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, 1954 Baltimore PCC route 13 (North Avenue) was converted to bus operation to save $250,000 in track repair costs.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? January 12, 1966 The 12-day strike against the NYCTA ended when the TWU agreed to a new 2-year contract.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky?

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

January 7, 1952 The closure of Reading's trolley system kept Pennsylvania as the top trolley state because of its remaining trolley systems:? Altoona, Johnstown, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Scranton, and Red Arrow.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky

January 7, 1830 The first railroad station in the U.S. opens in Baltimore for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, which today is opening its first segment of track. The first revenue rail passengers in the U.S. are carried behind horsepower and operation is irregular over the mile and a quarter line.

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January 7, 1840 Incoming Michigan Governor William Woodbridge recommends in his first message to stop all of the State's internal improvement appropriations. Illinois and Indiana have already dramatically cut back on their programs.

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January 7, 1872 The Northern Central Michigan Railroad (later LS&MS, NYC) begins operations between Jonesville and Albion MI.

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January 7, 1876 The Toronto Globe reports that Commodore Vanderbilt has gained control of the Canada Southern Railway.

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January 7, 1883 The Chicago, Kalamazoo & Saginaw (later MC, NYC, PC, CR (one section); MC, GT, CN (other section)) is incorporated.

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January 7, 1887 The Manistee & Northeastern (later PM, C&O, Chessie, CSX, TSBY) is chartered to build between Manistee and Traverse City.

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January 7, 1927 Seaboard Air Line opens its own route between West Palm Beach and Miami for passenger service, ending trackage rights over the Florida East Coast. It also adds an extension to Ft. Myers for passenger service.

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January 7, 1929 The "20th Century Limited" runs a record seven identical sections. Eight hundred twenty two people pay the extra $10 fare ($180 in 2024) to ride The Century. An automobile show in New York City gets the credit for this sudden increase in traffic. Combined with other special trains arriving for the show, a record 266 sleeping cars arrive at Grand Central Terminal between 5:00 am and 9:50 am.

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January 7, 1932 The Nicholas, Fayette & Greenbrier Railroad begins operations. It is jointly owned by the Chesapeake & Ohio, which switches its east end, and the New York Central Subsidiary Kanawha & Michigan which switches its west end.

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January 7, 1952 The last segment of the Reading Traction Company (PA) quits.

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January 7, 1961 In cooperation with the Atlantic Coast Line, the Pennsylvania Railroad begins running a solid train of TOFC equipment from Florida to Kearny NJ.

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January 7, 1969 A Long Island Railroad commuter is arrested for "Theft of Services" after refusing to show his ticket while riding in an unheated and unlit car. Five more commuters will be arrested for a similar protest on January 10.

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January 7, 1995 The Algoma Central Railway is purchased by the Wisconsin Central. (Some sources say February 1)

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January 7, 2002 Amtrak train 351 becomes the first in regular service to run at 90 mph (145 km/h) between Kalamazoo and Porter IN using the new GPS-based Incremental Train Control System.

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January 7, 2006 At 2:40 a.m. a Norfolk Southern train slams into a local in Graniteville SC due to a misaligned switch. A tank car carrying chlorine is punctured by a loose steel coil, sending chlorine gas into the air. The escaping gas kills nine people, including one of the engineers.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 6, 1853 The New Jersey Railroad, Camden & Amboy, Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore and the Baltimore & Ohio begin advertising that they will operate a continuous connecting railroad for mail, passengers and express between New York and Washington with connections guaranteed.

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January 6, 1853 President-elect Franklin Pierce, his wife and son are involved in a train wreck near Andover MA on the Boston & Maine. His son, Bernie, is the only fatality. Pierce will never fully recover from the emotional impact of losing his son. Some historians point to this trauma as preventing Pierce from taking adequate steps to prevent the American Civil War.

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January 6, 1865 The first train crosses the Mississippi River into Clinton IA.

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January 6, 1872 Horsecars begin operation in Ft. Wayne IN.

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January 6, 1882 The Chicago & Western Indiana absorbs the South Chicago & Western Indiana and the Chicago & Western Indiana Belt Railway.

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January 6, 1889 First passenger train on the Manistee & Northeastern (later PM, C&O, Chessie, CSX, TSBY).

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January 6, 1892 The Terre Haute (IN) Electric Railway begins operations.

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January 6, 1910 The Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad buys the Chicago Terminal Transfer Railroad, giving the B&O direct control of all its Chicago terminals.

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January 6, 1918 The USRA makes major cuts in U.S. passenger service, saving $60 million (2025: $1.352 billion) per year. A la carte meals are abolished in diners, menus are limited and the number of dining cars is reduced. All passenger train advertising is eliminated (including train names). Consolidated ticket offices are established. During the war, the USRA will move 6,496,000 soldiers in 9,000 troop trains.

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January 6, 1919 The Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac opens a new station in Richmond VA, part of an extensive capital improvement project in the area. The west side belt line is also double-tracked to handle passenger trains.

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January 6, 1922 The Pennsylvania Railroad announces it will retire its last wooden dining cars in the next few months.

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January 6, 1930 The Detroit, Toledo & Ironton drops passenger service between Napoleon OH & Tecumseh MI.

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January 6, 1934 Streetcar service in Frankfort, KY ends as a result of a strike.

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January 6, 1940 Streetcar service draws to a close in Terre Haute IN.

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January 6, 1949 In response to the US "Friendship Train" which gathered food and other relief supplies for France and Italy, the French send a "Merci Train" to U.S. State capitols and Washington DC. The "40 and 8" boxcars in the train are filled with gifts of appreciation. They will be carried on flatcars while in the U.S.

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January 6, 1950 The Long Island Railroad drops its PRR-inspired keystone logo and introduces a new herald with "LI" in a circle.

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January 6, 1950 The Monon introduces “The Varsity”. Running weekends between Chicago and Bloomington IN it is designed to serve Indiana University students.

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January 6, 1956 The New York Central closes its steam locomotives shops in Detroit and Jackson MI.

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January 6, 2015 California breaks ground on its high-speed rail project.

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January 6, 2021 China unveils a new high-speed train set designed to operate at temperatures as low as -40.

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Mark

January 3, 1960 St. Louis PCC route 70 (Grand Avenue), which served that city's theatre district, was converted to bus operation to permit rebuilding of a viaduct. This conversion isolated the remaining PCC car lines from the shops at 39th and Park.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? January 3, 1966 On the first business day of the new year, New York was struggling with cars, trucks, and taxicabs choking the streets as the TWU strike against the NYCTA entered its third day.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? January 4, 1959 Trolleybus service ended in Kansas City and its last 4 routes were converted to bus operation. They were routes 41 (Independence Avenue), 42 (Truman Road), 43 (Prospect Avenue, the city's heaviest, and 45 (Northeast). Thirty of the Marmon-Herrington trolleybuses were later sold to Dayton, Ohio; other trolleybuses were sold to Bogata, Colombia. Also, the 9th and Brighton bus garage was closed on weekends and holidays when all routes operated from 26th and Harrison.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? January 4, 1966 TWU President Michael J. Quill defied a court order to get the striking NYCTA subway and bus workers back to work and he was jailed. He later suffered a heart attack in his jail cell in Brooklyn and was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? January 5, 1970 New York's subway and bus fares rose from 20 to 30 cents.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Dennis M Linsky

January 3, 1868 The Kalamazoo & Grand Rapids Railroad (later KA&GR, LS&MS, NYC, PC) is incorporated.

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January 3, 1870 The Kalamazoo & South Haven (later MC, NYC, PC, CR) is completed from Kalamazoo to Kendall MI.

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January 3, 1908 The St. Clair Coal Railway (IL) is merged into the Vandalia Railroad.

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January 3, 1910 Tired of its cars being routed to the Boston & Maine by mistake, the Brookville & Mahoning (PA) changes its name to the Pittsburg & Shawmut.

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January 3, 1914 The Niagara, St. Catharines & Toronto Railway (interurban) opens from St. Catharines to Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON.

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January 3, 1933 A recreation car is placed on the "Florida Special", operating southbound on Fridays and northbound on Mondays. The car includes a three-piece Hawaiian band, a dance floor, contract bridge tournaments and other amusements including a wading pool. Next year, the pool will be withdrawn due to sloshing water and additional recreation cars will be built making the cars available on all trains.

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January 3, 1934 When a flying wheel rim from a grade crossing collision kills an engineer, the Pennsylvania Railroad orders its P-5 electrics still under construction to be built with a center cab rather than box cab design.

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January 3, 1954 The last steam powered passenger train departs Washington DC's Union Station. Richmond, Fredricksburg & Potomac engine #622 "Carter Braxton" departs at approx. 1: 40 PM for Richmond VA.

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January 3, 1957 The former Cincinnati Northern (later CCC&StL, NYC) roundhouse at Van Wert OH is torn down.

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January 3, 1960 Washington DC ends suburban and overhead trolley operations.

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January 3, 1962 First through train, Sydney to Melbourne.

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January 3, 1967 The Chesapeake & Ohio buys the Chicago, South Shore & South Bend, acquiring 94% of the lines outstanding stock.

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January 3, 2005 The Federal Railroad Administration publishes a "final rule" requiring reflective material on the sides of locomotives and freight cars as a safety measure to make trains more visible at highway-rail grade crossings.

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January 3, 2020 To try to increase public awareness of grade crossing dangers, the North Carolina Department of Transportation and Morrisville police place the remains of a car wrecked in a November 30 car/train collision at the site of the accident for 30 days to illustrate the damage caused to a car when it is hit by a freight doing 55 mph.

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January 3, 2024 Yesterday and today, two former New York Central electric locomotives, an S-1 and a T-3a, are delivered and unloaded at the Danbury Rail Museum. They had been stranded in Glenmont NY for more than 30 years.

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January 4, 1875 The Prince Edward Island Railway (later CGR, CNoR, CN) opens between Summerside and Tignish.

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January 4, 1877 Commodore Vanderbilt dies at his home at the age of 82. He leaves the bulk of his estate and control of the Vanderbilt Lines to his son, William Henry.

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January 4, 1891 The Southern Railroad inaugurates its "Washington and Southwestern Vestibule Limited", an ancestor of the "Crescent Limited".

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January 4, 1901 Union Traction Company opens its Anderson-Indianapolis line.

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January 4, 1915 The "Dixie Flyer", running between Chicago and Florida on a C&EI/L&N route receives all-new steel cars.

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January 4, 1920 Ottawa Central Station (Ontario) is renamed Ottawa Union Station.

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January 4, 1932 The Indiana Railroad (interurban) abandons its main line between Indianapolis and Dunreith branch.

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January 4, 1948 The Rock Island and the Southern Pacific debut new equipment for the “Golden State” passenger train.

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January 4, 1952 The Chesapeake & Ohio carferry "Spartan" is launched.

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January 4, 1962 New York City installs the first automated subway train.

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January 4, 1963 The Baltimore & Ohio ends passenger service to Cleveland.

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January 4, 1965 In his State of the Union address, President Johnson calls for funds to study high-speed rail service in the Northeast Corridor.

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January 4, 1969 The Port Authority Transit Corporation of Pennsylvania and New Jersey (PATCO) begins operations between Broadway, Camden and Lindenwood NJ.

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January 4, 1970 The "Lake Cities" makes its last run between Chicago and Hoboken, ending long-distance passenger service on the Erie-Lackawanna. The train will arrive at its end terminals tomorrow morning.

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January 4, 1987 Conrail engines running light run through a signal and collide with an Amtrak train at Gunpow Interlocking on the Northeast Corridor, killing 16. Ricky Gates, the Conrail engineer was found to be using marijuana and watching TV at the time of the accident. The incident will lead directly to licensing and drug testing of locomotive engineers.

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January 4, 1990 An overcrowded 16-car passenger train strikes a standing freight train in Sindh Province, Pakistan, killing 307 and injuring an estimated 700 people.

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January 5, 1832 The Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad Company (later CCC&StL, NYC, PC, CR, I&O) is incorporated in Ohio to build between Sandusky and Dayton via Springfield. The charter, the first successful one in Ohio, replaces a planned canal project that has been shelved for lack of water.

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January 5, 1861 The Amboy, Lansing & Traverse Bay Railroad (later JL&S, MC) becomes the first land-grant railroad in Michigan to receive certification that it has completed the requisite 20 miles of track.

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January 5, 1869 Representatives of railroads running between New York and Washington meet at New York to devise a plan to eliminate the use of horse-drawn transfers through the streets of Baltimore.

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January 5, 1876 In a dispute over a level crossing, the Pennsylvania Railroad parks a locomotive on its tracks in Hopewell NJ where the Delaware & Bound Brook Railroad hopes to cross. When the locomotive backs up to clear another PRR train, D&BB partisans chain it to the track. Today and tomorrow 1500 railroad employees plus townsfolk from Hopewell will confront each other. Four PRR locomotives will derail in unsuccessful attempts to ram barricades.

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January 5, 1893 The last rail in the construction of the Great Northern Railroad between the Great Lakes and Everett, Washington is put in place at Scenic, WA. It is the fourth transcontinental railroad completed, and the first to receive no Federal aid nor to be involved in a major financial scandal. Service on the line will not start until July. (Some sources place this event on January 6.)

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January 5, 1914 The Pennsylvania Railroad announces it carried 111,000,000 passengers in 1913 without a single fatality.

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January 5, 1917 After a five-year court battle, the merger of the Evansville & Southern Indiana Traction Company and the Evansville Public Service Company is approved.

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January 5, 1955 The Sand Springs Railway (interurban, OK) ends passenger service.

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January 5, 1956 General Motors’ "Aerotrain" number 1000 is tested by the Pennsylvania Railroad between Washington and Newark. “Aerotrain” number 1001 makes its initial Chicago to Detroit test run on the New York Central.

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January 5, 1966 All parties agree to include the New Haven in the Penn Central merger.

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January 5, 1985 The Alaska Railroad becomes the property of the State of Alaska.

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January 5, 1988 The last passenger train leaves Detroit's Michigan Central station: Amtrak’s Train 353, departing at 11:30 am for Chicago.

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January 5, 2007 300 kph (186 mph) train service begins between Panchiao and Kaohsing, Taiwan, using Japanese "Bullet Train" technology. A second section from Panchiao to Taipei will open March 2.

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January 5, 2011 In a report issued today, the Public Interest Network reports that highway tolls and other fees cover only 51% of the total cost of road transportation, the rest being borne by taxes.

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January 5, 2012 In Vernon VT, 15 "Turtle Crossings" are installed under 700 feet of railroad track to allow endangered spotted turtles to safely reach their nesting grounds.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 2, 1975 Two Manhattan-bound Penn Central commuter trains were involved in a head-on collision at the Botanical Garden station in the Bronx, injuring 231 persons. Service on the Harlem and New Haven divisions was suspended until the evening.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky

January 2, 1832 Daniel K. Minor, publisher of the "New York American", publishes the first issue of the "American Railroad Journal". It is the first U.S. periodical devoted entirely to the railroad industry. It is the direct ancestor of "Railway Locomotives and Cars".

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January 2, 1871 The first train runs from Kalamazoo to South Haven on the Kalamazoo & South Haven Railroad.

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January 2, 1893 Standards are set for Railroad Timepieces, a vital necessity when most trains move by timetable and train order.

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January 2, 1901 The Detroit & Charlevoix Railroad (later MC) is chartered.

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January 2, 1913 The Cleveland Alliance & Mahoning Valley Railway becomes the last interurban in Ohio to open for business.

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January 2, 1916 Interurban service between Battle Creek and Grand Rapids MI via Richland begins. Between Battle Creek and Montieth the line uses former trackage of the Cincinnati Northern. From Montieth to Grand Rapids it uses new trackage constructed by the Chicago & Michigan.

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January 2, 1922 A train of 100 Pennsylvania steel boxcars carrying 500 Durant automobiles leaves Jersey City for California via the Overland Route. It is the largest transcontinental shipment of a single commodity to this date.

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January 2, 1930 The New York Central system acquires the lease of both the Michigan Central and "Big Four" lines.

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January 2, 1934 The Seaboard Air Line's "Orange Blossom Special" becomes the first Florida train to be completely air-conditioned.

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January 2, 1935 Chicago & North Western begins "400" service between Chicago and St. Paul, so named because the 400-mile trip is scheduled to take 400 minutes.

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January 2, 1938 First run of "The City Of San Francisco"

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January 2, 1958 The Litchfield & Madison Railway is merged with the Chicago & North Western.

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January 2, 1958 The New Haven Railroad drops 10 of its 38 New York-Boston trains and 4 of its 32 New York-Springfield trains.

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January 2, 1970 The world's then-largest freight car leaves Pittsburgh for Florida carrying an electric generator. The car can carry 1.2 million pounds (544,000 kg), is 177 feet long (54 meters) and has 44 wheels.

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January 2, 1996 The Interstate Commerce Commission is replaced by the Surface Transportation Board.

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Mark Tomlonson

January 1, 1957 It was the last day when Philadelphia trolleys served the Mummers parade with only routes 17 and 20 still operating. Route 20 followed its regular routing but route 17 used Chestnut and Walnut Streets instead of Market and route 32 was combined with bus route 21. Bus routes A and XB used 13th and 15th Streets from Pine to Spring Garden. Bus route C (main route) used 13th and 15th Streets from Oregon to Master. Bus route C (10th and Somerville Division) terminated its runs at Broad and Allegheny.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? January 1, 1957 Kansas City's streetcar franchise expired. Its last 3 PCC car lines went bus on June 23.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? January 1, 1961 The NYCTA made changes on BMT subway lines. Brighton and West End express trains and Brighton and 4th Avenue local trains switched their northern terminals to provide non-rush hour service cuts. All Sea Beach trains ran local from 59th Street, Brooklyn, to Pacific Street on Sundays and holidays.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? January 1, 1966 John V. Lindsay was sworn in as New York's new Mayor as the TWU went on strike against the NYCTA.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky

January 1, 1838 The United States Government contracts with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad to carry mail. The B&O is the first railroad in the U.S. to get a mail contract.

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January 1, 1850 The Vermont Central opens between Waterbury and Burlington.

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January 1, 1853 The Baltimore & Ohio reaches the Ohio River at Wheeling, Virginia.

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January 1, 1866 The first train arrives in Schoolcraft on the Schoolcraft & Three Rivers Railroad. [Later K&WP, LS&MS, NYC, PC, CR, NS, GDLK]

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January 1, 1867 A third rail for standard gauge equipment is placed in service on the broad-gauge Great Western Railway of Canada, opening a continuous standard-gauge line from Chicago to New York with the new train ferry Great Western between Detroit and Windsor. The Great Western is the largest iron or steel vessel on the Great Lakes. Through sleeping car service is inaugurated between Suspension Bridge (Niagara Falls) and Chicago.

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January 1, 1870 The first train into Kalamazoo on the Kalamazoo & South Haven Railroad. [Later MC, NYC, PC, CR]

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January 1, 1870 Grand River Valley Railroad completed from Jackson to Grand Rapids via Charlotte and Hastings [later MC, NYC, PC, KBECR].

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January 1, 1872 The Denver & Rio Grande Railway opens from Denver to Colorado Springs, a new town founded by General William J. Palmer.

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January 1, 1872 The Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore Railroad (later PM, C&O, CSX) reaches Pentwater MI from the south. Also today, the Grand Rapids & Holland Railroad completes a branch between its namesake cities for the C&MLS.

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January 1, 1874 Horsecar service begins between Belding and the Ionia & Lansing Railroad in Kiddville.

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January 1, 1874 The Michigan portion of the Mansfield, Coldwater & Lake Michigan Railroad between Allegan and Monteith is leased to the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad.

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January 1, 1876 The North Brookfield Railroad (later B&A, NYC) is opened.

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January 1, 1877 The Toledo, Wabash & Western Railway reorganizes as the Wabash Railway.

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January 1, 1879 The Pennsylvania Company begins operating the Indianapolis & Vincennes Railroad. The line was leased on December 28.

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January 1, 1888 Tracks of the Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie & Atlantic Railway (later Soo Line) reach Sault Ste. Marie.

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January 1, 1899 South Central Station (now South Station) in Boston opens.

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January 1, 1900 The Pere Marquette Railroad is formed from the Chicago & West Michigan, Flint & Pere Marquette and Detroit, Grand Rapids & Western. It is Michigan's largest railroad. (Some sources say December 31, 1899)

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January 1, 1900 The Pullman Palace Car Co. buys out its major competitor, The Wagner Palace Car Co.

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January 1, 1900 The Pennsylvania Railroad establishes a company pension, with 70 set as the mandatory retirement age.

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January 1, 1902 The Wabash Railroad ceases operation of the Logansport & Toledo (later PRR, PC, CR) between Logansport and Butler. It is taken over by the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railroad.

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January 1, 1907 The Pennsylvania Railroad discontinues its practice of publishing train schedules in daily newspapers.

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January 1, 1907 The Ft. Wayne & Springfield makes its first trip from Decatur to Ft. Wayne. Only the first 7 miles of the trip are run under wire, the remainder of the trip to Ft. Wayne is made attached to the construction train. Once in Ft. Wayne, the car enters street car track and again runs under wire to the depot.

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January 1, 1910 The Winona & Warsaw Railway, operating 3 1/3 miles between Warsaw and Winona Lake, begins operations under lease of the Winona Interurban Railway.

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January 1, 1913 To avoid buying new steel cars for service into Grand Central and Penn Station, the New Haven contracts with the Pullman Company to operate its lounge and sleeping cars.

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January 1, 1914 The world's first commercial airline with a regular schedule begins operation between St. Petersburg and Tampa FL. It will fail within four months.

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January 1, 1917 The Vandalia Railroad is merged with other Pennsylvania Railroad properties to become the PCC&StL Railroad.

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January 1, 1917 The Pennsylvania Railroad begins screening "The Americanization of Tony", a company film designed to teach citizenship to Italian employees.

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January 1, 1919 The Lebanon & Franklin Traction Company of Ohio quits.

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January 1, 1919 The Columbus, Magnetic Springs & Northern Railway (OH, Interurban) is abandoned.

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January 1, 1922 The New York Central leases the Toledo & Ohio Central.

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January 1, 1923 Britain's railroads are rationalized into four geographic groups.

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January 1, 1930 The Cincinnati & Lake Erie is organized out of the remnants of the Ohio Electric Railway et al. It offers through service between Cincinnati and Detroit on frequent headways. It is perhaps most famous for staging a race between one of its cars and a biplane, and winning.

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January 1, 1930 The Toledo & Ohio Central begins operations into Columbus Union Station.

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January 1, 1935 The Voroshilovgrad Locomotive Works delivers an Aa20-1 class locomotive. It is the first and only seven-coupled steam locomotive on a rigid frame. Designed by engineering students, the 4-14-4 engine is quickly withdrawn from service after it chews up miles of track and has to be nursed through any crossover or switch.

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January 1, 1936 The Pennsylvania Railroad marks the completion of its Philadelphia-Harrisburg electrification project with the arrival of GG1 4859 pulling the “Metropolitan” into Harrisburg.

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January 1, 1938 Railroads in the Netherlands are nationalized.

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January 1, 1948 British railways are nationalized, forming British Railways.

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January 1, 1949 The Pennsylvania Railroad begins using "Wassell Units", installing 2 for passenger reservations. They are consoles with 9 rotating drums holding reservation boards, and are operated by clerks who are in communication with ticket agents. PRR will install 8 more units at a later date.

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January 1, 1950 The Chicago Rock Island & Pacific acquires the Pullman Railroad, a short line operating in Calumet IL.

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January 1, 1953 Ten Pullman-Standard "Super Domes" join Milwaukee Road's "Hiawatha" fleet. They are the first Pullman-Standard dome cars to use curved glass.

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January 1, 1954 "K" style air brakes are banned

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January 1, 1954 EMD introduces its 567-C engine and the "9" line of diesels: GP-9, F-9 and SD-9, all rated at 1750 horsepower.

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January 1, 1955 The Pennsylvania Railroad drops the traditional free pass on its trains for officials and employees of other railroads.

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January 1, 1957 The Chicago & North Western Railroad leases the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway, aka "The Omaha Road".

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January 1, 1959 The Pennsylvania Railroad retires "Queen Mary", its last open-platform observation car in regular revenue service.

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January 1, 1960 The New York Central drops its membership in the Railway Express Agency, citing large losses from the express business.

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January 1, 1961 The Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic, and Wisconsin Central merge with the Soo Line.

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January 1, 1967 In honor of the Canadian Centennial, singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot debuts his "Canadian Railroad Trilogy". The work has been commissioned by the CBC.

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January 1, 1969 The New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad is added to Penn Central. The fomer lines become the New Haven Division with headquarters in New Haven CT.

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January 1, 1969 A 98-car Penn Central freight train traveling at 42 mph splits and breaks in two while passing another PC freight. The accident, at Dunreith IN, will burn and release toxic fumes for 10 hours. The fires spread to Dunreith, causing the evacuation of the town and the closing of US Route 40.

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January 1, 1971 Free transfer service between Chicago railroad stations ends.

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January 1, 1982 The Burlington Northern absorbs the Colorado & Southern.

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January 1, 1983 The Seaboard System is created with the Louisville & Nashville, Seaboard Coast Line and several smaller railroads.

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January 1, 1984 The Grand Trunk Western fully absorbs the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton.

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January 1, 1986 Remnants of the Milwaukee Road as well as the Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern become part of the Soo Line.

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January 1, 1990 The Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad is sold. The passenger operations are taken over by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transit District.

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January 1, 1994 The former East and West German railroad systems are united.

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January 1, 1996 Canadian National absorbs the operations of Grand Trunk and the Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific. Both roads remain as "paper" companies.

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January 1, 1998 In the United States, ditch lights are required on all locomotives operating over public crossings at more than 20 mph.

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January 1, 2005 General Electric begins production of its Evolution Series locomotives.

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Mark Tomlonson

December 31, 1954 Kansas City PCC car 787 and St. Louis PCC car 1578 were the first 2 used PCC cars that arrived at 2nd Street and Wyoming Avenue in Philadelphia. The other 88 were expected to arrive later.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? December 31, 1963 An 11th hour settlement by the TWU averted a strike against the New York City Transit Authority.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Daecember 31, 1965 TWU President Michael J. Quill faced an internal revolt against the NYCTA. A new Mayor, John V. Lindsay, was succeeding the 12-year veteran, Robert M. Wagner, Sr. This changeover and other union factors resulted in no settlement. A strike was called the next morning at 5:00 AM.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? December 31, 1967 Philadelphia's tiny and inadequate Union Bus Terminal at 13th and Filbert Streets closed and was put up for sale. Public Service of New Jersey moved its Philadelphia bus terminal to the newer and larger Trailways bus terminal, 13th and Arch Streets, with seashore and longer suburban bus routes loading and unloading at docks alongside Trailways buses or at the curb on Arch Street. Buses for the inner suburban routes (and Philboro buses) continued to loop around via 6th, Market, Broad, and Race Streets and didn't pass the terminal.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? December 31, 1968 The bankrupt New Haven Railroad was officially taken over by the Penn Central.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? December 31, 1971 A new TWU contract ended fears of a New Year's Day strike against the NYCTA. This one lasted 26 months.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Dennis M Linsky

December 31, 1849 The Hudson River Railroad opens to Poughkeepsie NY.

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December 31, 1852 The first Baltimore & Ohio train leaves Baltimore for Wheeling.

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December 31, 1853 First train to Clinton MI.

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December 31, 1853 Canada's Great Western Railway (later CN) opens between Hamilton and London ON.

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December 31, 1869 The Central Pacific begins construction on a branch line through the San Joaquin valley.

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December 31, 1870 The Vermont Central Railroad leases The Rutland Railroad.

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December 31, 1878 The first standard gauge train leaves Buffalo NY for Jersey City NJ over the Erie Railroad after the Erie has laid a third rail within its 6-foot gauge on the main line.

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December 31, 1879 The Pennsylvania Railroad runs special trains between Jersey City and Menlo Park, carrying 3,000 people to a public exhibition of Thomas Edison's new electric light.

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December 31, 1883 Michigan Central carferry service at Detroit begins.

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December 31, 1887 Michigan's only international railroad bridge, the 1.2-mile series of spans across the rapids of the St. Mary's River at Sault Ste. Marie is opened. The double bascule spans are, at the time, the largest of this type of in the world.

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December 31, 1895 The General Power & Quick Transit Company places six 40-foot interurban cars in service between South Bend and Mishawaka IN. They are among the first cars built specifically for interurban use.

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December 31, 1900 The Monongahela Railroad is incorporated, owned 50/50 by the Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie.

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December 31, 1921 The Pennsylvania Railroad contracts with Fruit Growers Express to operate its refrigerator cars over the PRR. It also leases 5,927 refrigerator cars to FGE.

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December 31, 1922 All but three miles of the Springfield, South Charleston, Washington Court House & Chillicothe Traction Company (OH) is abandoned. The rest becomes an industrial spur.

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December 31, 1925 Last day of operations on the Dayton & Northern (interurban).

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December 31, 1930 General Motors buys Electro-Motive Corporation.

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December 31, 1930 Last day for streetcars in Zanesville OH.

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December 31, 1936 The Pennsylvania Railroad reports it has 1,100 air-conditioned passenger cars.

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December 31, 1945 The New Haven makes its last steamboat runs to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

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December 31, 1949 Last day for streetcars in Toledo OH.

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December 31, 1951 Common-carrier rail service on Cyprus ends.

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December 31, 1952 The Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley Railroad (PA) drops its third rail interurban service and becomes freight only.

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December 31, 1955 Grand Trunk Western drops passenger service between Pontiac and Caseville MI. The last run carried one passenger: a reporter covering the event.

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December 31, 1957 The Norfolk & Western retires its experimental steam turbine locomotive "Jawn Henry" after a major turbine failure. Although given much support from N&W during its trial period, engineers cannot solve the problem of large operating costs.

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December 31, 1957 The Southern Railroad runs its last steam locomotive.

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December 31, 1958 The Pennsylvania Railroad drops the “Ohioan”, ending passenger service between Anoka Junction and Bradford.

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December 31, 1963 The Iowa Terminal acquires the Charles City Western. (IA Interurbans).

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December 31, 1968 The Pullman Co., owned by the railroads to provide sleeping car services, ceases all operations, primarily due to Penn Central's insistence that it staff its own cars.

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December 31, 1968 The last sleeper runs on the former Chicago & Alton, where George Pullman's first sleeper made its debut.

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December 31, 1978 All high-carbon steel wheels are to be removed from all rail equipment.

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December 31, 1978 The last intercity passenger trains on the Rock Island, which did not join Amtrak, make their last runs.

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December 31, 1979 The Chicago & Indiana makes its last run, having failed to operate successfully on the west end of the former Erie Lackawanna.

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December 31, 1981 The Colorado & Southern, Denver & New Orleans, and the Ft. Worth & Denver are merged into the Burlington Northern.

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December 31, 1983 All running boards are to be removed from box cars and refrigerator cars.

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December 31, 1985 Last day of operation for the remaining sections of the Milwaukee Road. It will be absorbed by the Soo Line.

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December 31, 1990 The Norfolk & Western Railway is leased by the Southern Railway. Both railroads have been owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation since its formation in 1982.

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December 31, 2011 The Canadian National fully absorbs the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range and the Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific railroads. The two roads are placed in the CN-controlled Wisconsin Central Ltd. family.

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December 31, 2012 The Canadian National reorganizes its holdings in the former Elgin, Joliet & Eastern and places them in CN’s Wisconsin Central Ltd.

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December 31, 2020 For the first time in 64 years, C&O 2-6-6-2 Mallet 1309 returns to steam at the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.

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Mark Tomlonson

December 30, 1829 As experiments in motive power continue, six persons travel over the Baltimore & Ohio in a sail car.

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December 30, 1853 The Gadsden Purchase is finalized. The land, bought from Mexico, is acquired primarily because it includes the best rail route between Texas and California. The land is now the southern portion of Arizona and New Mexico.

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December 30, 1862 The Central Transportation Company is incorporated, merging the sleeping car patents of T.T. Woodruff and Edward Knight of Philadelphia. The new company assumes operation of sleeping cars on the Pennsylvania and other railroads.

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December 30, 1869 The Ohio & Mississippi Railroad opens its Louisville Branch between North Vernon, IN and Jeffersonville, giving the Baltimore & Ohio system access to Louisville.

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December 30, 1871 Grand Duke Alexis of Russia and his party travel through Kalamazoo on their way to Chicago from Detroit, traveling via the Michigan Central Railroad. The Grand Duke will tour rebuilding efforts following the Chicago Fire.

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December 30, 1889 The Hamilton & Lindenwald Electric Transit (OH) receives its charter.

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December 30, 1906 A train wreck at Terra Cotta near present day Fort Totten in Washington DC kills 52. The accident leads to the ICC banning future wooden body passenger car construction.

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December 30, 1927 The first subway in The Orient opens in Japan: The Ginza Line in Tokyo.

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December 30, 1960 The Soo Line is formed with the merger of the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic, Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie and Wisconsin Central railroads.

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December 30, 1963 Dayton Union Railway Company sells the old portion of Dayton Union Station to the city. The station will be demolished.

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December 30, 1968 The Long Island Railroad places its first M-1 "Metropolitan" cars in revenue service.

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December 30, 1969 RPO service between Detroit and Grand Rapids MI ends.

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December 30, 1976 Boeing LRV's begin serving on the MBTA.

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December 30, 1996 Dallas Area Rapid Transit opens its first Trinity Rail Express line between Dallas and Irving TX.

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December 30, 2020 The former Chesapeake & Ohio carferries SS. Badger and SS. Spartan, along with another lake boat, are sold to Interlake Holding Company.

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December 30, 2020 China begins driverless high speed rail (350 km/h, 217 mph) between Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou. The three cites are Winter Olympics sites.

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December 30, 2023 Eurostar rail service between London and Paris is suspended as unprecedented flooding in tunnels under the Thames River make the line impassable.

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Mark Tomlonson

December 28, 1947 Kansas City PCC route 60 (Parallel-Indiana) was broken into 2 routes and the Indiana portion was converted to trolleybus operation as route 45 and extended via Benton Boulevard to Swope Park. The Parallel portion was through-routed with route 59 (12th Street-Jackson Avenue).? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? December 28, 1953 Philadelphia air-electric PCC car 2019, operating on route 53 (Wayne Avenue), was burned in a collision with an automobile truck on Clarissa Street. The car was later repaired at Kensington Shops and returned to service.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? December 28, 1977 Two NYCTA R-46 subway trains were involved in a head-on collision at 5th Avenue-53rd Street. An F train ran on excessive speed and collided with an E train which stopped at the station. The motorman of the F train was later demoted to railroad clerk.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? December 29, 1957 Trolley service on Market Street in Philadelphia when route 17 was converted to bus operation and route 32 was replaced by bus routes 2 and 33. The remodeled 8000s were retired. PCC routes 20 and 23 were combined to operate on 11th and 12th Streets.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? December 29, 1966 The Red Arrow's Ardmore trolley line was converted to bus operation.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? December 29, 1969 Two IRT #2 trains collided at 174th Street in the Bronx, injuring 48.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky