Grounds favors removing the Pennsylvania Railroad station from the National Mall in Washington DC. Two reasons are given: Washington will never be a commercial center and the Mall should be reserved for ceremonial events.

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January 18, 1926 Passenger service is taken over by gas-electric car #4731 on the former Eel River Railroad (PCC&St.L, PRR, PC, CR) between Logansport and Butler IN. (Some sources say January 20)

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January 18, 1938 French Railway companies are nationalized.

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January 18, 1944 The War Department returns control of the railroads to their owners following a wage dispute that threatened a nationwide shut-down.

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January 18, 1945 The Pennsylvania Railroad places its first production Q2 4-4-6-4 duplex locomotive in service in its Eastern Region. The locomotive proves to be "slippery" and consumes large amounts of water.

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January 18, 1946 "The Harvey Girls" a movie starring Judy Garland and Ray Bolger and set in a Harvey House Hotel, makes its American debut. The movie will win an Oscar for Best Song for Johnny Mercer's "On The Atchison Topeka and the Santa Fe".

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January 18. 1952 The Pennsylvania Railroad's experimental duplex Q1 6130 and steam turbine S2 6200 are dropped from the PRR roster. The Q2 duplex is also retired this month.

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January 18, 1953 President-elect Eisenhower travels from New York to Washington for his inauguration on the Pennsylvania Railroad's business car #90.

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January 18, 1977 A derailed Australian passenger train strikes a highway bridge. The bridge collapses on top of the third car of the train, killing 80. It is Australia's worst rail disaster.

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January 18, 1993 Two South Shore trains collide on gauntlet track in Gary IN. Seven people are killed, making it the worst wreck in South Shore history.

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January 18, 2005 Milwaukee dedicates a new rail passenger station at Mitchell International Airport. It will be served by Amtrak.

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January 18, 2006 CSX announces it is resuming limited rail service east of New Orleans on its coast line, however repairs continue on the bridge over Bay St. Louis. CSX, the railroad that suffered the most damage in Katrina, is the last New Orleans' railroad to resume service.

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January 18, 2011 Groundbreaking ceremonies are held for the reconstruction of the St. Paul [MN] Union Depot. The structure has not seen a train since 1971. The renovated structure will be used by Amtrak, Greyhound and Jefferson bus line. Future plans include use by commuter rail and high-speed rail to Chicago.

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January 18, 2011 In celebration of its 40th birthday, Amtrak announces that four locomotives will be painted in "Heritage" paint scheme. Also, a four-car train will tour the country with artifacts and displays on Amtrak history.

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January 18, 2018 High speed rail service, known as “Brightline”, begins in Florida between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

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January 18, 2020 Amtrak train 313 on its way from St. Louis to Kansas City is hit by a falling boulder near Morrision MO. No one is hurt, but damage to the coach that was hit results in a quickly extinguished electrical fire.

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January 18, 2022 Talgo train sets ordered by the State of Wisconsin for a never-materialized Milwaukee to Madison service in 2009 are sold to the government of Nigeria for use in commuter service in Lagos.

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January 19, 1852 The 6-foot gauge Erie & Northeast Railroad opens between Erie PA and the New York State line, connecting with the Buffalo & State Line Railroad. Both roads later became part of the New York Central.

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January 19, 1852 The New York & Harlem reaches Chatham NY.

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January 19, 1887 The Michigan Central opens a new depot at Dexter MI.

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January 19, 1896 The Patterson Heights Street Railway opens. The half-mile Pennsylvania line has a single four-window car and one track switch. The line includes an incline to carry the car up and down a steep grade.

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January 19, 1904 August Belmont hosts a tour of the nearly finished Interborough Rapid Transit for members of the city's elite and the press. The trip from City Hall to 125th street is made on five handcars pumped by laborers.

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January 19, 1908 The first semi-automatic signals with through route locking are installed at Philadelphia's Broad Street station.

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January 19, 1914 The New York Central & Hudson River Railroad opens a new station at Rochester NY.

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January 19, 1921 The Pennsylvania Railroad completes the extension of Bridge No. 3 over the Scioto River at Columbus OH. The project hopes to prevent a recurrence of the damage caused by the 1913 floods.

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January 19, 1941 Shortly after midnight, the Indiana Railroad (Interurban) makes its last revenue rail runs. Service is transferred to buses starting in the morning. An Indianapolis to Seymour segment is turned over to the Public Service Company of Indiana and remains under wire.

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January 19, 1947 The first cuts are made in U.S. passenger service that had increased during World War II.

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January 19, 1956 The Pennsylvania Railroad operates its first westbound COFC (container-on-flat-car) train from Kearny NJ to Chicago. The containers are designed by Clark Equipment Company of Battle Creek MI and built by Fruehauf Trailer Company of Detroit.

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January 19, 1958 Boston & Maine passenger operations in New York state end.

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January 19, 1990 Canadian National spins off its line between Moncton NB and Mont-Joli PC to the New Brunswick East Coast Railway and the Matapedia Railway.

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January 19, 2005 The Lake Superior & Ishpeming files with the STB to abandon its Republic Branch.

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January 19, 2006 Canadian National reacquires the Central Western Railway, Lakeland & Waterways Railway and the Mackenzie Northern Railway from RailAmerica.

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Mark Tomlonson

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, is being built to reach the lead mines at Galena IL. (Some sources say January 10)

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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 16, 1990 The “Canadian Rail Operating Rules” are approved by Canada’s Minister of Transport.

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Mark Tomlonson

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, 1878 A bridge on the Connecticut Western Railroad (later NYNH&H) fails under the weight of two locomotives leading a passenger train. Thirteen passengers are killed, some by freezing in the water, and more than 70 injured. Among the survivors: Evangelist Dwight W. Moody.

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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 if built 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, 1935 Thomas H. Gray passes away. He is credited with designing, in 1884, the “crossbucks” now in use throughout North America to warn motorists of grade crossing.

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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, 1960 Canadian National converts its Alexandria Subdivision in Ottawa to CTC.

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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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Mark Tomlonson

January 14, 1851 First train into Salem IN on the New Albany & Salem Rail Road (later CIL, L&N).

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January 14, 1878 The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the federal government has no power to overturn state laws creating segregated accommodations in railroad cars, opening the way for Southern states to impose "Jim Crow" segregation. Many northern railroads with branches in the south are also affected.

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January 14, 1905 Pennsylvania Railroad's Enola Yard opens. An urban legend arises that the name of the yard comes from an early operator at the site who felt all "alone", but the truth is that it is named after the daughter of the owner of the land on which the yard is built.

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January 14, 1923 In the Pennsylvania Railroad Timetable for its Southwest Region issued today, many branch-line and rural passenger trains are removed due to competition from buses and private automobiles.

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January 14, 1939 The last scheduled Southern Pacific commuter ferry run sails on San Francisco Bay. Other SP ferry service will continue in the bay until 1958.

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January 14, 1940 The Santa Fe drops its San Francisco – LA – Chicago “Navajo”.

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January 14, 1942 German U-Boats begin attacking United States coastal shipping. At first, the lack of blackouts on the east coast makes the ships easy targets. Attacks by U-Boats will force much cargo from ships onto the railroads.

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January 14, 1990 VIA’s “Canadian” and its “Super Continental” make their last runs. A new train will be introduced tomorrow under the “Canadian” name traveling mostly on the former “Super Continental” route.

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January 14, 2015 A bus carrying 12 prison inmates and 3 guards slips off a highway bridge near Odessa TX and strikes a Union Pacific freight train. Eight inmates and 2 guards are killed. The incident is blamed on black ice on I-20.

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January 14, 2022 Railfan & Railroad magazine reports that potatoes are being shipped by rail out of northern Maine for the first time since 1976. A bumper crop of potatoes has farmers shipping on the former Bangor & Aroostook (now Maine Northern) to markets in Washington state.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 13, 1842 The Philadelphia & Reading (later Reading) opens for revenue freight and passenger service from Mount Carmel to Philadelphia. Its coal-hauling operations will prove that a rail road can compete with a canal for heavy freight service.

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January 13, 1882 A rear end collision at Spuyten Duyvil kills Webster Wagner of the Wagner Car Company, operator of a fleet of sleeper cars.

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January 13, 1918 The Presidents of 70 different railroads meet at Grand Central Terminal to formulate a demand that Congress declare that Government control of the railroads is only for the duration of the war.

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January 13, 1928 The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul is reorganized into the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific.

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January 13, 1929 Chicago Great Western places a three-car trainset made by McKeen in service between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Rochester, serving the Mayo Clinic.

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January 13, 1930 Robert M. Davis of McGraw-Hill Publishing buys a single ticket at New York City's Penn Station for a 35-city tour. The ticket is a record 83 inches long.

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January 13, 1941 Freight motor no. 717 departs southbound with the last electric freight train from the Commerce Dr. freight terminal in Ft. Wayne IN. Its counterpart from Indianapolis will arrive at the freight terminal at 5:30 a.m. the next morning. This closes out electric freight service entering Ft. Wayne from all except the north line.

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January 13, 1947 The Nickel Plate Road orders 4 BL-1 diesel locomotives from EMD. The model will be upgraded to BL-2 by EMD after the order has been submitted. Six months later EMD will not have started construction of the locomotives and NKP will cancel the order.

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January 13, 1952 The "City of San Francisco" is trapped in snow on Donner Pass. Passengers will be stranded in the train until January 16.

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January 13, 1986 In the worst rail disaster on the African continent, an Ethiopian passenger train plunges into a ravine, killing 428.

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January 13, 2021 Grand Trunk Western 4-6-2 5030 is sold to the Colebrookdale Preservation Trust in Pennsylvania. The locomotive had been on display in a park in Jackson MI since the late 1950’s. The Trust plans to restore the locomotive to operating condition.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 10, 1863 London's first subway begins operation, powered by steam. Parts of the line have been built in cuts and many ventilators are installed in the covered portions, yet it will remain very smoky until electric propulsion is adopted.

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January 10, 1864 The Indiana Central Railway, the Richmond & Covington Railroad and the Columbus & Indianapolis Railroad sign an agreement for the joint operation of their properties. This forms a railroad line between Columbus and Indianapolis via Bradford OH and Richmond IN. The new line, later part of the Pennsylvania Railroad will be known as the "Great Central Line".

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January 10, 1872 Michigan's first Grange, a political and social group directed to the needs of farmers, is organized. By 1875, 600 local Granges will form throughout Michigan. The Grange movement will become one of the leading lobbyists for railroad rate regulation.

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January 10, 1872 The first Pennsylvania Railroad coal car runs over the Northern Pacific Railroad from Duluth to Moorhead, MN. The car has been carried by ship from Erie PA.

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January 10, 1878 The New York Central & Hudson River Railroad begins running RPO's to Chicago, replacing all-mail trains.

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January 10, 1900 A carbarn fire destroys all 10 streetcars and a snowplow owned by the Holland & Lake Michigan Railway.

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January 10, 1940 Streetcar service ends in Wausau WI.

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January 10, 1953 The last trolley line in Indianapolis, the College line, is converted to bus, ending rail service.

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January 10, 1956 The Chicago Indianapolis & Louisville officially becomes the Monon.

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January 10, 2022 Railroading Heritage of Midwest America, owners of MILW 261, acquire the former shop facilities of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific in Silvis IL. The group plans to turn the shop into the largest historic railroad equipment restoration facility in the country.

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January 10, 2022 BNSF Railway announces it will be terminating the long-term lease of the former Northern Pacific line across Montana to Montana Rail Link and begin operating the line itself. The lease was to have expired in 2047. STB approval is needed before the new arrangement takes effect.

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January 11, 1859 The Atchison & Topeka Railroad (later AT&SF, BNSF) is chartered.

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January 11, 1868 The Sandusky & Cincinnati Railroad reorganizes as the Cincinnati, Sandusky & Cleveland Railroad (later Big Four, NYC).

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January 11, 1890 The Cincinnati, Saginaw & Mackinaw (later GTW) begins operation between Durand and Bay City MI.

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January 11, 1910 The Grand Rapids Street Railroad Company begins interurban service between Grand Rapids WI and Nekoosa. Grand Rapids will later change its name to "Wisconsin Rapids" and the traction company will follow suit.

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January 11, 1922 The van Sweringen brothers buy the Lake Erie & Western from the New York Central and align it with the Nickel Plate, which they also own.

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January 11, 1931 The Boston & Maine runs its first "Snow Train" for skiers and other winter vacationers.

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January 11, 1934 The new Dayton (OH) Union station is dedicated.

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January 11, 1955 The Monon enters the piggyback era.

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January 12, 1830 DeWitt Clinton Jr. reports to several New York businessmen on the cost of building a rail road from New York to New Orleans. The proposal calls for using stone sleepers north of Washington and wood pilings for the rest of the way. The cost is estimated at $11.8 million (2025: $415 million).

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January 12, 1883 The second U.S. transcontinental railroad, the Southern Pacific, is completed with a "Golden Spike" ceremony on the Pecos River High Bridge. (some sources say January 15)

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January 12, 1891 The first train of the Lowell & Hastings Railroad (later PM, C&O, Chessie, CSX) runs from Lowell to Grand Rapids MI.

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January 12, 1912 The Ann Arbor Railroad acquires control of the Manistique & Lake Superior.

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January 12, 1929 Seatrain service (railroad cars loaded on ships) begins between New Orleans and Havana.

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January 12, 1929 The Great Northern Railroad opens 8-mile long Cascade Tunnel, the longest in the United States.

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January 12, 1934 All interurban service in and around Lexington KY ends.

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January 12, 1942 The Chicago & North Western begins using streamline passenger cars on its "400" fleet.

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January 12, 1945 Bituminous Coal Research Incorporated's Locomotive Study Group, made up of representatives from eastern railroads and locomotive manufacturers, meets to find ways to combat the rise of the diesel locomotive. They decide reciprocating steam is dead, and to explore coal-fired turbines.

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January 12, 1952 Using ex-Denver & Rio Grande narrow gauge locomotives, Knott’s Berry Farm at Buena Park CA opens the “Ghost Town & Calico Railroad”.

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January 12, 1957 The Santa Fe's "Super Chief" and "El Capitan" passenger trains are combined during off-peak seasons.

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January 12, 1958 The Duluth South Shore & Atlantic runs its last passenger train between St. Ignace and Marquette MI. Other passenger service will continue through 1968.

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January 12, 1977 VIA Rail Canada is created as a subsidiary of Canadian National. For the previous nine months, "VIA" has been CN's brand for its passenger service.

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January 12, 1989 The Fox River Valley Railroad begins operations on former Chicago & North Western tracks between Green Bay, Milwaukee, Butler and Appleton WI.

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January 12, 2009 The Department of Transportation issues new rules for the construction of tank cars designed to carry hazardous material. The rules will apply to cars built after March 16, 2009. The railroads hope the tougher construction standards will reduce their liability insurance premium.

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January 12, 2010 A loose boxcar door on a passing CSX freight strikes Amtrak's northbound Silver Star, which was waiting in a passing siding near Boulogne FL. The door hits the fireman's side of the train, goes airborne and strikes four cars in the Amtrak train. Only the diner is severely damaged, loosing 20 feet of its roof. No one is in the diner at the time and no one is hurt.

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January 12, 2016 The “London Evening Standard” reports that train operator Southeastern blamed commuter train delays the previous day on “Too much sunshine”.? No further explanation was offered.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 9, 1830 Ground is broken in Charleston, South Carolina for the South Carolina Canal & Rail Road (later SRR, NS). It will be the first railroad in South Carolina to use steam locomotives. In 1833 its 136-mile length will earn it the title of world's longest railroad.

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January 9, 1850 A freight train crew on the Pennsylvania Railroad that had earlier run into the rear of a passenger train is disciplined. It is the first mention of a wreck on the PRR.

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January 9, 1882 The first train from Cincinnati OH to Dayton on the Cincinnati Northern (narrow gauge, not the later NYC ancestor) leaves Cincinnati. It will not arrive in Dayton, however, until January 12th due to poor track work.

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January 9, 1882 The re-opened Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad, now owned by Jay Gould and converted to standard gauge, opens between Huron and Massillon OH.

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January 9, 1891 The Ann Arbor & Ypsilanti Street Railway begins service using a small steam car. A trial run had been made on January 3.

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January 9, 1897 Today’s “Literary Digest” carries an article on the Fitchburg MA trolley system, which has fitted a former flatcar with traction motors, armor plate, two 6 pound (3 ? inch) cannons and one 18 pound (5 1/8 inch) cannon. The car’s designers christen it “The McKinley”, style it like a battleship, and hope that it will aid the navy in coastal defense against the Spanish fleet. Other than providing a campaign float for William McKinley’s Presidential bid, it never sees service.

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January 9, 1955 The departure of the 20th Century Limited from New York is broadcast live on the television show "Omnibus".

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January 9, 1969 The Canadian National pulls the Turbotrain from service due to problems operating in winter conditions.

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January 9, 2022 The last Budd R32 “Brightliner” runs on the New York City Transit system. They first ran in 1965, making them the longest-serving type of subway car in the world.

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January 9, 2022 In Pacoima CA, a pilot of a Cessna 172 makes an emergency landing on a city street. The plane and pilot come to rest on a grade crossing. Rescue workers free the pilot moments before the plane is struck by a Metrolink train. No one is hurt.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 8, 1855 The first through train runs from Chicago to Cairo, IL.

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January 8, 1855 A mob in Erie, PA tears up the tracks of the Erie & North Eastern, the last battle in the "Gauge War".

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January 8, 1863 Ground is broken for the Central Pacific Railroad in Sacramento CA.

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January 8, 1872 James Fisk of the Erie Railway is shot and mortally wounded by Edward Stokes, a blackmailer and rival in a love triangle.

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January 8, 1887 The Kansas City Suburban Belt Railroad (later KCS, CPKC) is incorporated.

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January 8, 1902 Two trains collide in a smoke-filled tunnel under Park Avenue in New York City, killing 17 and injuring 38. Public outcry following the accident will lead to the banning of steam engines in lower Manhattan and the building of Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station.

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January 8, 1923 The van Sweringens acquire the Chesapeake & Ohio.

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January 8, 1937 The Beech Grove (IN) Traction Company shuts down at 1:00 a.m. Its electric supplier, Indianapolis Railways, terminates electric service due to Beech Grove Traction owing almost $30,000 ($671,000 in 2025 dollars). It has been rumored that employee's pay consisted partly of BGT trolley tokens.

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January 8, 1954 The Sunset Limited becomes the first train to use the new New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal.

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January 8, 1956 Steam locomotive servicing at New York Central's Jackson MI shops officially ends.

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January 8, 1957 The New Haven's "Dan'l Webster", a "Train X' built by Pullman-Standard, makes its first public appearance. During the run the trailing unit catches fire due to a problem with a third rail shoe. When the damaged cars are towed home they derail, blocking the tracks and delaying rush hour trains.

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January 8, 1962 In the worst railway accident in the history of the Netherlands, the driver of one passenger train misses a signal and collides nearly head on with another. The accident, which kills 91 people, takes places just outside Harmelen.

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January 8, 1962 The Interstate Commerce Commission begins hearings on the "Big John" grain rate case. The American Watercraft Operators et al. have protested the Southern Railway's proposed discounts for bulk shipments of grain. The ICC will sit in almost continuous session through August 29 to hear the case. It will be resolved with a ruling in favor of the railroad by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1967. The decision is the first chink in the armor of regulated railroad freight rates.

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January 8, 1964 New York Central sells its Church Street Tower in Kalamazoo MI to Mr. Don Gilmore for $1.00 (2025: $10.21). Mr. Gilmore moves the tower from its downtown location to his farm in Barry County, where it is now on display as part of the Gilmore Car Museum.

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January 8, 1973 Pipe Major Gordon Speirs is asked to restrict his bagpipe playing in Liverpool Street Station, London to just one minute in fifteen. Hired by the Scottish Tourist Board, his playing is alleged to “interfere with station business”.

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Mark Tomlonson