December 23, 1851 Ground is broken in both Chicago and Cairo IL for the Illinois Central.

?

December 23, 1852 The first train to run west of the Mississippi travels five miles from St. Louis to Cheltenham, a modest beginning on building plans that have aimed towards a transcontinental rail connection ever since gold was discovered in California in 1848.

?

December 23, 1867 The first section of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad opens between Grand Rapids and Cedar Springs, MI, meeting the deadline set by the State of Michigan for the land grant. The GR&I is operated by a contractor with cars provided by the Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne & Chicago. This small amount of construction has exhausted all of the GR&I's available funds.

?

December 23, 1873 The First section of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe opens, between Topeka and the Colorado/Kansas border.

?

December 23, 1877 The Indianapolis Belt Line handles a record 108-car train.

?

December 23, 1907 The first all-steel passenger car is unveiled, built by the Pennsylvania Railroad.

?

December 23, 1926 The Pennsylvania Railroad holds its second annual system-wide Christmas party, held simultaneously across the system at 8:00 PM EST. The party is broadcast on WJZ New York, KDKA Pittsburgh and other stations. At Philadelphia, PRR President Atterbury greets employees at the Metropolitan Opera House.

?

December 23, 1926 Atlantic Coast Line inaugurates new Pullman lounges on the "Havana Special", equipped with two shower baths and a soda fountain-buffet. Also offered: afternoon tea with “Filipino” (i.e. non-Union) attendants.

?

December 23, 1930 The Detroit-Toledo Railroad merges with the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton. Detroit-Toledo has been a DT&I subsidiary for the last 15 years.

?

December 23, 1944 Washington Union Station is temporarily closed when 100,000 customers fill the concourse, which has been designed for 25,000. Some passengers are unable to get to their trains before departure and many trains leave the station with empty space.

?

December 23, 1946 8,872,244 people ride the New York City subways, the current one-day record.

?

December 23, 1968 Canadian National Railways begin using Turbos in revenue service.

?

December 23, 2001 A faulty brake application on a CSX local switching in Kodak Park, Charlotte NY causes the train to run away and derail 5 miles later. Several homes and businesses in the area are destroyed.

?

Mark Tomlonson

December 22, 1959 A light snowstorm in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, forced Red Arrow to return 5 center door cars and Queen Mary 26 (ex-PTC 4024) to service on all 3 branches. In Philadelphia, heavy ridership during the Christmas shopping period, mainly due to the start of express service on the Broad Street Subway, forced PTC to return its first 20 PCC cars to service on route 53.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky

December 20, 1864 The Bellefontaine Railway (later CCC&I, CCC&StL, NYC) is created from the merger of the Indianapolis, Pittsburgh & Cleveland and the Bellefontaine & Indiana. The incorporation papers will be filed in Indiana today and in Ohio on December 26.

?

December 20, 1869 The Michigan Central begins joint operations with the Great Western Railway of Canada.

?

December 20, 1880 A shipment of Chinese silkworms and silkworm eggs valued at $1.2 million (2024: $37.1 million) leaves Chicago on the Pennsylvania Railroad bound for Jersey City and France.

?

December 20, 1900 The first Cascade Tunnel on the Great Northern opens, replacing a series of switchbacks.

?

December 20, 1904 An acute water shortage in central and western Pennsylvania is delaying Pennsylvania Railroad trains. Water trains are brought in from the east. Next year a program will begin to create reservoirs in the area.

?

December 20, 1905 The rebuilt Louisville Union Station opens.

?

December 20, 1918 The first Boyne City, Gaylord & Alpena train arrives in Alpena MI.

?

December 20, 1918 "Canadian National Railways" is approved as the new name for Canadian Government Railways.

?

December 20, 1967 United Aircraft's "Turbotrain" sets the current United States rail speed record: 170.8 mph between New Brunswick and Trenton NJ.

?

December 20, 1970 Pullman-Standard closes its Michigan City IN shops.

?

December 20, 1984 A freight train derails in Summit Tunnel near Todmorden, England. Over 1 million liters (260,000 U.S. gallons) of gasoline ignite, creating the world’s largest underground fire. Two of the train’s tank cars melt in the 1,632 degree (C, 2,970 degree (F) fire. Flames shooting out of the ventilators rise 148 feet into the air. No one is hurt in the blaze.

?

December 20, 2003 Hong Kong Railways (KCRC) opens its West Rail extension.

?

December 20, 2010 The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society receives an SD-9, donated by Norfolk Southern. The locomotive, delivered to the Nickel Plate in 1957 as its number 358, was retired in 2007.

?

December 20, 2017 The Byron Bay Railway Company, in Byron Bay Australia claims the world’s first solar powered train. Using refurbished rail-diesel cars, the train uses solar energy from curved panels built into the cars’ roofs. Along with panels on the station roof used for recharging the train when it is parked, the train rarely needs its standby diesel engine as it takes beachgoers from the town center to the ocean.

?

December 20, 2021 After several challenges to the motion, the Surface Transportation Board approves the sale of 650 miles of Canadian National branch lines in Wisconsin and in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to WATCO.

?

December 21, 1829 Carrollton Viaduct, the first stone arch railroad bridge in the U.S., is dedicated in Baltimore. As of 2024 it is the oldest railway bridge still in use.

?

December 21, 1833 The Georgia Railroad, the first railroad in Georgia, is chartered.

?

December 21, 1841 The Albany & West Stockbridge Railroad (later B&A) completes its line between Greenbush and Chatham NY.

?

December 21, 1901 Arthur E. Appleyard assumes control of the Dayton, Lebanon & Cincinnati Railroad. He plans to unite it with other railroads, including the Ohio River & Western, as part of an interurban system to be known as the Ohio Union Traction Company.

?

December 21, 1903 The Harbor Beach & Port Hope R.R. Co. (MI) is merged into the Pere Marquette.

?

December 21, 1926 The Chambersburg & Gettysburg Electric Railway (PA) quits.

?

December 21, 1929 The Albany Southern (NY Interurban) quits.

?

December 21, 1938 The Pennsylvania Railroad's class S1 6-4-4-6 duplex steam locomotive is completed at Altoona, save for the streamlining. It also undergoes its first tests.

?

December 21, 1948 Grand Trunk Western opens a new passenger depot in Grand Rapids MI. The structure and associated trackage costs $250,000. ($3.3 million in 2024 dollars.)

?

December 21, 1962 The Budd Company delivers its last RDC, to the Reading Railroad.

?

December 21, 1971 Joseph Easley, longtime cartoonist for "Railroad" magazine dies at the age of 86.

?

December 21, 2004 Marklin introduces "condom" cars in HO and Z scale. Packed with a car lettered for German condom maker "Blausiegel" is one of the company's products. The cars are sold in a cigar-box like presentation case and are not marketed to children.

?

December 21, 2020 The North Carolina Department of Transportation begins auctioning off the former Ringling Brothers/Barnum & Bailey circus train. NCDOT had hoped to refurbish the cars for commuter service, but a Federal grant made that plan moot.

?

December 22, 1851 The first railroad opens in India, hauling construction material in Roorkee.

?

December 22, 1886 The Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroad is created from the merger of the Sault Ste. Marie & Marquette, Mackinaw & Marquette, and Sault Ste. Marie & Mackinac Railroad Companies.

?

December 22, 1898 Interurban service begins between Elkhart and Goshen IN.

?

December 22, 1914 The New York Central & Hudson River, the Lake Shore & Southern Michigan and several other subsidiaries consolidate with the New York Central. The Boston & Albany, Big Four and Michigan Central remain leased lines.

?

December 22, 1928 A record 854 long distance trains enter and leave Grand Central Terminal over 24 hours.

?

December 22, 1939 Two trains collide head-on near Genthin, Germany. Two hundred and seventy-eight are killed, 453 injured. It is the worst rail accident in German history.

?

December 22, 1954 The board of the Pennsylvania Railroad is briefed on the status of lightweight train projects, Pullman has received no orders for its "Train X". General Motors is building two lightweight sets to be powered by a special 1,200 hp diesel.

?

December 22, 1984 New York City resident Bernhard Goetz shoots and wounds four youths on a Manhattan subway, claiming they were about to rob him.

?

Mark Tomlonson

December 19, 1881 The land grant railroad Detroit, Mackinac & Marquette (later DSS&A, SOO, WC, CN) reaches St. Ignace, spanning Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

?

December 19, 1887 The Illinois Central completes its line to Sioux Falls SD.

?

December 19, 1910 The Chicago City Council considers following New York's lead and requiring all railroads to electrify within a radius of seven miles no later than January 1, 1913. The motion does not pass.

?

December 19, 1919 The Canadian National Railways is created by an Order in Council. The creation is meant to unite and rescue five bankrupt railroads: the Grand Trunk, Grand Trunk Pacific, Canadian Northern, Intercolonial and Canadian Government Railways. The new CNR is the longest railroad in North America, with over 50,000 km (31,000 miles) of track in Canada and the United States.

?

December 19, 1926 The Boston & Albany opens a new union station in Springfield MA. It replaces two earlier stations and cost $5.87 million ($104.6 million in 2024) to build.

?

December 19, 1944 No one is hurt when the “Sam Houston Zephyr” catches fire 50 miles north of Houston. Pulled by locomotive 9901, this will be the only one of the nine “shovelnose” EMD locomotives to meet an early end.

?

December 19, 1977 The Milwaukee Road files for bankruptcy.

?

December 19, 2000 The Adrian & Blissfield Railroad acquires the former Lenawee County Railroad (ex-NYC, LS&MS) from the State of Michigan.

?

December 19, 2006 For the first time since Hurricane Katrina, streetcars return to the St. Charles line in New Orleans. Only 10% of the route and just two of the 35 cars inaugurate the service.

?

December 19, 2017 CSX files with the STB to abandon the former Monon trackage between New Albany and Bedford, 62.3 miles. CSX ended service on the line in 2010, and the tracks have been used for rail car storage since then.

?

Mark Tomlonson

December 18, 1867 The Cleveland. Painesville & Ashtabula’s (later NYC) “New York Express” derails at Angola NY when a passenger car with “compromise” trucks (allowing it to run on both 56.5” and 58” gauge) picks the point of a frog and derails. The derailed car rolls off a bridge and kills 49.

?

December 18, 1881 The Michigan Central reaches the Straits of Mackinaw, building north from Bay City. (Some sources say December 31)

?

December 18, 1893 The Ottawa, Amprior & Parry Sound Railway (later GT) opens an extension from Amprior to Eganville ON.

?

December 18, 1908 The State of Michigan runs out of cash and cannot meet the state payroll. Several major railroads serving the state volunteer to pay a total of $750,000 (2024: $25.7 million) in advance taxes to help with the financial crunch.

?

December 18, 1911 On the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, a silk train crashes into the rear of the “Columbian Flier” at Odessa MN. Twelve people are killed.

?

December 18, 1936 The "Twin Cities Zephyr", an articulated trainset pulled by a separate diesel locomotive, is placed into service by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy between Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul MN.

?

December 18, 1946 The Pennsylvania Railroad ends its commitment to steam with the $16.375 million (2024: $240.29 million) purchase of 19 6,000 HP passenger diesels (5 EMD E7's, 5 Alco PA's and 9 BLW Sharknoses), completing dieselization of Blue Ribbon trains. Also included: 6 EMD F3 7,500 HP freight diesels to experimentally dieselize one freight train each between Harrisburg/Chicago and Harrisburg/St. Louis.

?

December 18, 1952 "Train X" makes its last test runs. Pennsylvania Railroad officials note that while the train can reach 106 mph, the ride is very unstable and uncomfortable.

?

December 18, 1956 Aerotrain service, "City of Las Vegas", between Los Angeles and Las Vegas begins on the Union Pacific.

?

December 18, 1962 The Interstate Commerce Commission approves Detroit, Toledo & Ironton control of the Ann Arbor Railroad.

?

December 18, 1968 An I.C.C. examiner recommends the merger of the Chicago & North Western and the Milwaukee Road.

?

December 18, 1983 Canadian National abondons track between Renfrew Junction and Whitney ON on its Renfrew Subdivision.

?

Mark Tomlonson

December 17, 1830 Former President John Quincy Adams, following his re-election to Congress, travels over the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad between Baltimore and Relay MD en route to Washington DC. President Adams rides in his own carriage that has been placed on a horse-drawn B&O flat car.

?

December 17, 1834 The first railroad in Ireland opens.

?

December 17, 1853 The Brooklyn City Railroad, the oldest streetcar line in Brooklyn, is opened.

?

December 17, 1862 Theodore T. Woodruff exhibits two sleeping cars of a new design at West Philadelphia.

?

December 17, 1870 The Kalamazoo & South Haven RR (later MC, NYC, PC, CR) is completed.

?

December 17, 1887 Southern Pacific begins service to Portland OR.

?

December 17, 1888 The Great Northern receives its first Leslie snowplow.

?

December 17, 1890 Cable car service begins in Cleveland OH.

?

December 17, 1894 The Detroit & Mackinaw Railway is formed as a reorganization of the Detroit, Bay City & Alpena.

?

December 17, 1911 Northern Pacific's "North Coast Limited" extends service to Chicago. The former eastern terminal was St. Paul.

?

December 17, 1913 The Detroit, Toledo & Milwaukee Railroad becomes the Michigan & Chicago Railway. (MI interurban)

?

December 17, 1924 First Diesel-electric locomotive enters service, on the docks in the Bronx.

?

December 17, 1940 The last interurban runs between Canton and Massillon OH.

?

December 17, 1947 The New York Central Railroad announces it has ordered 111 diesel locomotives.

?

December 17, 1951 The Rock Island converts all of its Chicago-area commuter runs to diesel. Seventeen new units replace the 23 Pacific types previously used.

?

December 17, 1954 First fully-automated railroad freight yard opens, on the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern in Gary IN.

?

December 17, 1962 The Interstate Commerce Commission approves Chesapeake & Ohio control of the Baltimore & Ohio.

?

December 17, 1964 Atlantic Coast Line introduces train television on its "Florida Special".

?

December 17, 2008 Rail-Runner commuter service begins between Santa Fe and Albuqueque NM.

?

December 17, 2017 Tacoma WA dedicates a new Amtrak station.

?

December 17, 2021 Railfan & Railroad magazine reports that the former New York, Ontario & Western depot in Middleton NY will be redeveloped. The depot has sat empty for 20 years following a fire.

?

December 17, 2021 The 55 km (34 mile) Orangeville-Brampton Railway makes its last run, ending service on a former Canadian Pacific branch that saw its first train in 1879.

?

Mark Tomlonson

December 16, 1951 Former Chicago trolley route 65 (Grand Avenue), converted to bus operation on April 1, was reconverted to trolleybus operation.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? December 16,,1956 Philadelphia bus route 88, a Market-Frankford Line feeder, was re-equipped with 3800-series GMC TDH-5105 diesel buses.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? December 16, 1957 New York's week long subway strike ended.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky

December 16, 1855 The Galena & Chicago Union (later C&NW) completes its line from Chicago to Fulton IL.

?

December 16, 1910 In Kinmundy IL, a standing Illinois Central freight is struck by another train that could not slow on a grade due to icy track. No injuries are reported, but the collision breaks open a live poultry car. Many residents of Kinmundy enjoy a Christmas turkey dinner courtesy of the railroad.

?

December 16, 1915 The United States Attorney General rules that New York Central's ownership of the Nickel Plate, Lake Shore & Michigan Southern and Michigan Central violates U.S. anti-trust laws and orders divesture.

?

December 16, 1932 The New York & Harlem Railroad sells its remaining trolley lines.

?

December 16, 1941 Union Pacific streamliner "M-10000" is retired.

?

December 16, 1943 Two Atlantic Coast Line passenger trains collide after a broken rail derails the first, putting it in the path of the second. Seventy-one people are killed, most of them U.S. troops.

?

December 16, 1957 Boston & Maine opens a new service facility exclusively for its RDC's. It can hold 16 of the B&M's 108 "Highliners".

?

December 16, 1965 The Atlantic Coast Line introduces candlelight dinners on the "Florida Special".

?

Mark Tomlonson

December 13, 1953 Chicago's first PCC car line, route 20 (Madison Street) was converted to bus operation and extended from Clark Street to Michigan Avenue. The 5th Avenue branch became a one-man car shuttle from Pulaski to California.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? December 14,1947 Newark trolley route 23 (Central Avenue) was converted to bus operation.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? December 14, 1947 South Philadelphia trolley route 29 (Morris and Tasker Streets) temporarily converted to bus operation on August 10, was reconverted to trolleybus operation with the first 40 ACF-Brill TC-44 trolleybuses.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? December 14, 1947 Kansas City trolley routes 51(Brooklyn) and 52 (Woodland) were converted to trolleybus operation and combined to form route 44 (Brooklyn-Woodland).? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky

December 13, 1836 The Republic of Texas charters its first railroad.

?

December 13, 1877 The Allegan & South Eastern Railroad is organized in Michigan to take over the part of the Mansfield, Coldwater & Lake Michigan Railroad between Allegan and Monteith. The papers will be filed in January.

?

December 13, 1902 For the last time, the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern in its yard in Elkhart IN switches a car equipped with a link and pin coupler.

?

December 13, 1907 Interurban service begins between Mukwonago and East Troy WI, extending the line from Milwaukee. The line now serves the East Troy Electric Railroad museum.

?

December 13, 1909 The Vancouver, Victoria & Eastern Railway, a Great Northern subsidiary, reaches Princeton BC.

?

December 13, 1930 The first Sperry Rail Detector car is shown to the public at Pittsburgh.

?

December 13, 1937 The Reading Railroad places a new steam-powered streamlined train in service between New York and Philadelphia. The 5-car train with an observation car at each end will be named "The Crusader" after a naming contest.

?

December 13, 1945 New York Central places an order for 420 new passenger cars. It is the largest passenger car order placed by any railroad to date.

?

December 13, 1945 The 1,000,000th returning soldier passes through Camp Kilmer on a Pennsylvania Railroad troop train.

?

December 13, 2005 Conrail closes Schaefer Tower in the Detroit area. It will be demolished three days later.

?

December 13, 2006 The Ohio Central uses its recently restored Lake Superior & Ishpeming 2-8-0 to pull a revenue freight train (including three dead-in-tow diesels).

?

December 13, 2008 Italy begins a new high-speed link between Milan and Bologna, part of a line that is expected to reach Rome next year. The train averages 120 mph, twice the speed of conventional service. Long-term plans are to give rail a 60% market share between any two Italian cities.

?

December 13, 2016 Detroit’s “Q-Line” light rail makes its first test run along its 3.3 mile Woodward Ave. right of way.

?

December 14, 1878 William H. Vanderbilt contracts with a British steamship company to ship grain from the New York Central & Hudson River's new terminal at 65th street in New York. Previously, the NYC&HR has used the infrastructure associated with the Erie Canal for its shipments but now has to make its own arrangements.

?

December 14, 1903 The New Haven inaugurates the "Merchants Limited", a premier first-class train between New York and Boston on a five-hour schedule. Trains leave Boston and New York at 5:00 pm.

?

December 14, 1934 New York Central unveils the "Commodore Vanderbilt", the first streamline steam locomotive and the inspiration for one of Lionel's most popular toy locomotives.

?

December 14, 1961 Near Evans CO, 20 students are killed and 16 injured when their school bus is hit by the Union Pacific's "City of Denver". The driver of the bus had let the vehicle roll onto the rural crossing in front of the oncoming train. After this incident, Colorado will pass a law requiring certain vehicles, such as school buses, to come to a full stop before proceeding across railroad tracks. Other states will follow suit.

?

December 14, 1974 Southern Pacific 4-8-4 4449 is moved from static display in a Portland OR park to Burlington Northern's Ninth Street roundhouse for restoration to active service pulling the second iteration of the American Freedom Train.

?

December 14, 2008 A mock hold-up of a Santa Train in Random Lake, WI becomes too real when a live round of buckshot is accidentally loaded into one of the guns. One of the actors and a 14-year old spectator receive non-life threatening wounds. Santa was not hurt.

?

December 14, 2010 CSX removes the last semaphore signals from the former Monon. The last blade to fall was at milepost 147.1 at North Crawfordsville IN.

?

December 14, 2017 The Irish Sun newspaper reports that Dublin’s new tram (light rail) line is so slow due to traffic, long loading time at stops and urban congestion that it is faster to walk the route than to ride.

?

December 15, 1859 Gas lighting is installed at the Pennsylvania's Altoona PA shops.

?

December 15, 1872 The Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad opens between Clam Lake (Cadillac) and Walton Jct. MI. (Some sources say September 1872).

?

December 15, 1891 Kokomo IN begins streetcar service.

?

December 15, 1893 High winds topple a construction crane on the Big Four Bridge, under construction at Louisville KY. The crane, one of the through truss spans and 41 workers are thrown into the Ohio River. Twenty-one of the workers lose their lives.

?

December 15, 1896 The first section of what will become the Canadian Northern (later CN) is laid between Gladstone and Dauphin, Manitoba.

?

December 15, 1907 The New York Central & Hudson River Railroad extends the running time of the Twentieth Century Limited by an hour and a half to allow for delays due to snowstorms.

?

December 15, 1925 Long Island RR 401 is demonstrated for the first time. It pulls a seven car freight from ALCO in Schenectady NY to Long Island, making it the first mainline freight in the U.S. pulled by diesel-electric power.

?

December 15, 1926 The Denver & Interurban (CO) ends operations.

?

December 15, 1930 Dayton (OH) Union Station sees its first trains.

?

December 15, 1930 The Pennsylvania Railroad begins allowing passengers traveling to Florida resorts to ship their cars by freight train.

?

December 15, 1937 A merger agreement is signed placing eight New York Central subsidiary lines into the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway.

?

December 15, 1938 The first diesels in the southeast appear on the "Orange Blossom Special": EMD E-4's. They are also the first locomotives to be fitted with EMD's "567" diesel prime mover.

?

December 15, 1953 The Osage Railroad (OK) is abandoned.

?

December 15, 1969 Penn Central opens Buckeye Yard northwest of Columbus OH. The computer-controlled yard has 88 miles of track and can hold 4,550 cars. It replaces 5 smaller yards in the Columbus area. The yard will not be finished until next year.

?

December 15, 1981Chicago & North Western and Union Pacific announce funding has been arranged for their Wyoming Coal Line project.

?

December 15, 1986 VIA takes delivery of its first F40PH-2 from the Diesel Division of General Motors Canada, Ltd. The units are the second type of new locomotives bought by VIA, the first are the LRC’s from Alco.

?

December 15, 1988 Chief Wawatam, the former ferry between Mackinaw City and St. Ignace MI, is towed to Sault Saint Marie, Ontario for conversion to a barge.

?

December 15, 1992 The Hulett machines unload their last lake ore boat at the Cleveland docks. After this, the boat-rail transfer will be accomplished by machinery carried on each boat.

?

December 15, 1994 VIA's "Atlantic", which also serves six stations in Maine, makes its last run.

?

December 15, 2010 For the first time, a model train circles the National Christmas Tree. The G-Scale set, provided by Amtrak, will run as long as the tree is up.

?

Mark Tomlonson

December 12, 1957 The TWU and the NYCTA showed progress in ending the subway strike but a light snowstorm and freezing cold temperatures sent temporary motorists back to the subways and conditions were worse. IRT Flushing line service was fully restored.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky

December 12, 1853 The Boston & New York Central Railroad (later B&A, NYC) is formed by the consolidation of the Norfolk County Railroad, the Southbridge & Blackstone and the Midland Railroad.

?

December 12, 1859 The first through passenger service via the Shore Line begins between New York and Boston. Ferries take the passengers over the Thames and possibly the Connecticut Rivers.

?

December 12, 1859 The Grand Trunk Railway opens the Victoria Bridge, crossing the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and St. Lambert. Until 1873 it will use 5 foot 6 inch (1.68 meter) gauge. It is the first bridge to span the river. The first train will cross the bridge December 17.

?

December 12, 1891 Streetcars begin running in Defiance OH.

?

December 12, 1900 The Wabash Railroad agrees to operate the Eel River Railroad (later PRR, PC, CR) for the receiver.

?

December 12, 1901 Pennsylvania Railroad President Alexander Cassat announces that the railroad plans to tunnel under the Hudson River and build a “grand station” on the west side of Manhattan.

?

December 12, 1917 In Mouane, in the French Alps, a grossly overloaded troop train jumps the tracks after the brakes fail on a steep mountain grade. At least 543 are killed, hundreds more are injured by official count. The actual count is assumed to be higher. Until 1981 it was the worst train disaster in history. It remains the worst train wreck.

?

December 12, 1926 The Pennsylvania Railroad completes an improvement of the ticket facilities at Penn Station, making it possible to buy railroad and Pullman tickets at the same window instead of waiting in two lines.

?

December 12, 1946 Seaboard Air Line restores the "Orange Blossom Special" as a winter-only Florida train after a hiatus during World War II.

?

December 12, 1949 The Norfolk & Western begins using new, lightweight cars on its "Powhattan Arrow".

?

December 12, 1956 Last regular passenger train on the Escanaba & Lake Superior.

?

December 12, 1968 United Aircraft's "Turbotrains" are placed in regular service on the Canadian National. On the press run two days earlier, the train hit a meat truck, an accident viewed on closed circuit TV by over 300 newsmen on board.

?

December 12, 2001 The last Alco-powered locomotive in regular service on a Class 1 Railroad makes its final run, as VIA retires LRC locomotive #6907.

?

Mark Tomlonson

December 11, 1957 On the third day of the New York subway strike, the NYCTA started a shuttle train service from Queens Plaza to 34th Street-6th Avenue. City officials met with officials of the 5 private bus companies in Queens to provide express bus service to feed the shuttle but the plan didn't work out and the cars were returned to the GG line which had been suspended in favor of the shuttle. Then in the afternoon, a new service began from 179th Street-Jamaica to Whitehall Street which was part of the Queens Boulevard-Broadway-Brighton local from Continental Avenue to Coney Island, but it used R-1/9 cars. One of these trains was extended as a Brighton local but tore up third rail between Ocean Parkway and West 8th Street. The Brighton line still had elevated third rail from Kings Highway to Coney Island and IND third rail shoes were required to operate on subway-type third rail.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky

December 11, 1845 The Nashville & Chattanooga (later NC&StL, L&N, CSX) is chartered in Tennessee. It will be built to a 5-foot gauge and will be the first railroad to operate in the state of Tennessee.

?

December 11, 1867 Cornelius Vanderbilt is elected President of the New York Central railroad without opposition, giving him control of railroads between New York and Buffalo.

?

December 11, 1868 Four members of the Reno gang are lynched in New Albany IN. They were in jail following the great train robbery of May 22, 1868.

?

December 11, 1879 The Lake Erie & Western (later NKP) is formed by the merger of several railroads linking Fremont OH and Bloomington IL.

?

December 11, 1887 The two-foot gauge Gilpin Tram Railway begins operations in Colorado.

?

December 11, 1889 John Frank Stevens along with Coonsah, a Flathead Native guide, find Marias Pass, which will enable the Great Northern to cross the Continental Divide in Montana.

?

December 11, 1906 The first revenue MU electric train on the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad enters Grand Central Station. (Some sources say December 13)

?

December 11, 1946 A report requested by Pennsylvania Railroad Vice President-Operations J.M. Symes compares projected results of freight service with 80 A-B-B-B-A diesel sets vs. 202 4-4-6-4 Q2's. The diesels would save over $14 million per year (2024: $206 million) plus an additional gain of $6.5 million ($95.4 million) annually if the diesels can improve on-time performance.

?

December 11, 1998 Canadian National Railway operates its last train in Ottawa ON. Operation in Ottawa will begin in two days by the Ottawa Central Railway.

?

December 11, 2000 Amtrak's "Acela" service begins between Washington and Boston.

?

Mark Tomlonson

December 10, 1957 During the second day of the New York subway strike, the New York Central Railroad ran a 12-car train from Mt. Vernon on the Harlem Division to Grand Central?Station, making it the world's longest commuter train.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? December 10, 1970 The last pre-Amtrak railroad strike took place when the Penn Central, Reading, Jersey Central, and Erie-Lackawanna were among the 30 railroads involved in the strike. The Long Island Railroad, which was unaffected, ran regularly but not to Penn Station; its trains terminated at Hunters Point or Woodside or were diverted to Brooklyn. The PATH tubes ran regularly but with no service from Journal Square in Jersey City to Newark.? Staten Island Rapid Transit didn't operate. The strike ended on the 11th following Congressional action.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky

December 10, 1795 Matthias Baldwin, developer and manufacturer of steam locomotives is born.

?

December 10, 1850 The Michigan Southern Railroad reaches Coldwater from the east.

?

December 10, 1870 The Courts rule that a state "head tax" on traffic on Baltimore & Ohio's Washington Branch is unconstitutional. The B&O reduces local fares by $0.30 (2024: $7.23) but continues to charge tax on through tickets until January 29, 1871.

?

December 10, 1877 The Syracuse, Geneva & Corning Railway (later NYC&HR, NYC) begins operations.

?

December 10, 1878 The first Tiffany Patent Refrigerator car, invented earlier this year in Chicago, arrives in Philadelphia from Kansas City with a load of beef halves.

?

December 10, 1908 The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (later CN) completes its 846 meter (2,775 foot) bridge over the Battle River. The bridge is 60 meters (195 feet) above the water.

?

December 10, 1919 The car barns of the Niagara, St. Catharines & Toronto Street Railway Company in Niagara Falls ON burn to the ground. A smaller barn and a repair shop at the same location will replace them.

?

December 10, 1919 The Michigan Central opens new shops and a division point in Niles, MI.

?

December 10, 1935 The Huey P. Long bridge in Metaire, LA, is completed, serving highway and rail traffic. It is 4.35 miles long, owned by the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad.

?

December 10, 1939 Frisco's semi-streamlined "Firefly" enters service.

?

December 10, 1947 Train telephone service is added to the "Broadway Limited" between New York and Harrisburg PA.

?

December 10, 1958 National Airlines begins the first domestic jet airliner service in the United States.

?

December 10, 1968 The Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, the Switchmen's Union of North American and the Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen vote to merge their four unions into a single organization, the United Transportation Union.

?

December 10, 1969 The first load of iron ore is shipped from Levis WI.

?

December 10, 1988 Chicago & North Western sells 200 miles of trackage in Wisconsin to the Fox River Valley Railway.

?

December 10, 2010 An order for the first high-speed trains in Africa is placed with Alstrom. The TGV-style cars will operate between Tangier and Morocco.

?

December 10, 2014 Amtrak opens a new station in Dearborn MI, replacing an “Amshack” that had been in use for over 30 years.

?

Mark Tomlonson

December 9, 1956 Philadelphia trolley route 20 from Broad and Olney to the Naval Base via Old York Road and 12th and 13th Streets was re-equipped with 2500-series air-electric PCC cars as it remained two-man operated during normal hours. Cars 2515-87 were assigned to Luzerne Depot for routes 20 and 60 and cars 2031-80 were transferred to Woodland for the subway-surface car lines. The 50 ex-SLPS cars, which had been in storage, were returned to service on route 56. Route 6 got 2100-series all-electrics for its lost 2031s. The remodeled 8000s used on route 20 were retired to Ridge Depot as the December, 1956, scrapping program involved prewar Mack buses.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? December 9, 1957 A TWU attempt to take in motormen led to strike against the New York subway system. The strike ended on the 16th.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky

December 9, 1839 The Philadelphia & Reading Railroad (later RDG) begins revenue service between Reading PA and the foot of Belmont Plane.

?

December 9, 1879 The Toledo, Peoria & Western is leased to the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway for 50 years.

?

December 9, 1881 The "Golden" Spike is driven three miles west of Newberry MI to complete the Detroit, Mackinac & Marquette Railroad (later DSS&A, SOO, CN, GDLK).

?

December 9, 1911 Streetcar service ends in Salem OH.

?

December 9, 1921 In response to a rash of mail and Post Office robberies, the Post Office Department announces it is placing armed U.S. Marines in cars carrying valuable mail. Also, plainclothes guards are placed on trains.

?

December 9, 1923 A burning automobile on the tracks at Forsyth NY stops the first and second sections of the 20^th Century Limited. The third section misses a signal in the fog and crashes into the rear of the second section, killing 9.

?

December 9, 1932 Streetcar service comes to a close in Springfield OH.

?

December 9, 1941 Chesapeake & Ohio officials accept the first 2-6-6-6 "Allegheny" locomotive from Lima Locomotive Works.

?

December 9, 2002 President George W. Bush nominates CSX CEO John Snow to be his Secretary of the Treasury.

?

December 9, 2011 CSX closes the former "WB" Tower in Brunswick MD. The tower, on the former Baltimore & Ohio, was one of the last manned towers on the east coast.

?

Mark Tomlonson

December 7, 1952 Chicago PCC routes 49 (Western Avenue) and 63 (63rd Street) were converted to bus operation on weekends and holidays.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? December 7, 1952 Philadelphia became the first city to ban downtown street parking from Callowhill to South Streets between the rivers. This parking ban enabled PTC to speed up trolley operation on the north-south streets.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? December 8, 1957 Trolleybus service ended in Wilmington, Delaware.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky