开云体育

March 18, 1951 Brooklyn's Utica Avenue trolley route was converted to bus operation.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky

March 18, 1834 One track of the Allegheny Portage Railroad opens for revenue service. The railroad will not operate between December and March when canals are closed by ice. Included in the construction: The first railroad tunnel in the United States.

?

March 18, 1845 The Pittsfield & North Adams Railroad (later WRR, B&A, NYC, PC, CR, B&M) is incorporated.

?

March 18, 1850 The American Express Company is formed.

?

March 18, 1852 Henry Wells and William G. Fargo of the American Express Company organize Wells, Fargo & Co. in California to engage in express business between New York and California.

?

March 18, 1869 The Pennsylvania Railroad buys the last of seven tracts of land on the relocated line of the Philadelphia Division near Whitehall Station. The land is subdivided as an exclusive commuter suburb called "Bryn Mawr". The name is Welsh for "beautiful hill".

?

March 18, 1881 The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe line from Kansas City and the Southern Pacific line from California reach Deming, New Mexico, forming the second rail route to the Pacific and the first direct rail route to southern California. (Some sources put this event on March 8.)

?

March 18, 1884 The Mexican Central Railway [English translation] opens between Mexico City and Ciudad Juarez [modern name].

?

March 18, 1907 The first all steel 12-1 sleeper is placed on exhibit in Pennsylvania Railroad's Broad Street Station. It will travel to New York tomorrow before being placed in service.

?

March 18, 1915 The Pennsylvania Railroad stages its first test of MP54 MU cars between Overbrook and Bryn Mawr PA.

?

March 18, 1920 Fruit Growers Express is created to serve shippers in the East and South. The Atlantic Coast Line, Baltimore & Ohio, Pennsylvania Railroad and the Southern Railway are the original stockholders.

?

March 18, 1930 The New Haven introduces the "Yankee Clipper" between New York and Boston on a 4 hour, 45 minute schedule.

?

March 18, 1939 The "Coronation Scot", a British train normally in service between London and Glasgow, begins its tour of 38 U.S. cities. At the end of the tour it will be displayed at the New York World's Fair.

?

March 18, 1952 The New Haven installs ticket vending machines in Grand Central Terminal.

?

March 18, 1960 British Railways take delivery of their last steam locomotive: 2-10-0 #92220, named "Evening Star".

?

March 18, 1965 The boards of the Milwaukee Road and the Chicago & North Western approve a merger plan.

?

March 18, 2020 The Las Vegas NV monorail is forced to shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

?

Mark Tomlonson

March 17, 1856 The Toledo, Wabash & Western (later WAB, N&W, NS) begins service to Logansport IN.

?

March 17, 1863 Engineer William Pittenger and 5 others who took part in the Andrews raid are pardoned by the Confederate government.

?

March 17, 1869 A Michigan law takes effect confirming a land grant along the first 20 miles of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad but forcing the GR&I to forfeit the rest of the land grant unless it competes an additional 20 miles north of Grand Rapids by July 1, 1869, and 100 miles by January 1, 1873.

?

March 17, 1954 Steam ends on the Erie behind 4-6-2 #2930.

?

March 17, 1956 Trailer-Train Corporation begins operations. Stockholders include the Pennsylvania Railroad, Norfolk & Western, Frisco and Missouri Pacific.

?

March 17, 1975 With only $300 cash on hand ($1,756 in 2024 dollars), the Rock Island enters bankruptcy for the third time.

?

March 17, 1982 A Toledo Terminal Railroad train derails on the line’s Upper Maumee River Bridge, damaging it. The railroad decides to abandon rather than repair the bridge, a decision that creates much controversy.

?

March 17, 1995 The Union Pacific makes an offer for Chicago & North Western stock.

?

March 17, 2009 CSX Corporation officials in Chicago, decked out in green neckties, take advantage of the St. Patrick's Day holiday to announce the purchase of 4 "green" National Railway Equipment Corporation 3GS21B-DE gensets. The units, purchased with Federal pollution reduction funds, will serve in Barr Yard in south suburban Chicago.

?

March 17, 2014 Passengers boarding a TGV train in Mulhouse, France are horrified to discover the remains of a bicyclist embedded in the front of the locomotive. The remains of the bicycle were discovered at a grade crossing near Petit-Croix, the previous stop.

?

March 17, 2023 Amtrak introduces “Night Owl” fares on select Northeast Corridor trains departing between 7 pm and 5 am. The fares are as low as $5.

?

Mark Tomlonson

March 14, 1954 Chicago trolley routes 9 (Ashland Avenue) and 45 (Ashland-Archer-Clark) were converted to bus operation.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky

March 14, 1836 The Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Railroad (later NYC) is incorporated in Ohio.

?

March 14, 1836 The Ohio Legislature authorizes a loan of $200,000 (2024: $6.6 million) to the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad (later Big Four, NYC). This is the first time state aid has gone to a private railroad company.

?

March 14, 1836 The Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad (later PRR) is incorporated in Ohio.

?

March 14, 1864 John Luther "Casey" Jones is born in Jordan KY.

?

March 14, 1926 A vastly overloaded passenger train near El Virilla, Costa Rica turns a rail on a bridge and derails. The accident kills 248 and injures 93 who were riding the train to visit a shrine and raise funds for the care of the elderly. Three days of national mourning follow the accident.

?

March 14, 1938 Charlotte NC holds a "Good-Bye To Trolleys" festival to mark the end of service. Participating in the ceremonies is car no. 85. Car 85 will be turned into an Air National Guard office, a snack bar and a private residence before being restored to operational status in the 21st century.

?

March 14, 1940 Streetcar service draws to a close in Lafayette IN.

?

March 14, 1949 The Nickel Plate tests General Electric's gas turbine demonstrator, #101.

?

March 14, 1955 The Pennsylvania Railroad announces it has ordered a model 705 "Giant Brain" computer from IBM. It will be the largest computer used by a railroad, used for billing and tickets. It will work along with an IBM 650.

?

March 14, 1957 The New York Central dedicates its new Frontier Yard in East Buffalo NY. It is the first of four planned large, electronic hump yards to go into service. Frontier Yard replaces eight older NYC yards in the Buffalo area.

?

March 14, 1974 Inter-city passenger rail service returns to Dallas with the start of Amtrak's "Inter-American".

?

March 14, 2005 Canadian Pacific becomes the first bulk purchaser of RailPower Technology's "Green Goat" switching locomotive as they announce an order for 35 environmentally friendly units to be purchased over the next four years.

?

March 15, 1831 The Mohawk & Hudson Railroad orders its first locomotive as well as two 12 Horsepower stationary engines for inclined planes from the West Point Foundry Association.

?

March 15, 1833 The Andover & Wilmington (later B&M) is chartered.

?

March 15, 1868 The Columbus, Chicago & Indiana Central Railway (later PRR) opens between Union City and Anoka Jct., completing a new, direct route between Bradford, OH and Chicago via Logansport, IN.

?

March 15, 1875 A North Carolina act prohibits any railroad in that state from changing its gauge away from 56.5". The gauge of the North Carolina Railroad is changed to 5'-0" anyway to create a through line with the Richmond & Danville Railroad.

?

March 15, 1899 London’s Marylebone Station opens, serving the Great Central Railway.

?

March 15, 1910 The Ann Arbor Railroad depot at Temple MI burns to the ground.

?

March 15, 1911 The first contract with a railroad specifying an eight hour work day is signed with the Denver & Rio Grande by the American Federation of Labor's Railway Employees' Department.

?

March 15, 1915 The Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville (Monon) acquires the Chicago & Wabash Valley Railroad

?

March 15, 1916 For the first time, the electrified lines of the Long Island Railroad are paralyzed by the effects of an ice storm.

?

March 15, 1926 The Pennsylvania Railroad assigns coach train porters, similar to Pullman porters, to principal east-west and Midwest corridor trains.

?

March 15, 1926 The Toledo & Ohio Central Railway (a New York Central subsidiary) places a new coal dumper in service at the mouth of the Maumee River at Toledo. The dumper will handle lake coal moving through the Cincinnati gateway. The dumper is capable of handling the new 150-ton coal gondolas used by the Virginian Railway.

?

March 15, 1938 The Pennsylvania Railroad takes delivery of its first lightweight Pullman, the 18-roomette "City of New York".

?

March 15, 1949 A fire breaks out in the cable house at South Cable on the Michigan-California Lumber Company. This will start a chain of events that leads to the end of logging by rail two years later.

?

March 15, 1949 The "Broadway Limited" is given new equipment. The new cars, designed by Raymond Loewy, feature plastic laminates in place of exotic wood veneers.

?

March 15, 1955 The first section of Cleveland's "Rapid" opens from Cleveland Union Terminal to Windermere.

?

March 15, 1972 "The Godfather" premiers in New York City. The room where Marlon Brando as Don Corleone negotiates an end to the Five Families War is actually the boardroom of the New York Central Railroad, which explains the train mural seen in back of Richard Conte's head throughout the scene.

?

March 15, 1977 Conrail exits commuter service on the former Boston & Albany.

?

March 15, 1980 The last Milwaukee Road Train departs Tacoma WA, as "Lines West" are abandoned.

?

March 15, 1999 The "City of New Orleans" crashes into a steel truck at a protected grade crossing in Bourbonnaise, IL. Eleven are killed. The wreck is blamed on the truck driver, who was driving on a suspended license and had only 3 hours sleep in the previous 24. Witnesses report he was racing the train to the crossing.

?

March 15, 2007 The first train runs on France's highest speed rail line, TGV-Est, between Paris and Strasbourg. Top speed on the line is 320 km/h (200mph). The line will open to the public on June 10.

?

March 15, 2010 The "Angel's Flight" funicular in Los Angeles resumes operations following a 2001 accident in which the two cars collided. The funicular was built in 1901.

?

March 15, 2011 The United States Postal Service unveils a stamp honoring "Owney", a dog that in the late 19^th century was famous for hitching rides on RPO cars. In the days of frequent injuries to mail clerks, Owney seemed to bring good luck, as no RPO car on which he rode was ever damaged in an accident while he was aboard.

?

March 15, 2024 “Trains” magazine reports that the CSX Detroit Livernois Intermodal Facility has received a grant from the State of Michigan for capital improvements. The $5 million state grant will be matched by CSX, which will put up $6.7 million.

?

March 16, 1910 The New York Central’s electrification project reaches White Plains NY.

?

March 16, 1912 The Union Terminal Company of Dallas (TX) is incorporated to own and operate Dallas Union Passenger Station.

?

March 16, 1922 The Aurora, Elgin & Chicago is reorganized into the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin.

?

March 16, 1957 The Milwaukee Road draws the curtain on steam operation as 4-6-0 #1004, class G8, makes a round-trip passenger run from Austin to La Crosse WI. The steamer was substituted when the regular motor-car broke down.

?

March 16, 2011 Former Santa Fe PA-1 59L is transferred from the Smithsonian Institute to The Museum of the American Railroad in Frisco TX.

?

March 16, 2016 Washington DC’s Metrorail closes to allow safety inspections of jumper cables. Failure of these cables is suspected in an incident that filled a station with smoke and another that resulted in one death. Metrorail has not completely shut down for any cause other than weather since it started operations in 1976.

?

Mark Tomlonson

March 13, 1833 The Western Railroad is chartered in Massachusetts to connect the Boston & Worcester to the Hudson & Berkshire Railroad. (all later B&A)

?

March 13, 1836 The Richmond & Petersburg Railroad (later ACL, CSX) is chartered in Virginia.

?

March 13, 1872 The Baltimore, Pittsburgh & Chicago Railway (the Chicago extension of the Baltimore & Ohio), is incorporated separately in Ohio and Indiana.

?

March 13, 1883 The Allegan & Southeastern Railroad becomes the Michigan & Ohio Railroad.

?

March 13, 1884 "Standard Time" takes effect for the railroads, with four time zones across the United States. Standard time will not be official in the U.S. until 1918.

?

March 13, 1912 Thawing roadbed wrecks the 20th Century Limited at Hyde Park NY. The New York Public Service Commission advises both the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad and the Pennsylvania Railroad to reduce speed on all of their New York-Chicago trains scheduled at 18 hours.

?

March 13, 1929 In a move to modernize its passenger fleet, the New Haven Railroad authorizes the purchase of new equipment, including 90 coaches, 10 combines and 6 diners.

?

March 13, 1973 The Michigan State Highway Department is reorganized giving it jurisdiction over all state transportation programs, including railroads.

?

March 13, 2019 High winds blow 26 cars of a Union Pacific Stack Train off the 173-foot tall Canadian River Trestle onto the ground. No one is hurt.

?

Mark Tomlonson

March 12, 1961 Philadelphia trolleybus route 61 on Ridge Avenue, which once connected with trolley routes at 36 locations in North Philadelphia and Center City, was converted to bus operation and transferred to Allegheny Depot from Ridge Depot which closed. Since buses were used on weekends, March 10 was the last day of trolleybus operation. The postwar ACF-Brill TC-44 trolleybuses were later trucked to Southern Depot to re-equip route 79 on Snyder Avenue which was still bus operated. Ridge Depot was cleared of all vehicles on March 18 and the storage tracks, last used in 1957-58, were removed. Also, all-electric PCC cars 2708-18 were in dead storage at Germantown and Woodland Depots after being used on route 23 (Germantown Avenue-11th and 12th Streets) because of their Westinghouse equipment; Germantown Depot operators preferred the General Electric cars (2726-2800).? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? March 12, 1980 NYCTA modified R-40 subway cars 4500 and 4501 were remated at Coney Island Shops. Car 4486 was out of service but was back by April 15th, remated with 4487. Also many R-27/30 subway cars have received bullet-proof motormen's safety glass windows.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??

March 12, 1839 The Maine, New Hampshire & Massachusetts Railroad (later B&M) is incorporated in Maine.

?

March 12, 1845 The Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Railroad (later CCC&StL, NYC) is reorganized as the Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Railway.

?

March 12, 1857 A Great Western Railway train from Toronto to Hamilton ON plunges 60 feet into the frozen Desjardins Canal after the bridge collapses. A broken locomotive axle chewing through the crossties on the bridge weakened the structure, causing the collapse. Seventy persons die from trauma, drowning, or exposure. Only 20 passengers survive. (Some sources say 59 people killed in total, others put the date as March 17.)

?

March 12, 1883 Norfolk & Western hauls its first load of coal.

?

March 12, 1892 Anderson [Indiana] Electric Street Railway is electrified. (Some sources say March 14).

?

March 12, 1895 The Epworth League Railway, later the Ludington Northern (MI), is organized.

?

March 12, 1899 The Southern Railway inaugurates the “Piedmont Limited”.

?

March 12, 1914 George Westinghouse, inventor of the air brake, passes away at his summer home in Lennox MA.

?

March 12, 1917 The Pere Marquette Railroad is reorganized as the Pere Marquette Railway.

?

March 12, 1957 The Pennsylvania Railroad begins using snack carts designed by Coca-Cola Company instead of dining or café cars on some Washington-New York trains.

?

March 12, 2009 BNSF accepts delivery of four ES44C4 locomotives. The locos revive the A-1-A truck, once popular for passenger diesels. “A-1-A” trucks consist of three axles of which only the first and third axles are powered. BNSF hopes that the factory-modified ES44AC will give it the reliability of a DC locomotive and the reduced maintenance of AC motors.

?

March 12, 2015 In a comic syndicated today, “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” reports that Dutch Railways are fitting lasers to their locomotives to remove leaves from the top of the rails.

?

Mark Tomlonson

March 11, 1951 Chicago trolley route 3 (Lincoln-Indiana) was broken into 2 routes and the Lincoln portion, from Peterson to Adams, was converted to bus operation. This completed the conversion of Lincoln Avenue to bus operation which began on February 18 when route 40 (Lincoln-Wells) went bus. Concurrently with this conversion, the old car barn at Wrightwood and Lincoln was closed and operators were assigned to other stations. This was one of Chicago's oldest car barns. The Indiana portion remained rail as route 38? and operated from the Navy Pier to 51st Street.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? March 11, 1956 Philadelphia bus route E from 69th Street terminal to Germantown and Chelten via City Line Avenue was re-equipped with new GMC TDH-5106 diesel buses which replaced postwar Twins which were transferred to Airport bus routes M and U.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? March 11, 1980 A transfer train of IRT R-12/14 subway cars to be inspects by the Secretary of Transportation at Corona Yard in Queens was stopped between Rawson and Lowery Streets on the Flushing line when it was discovered that 4 R-10s were put in the middle for tripper protection on the IND and BMT lines. Earlier, R-16 subway car 6382 was on a transfer train of IRT cars going from Concourse Yard to Moshulo Yard in the Bronx. That car became a locker room car in 1978 but was later unused.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky

March 11, 1836 The Little Miami Railroad (later PC&St.L, PRR), Ohio’s second, receives its charter to connect the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad to the Ohio River at Cincinnati. Construction will not begin until 1843.

?

March 11, 1851 The State of Pennsylvania enacts a law requiring all railroads built east of Erie to be either 4' 8.5" or 6' gauge and all railroads west of Erie to be built to a 4'10" gauge, also known as "Ohio Gauge". It is thought at the time that the gauge change and the resulting loading and reloading of railroad cars will help Erie become a major terminal. (Some sources say 1852)

?

March 11, 1853 The New Albany & Salem Rail Road (later CIL, L&N) reaches Lafayette IN.

?

March 11, 1854 To reduce on-duty drinking by employees, the Pennsylvania Railroad Road Committee considers ordering a ban on the sale of all liquor and beer on any PRR property and to prohibit stopping trains at any public house where liquor is sold. The order is toned down by amendment to simply prohibiting the sale of liquor on PRR property.

?

March 11, 1872 Jay Gould's attempts to control both the Erie and the New York Central Railroads are halted as a new Board of Directors is installed in the Erie.

?

March 11, 1904 The first tunnel under the Hudson River is holed through.

?

March 11, 1908 The final spike is driven in the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railroad, at Lyle WA.

?

March 11, 1908 The Strang gas-electric car "Irene" built by Brill is tested between Philadelphia and Washington DC.

?

March 11, 1947 The Budd Company tests its first dome car.

?

March 11, 1952 The Pennsylvania Railroad shows off its newly-equipped "Congressional" to the press. "The Senator" is also receiving new equipment at this time.

?

March 11, 2004 Three days before the Spanish national election, terrorists believed to be inspired by al-Qaeda, bomb the Cercanias commuter trains near Madrid, Spain. The explosions kill 191 people and injure another 1,800.

?

March 11, 2005 A Union Pacific rail grinder working westbound at Rochelle IL sideswipes an eastbound BNSF intermodal, There is no derailment, but a few containers are destroyed. They incident is captured on the “Trains” magazine webcam.

?

Mark Tomlonson

March 10, 1858 The Pittsburgh Ft. Wayne & Chicago (later PRR) connects to the Pennsylvania Railroad in Pittsburgh, despite opposition and interference from local citizens.

?

March 10, 1862 The St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (later MSt.P&P, GN) is organized.

?

March 10, 1865 The State of Michigan transfers an additional land grant to the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad. This brings the total land grant to 850,960 acres although no land will actually be granted south of Grand Rapids.

?

March 10, 1907 The Pere Marquette roundhouse at Traverse City MI is destroyed by fire.

?

March 10, 1910 A home for aged and disabled former railroad employees opens in Highland ParK IL.

?

March 10, 1917 Police interrupt a former German sailor and two other men as they try to sabotage Pennsylvania Railroad telegraph lines near Wissinoming, PA.

?

March 10, 1923 Norfolk & Western takes delivery of its first Y3a class locomotive, a 2-8-8-2 built by Alco.

?

March 10, 1930 Near Lakehurst NJ an Army blimp succeeds in picking up 4 mail sacks from the roof of a Pennsylvania Railroad train moving at 55 mph. The trials are held to help newsreel companies speed delivery of films to theatres.

?

March 10, 1933 Last run of the Kansas City, Clay County & St. Joseph Railway (Interurban)

?

March 10, 1940 Missouri Pacific's streamlined "Eagles" begin operations.

?

March 10, 1945 New York Central accepts its first 4-8-4 "Niagara", #6000, at the Alco factory in Schenectady NY.

?

March 10, 1976 An LRC train breaks the unofficial Canadian rail speed record: 129 mph (207 km/h) on CP Rail’s Adirondack Subdivision between St. Jean and Delson. The previous record had been set by a steam locomotive pulling a lightweight passenger train on Canadian Pacific's Winchester Sub near St. Telesphore in 1936.

?

March 10, 1993 Amtrak's eastbound "Wolverine" strikes a propane truck at a private crossing between Comstock and Galesburg MI. The collision kills the truck driver and injures the engineer. The accident leads directly to the closing of all private crossings in that area and the re-routing of the adjacent county road.

?

March 10, 1995 The Union Pacific announces its intention to purchase the Chicago & North Western.

?

March 10, 2009 Canadian National routes its first two trains over the former Elgin, Joliet & Eastern. CN's purchase of the line was finalized on January 31. Traffic is expected to grow to six daily trains in the near future.

?

March 10, 2020 Amtrak suspends Acela service between Washington and New York in an attempt to slow the spread of the Corona virus.

?

Mark Tomlonson

March 7, 1832 The New Jersey Railroad & Transportation Company (later PRR) is chartered to build across the state.

?

March 7, 1834 The Detroit & Pontiac (later D&M, GT) receives its charter from Michigan Territory.

?

March 7, 1848 The body of former President John Quincy Adams, who had died of a stroke on the floor of the House on February 21, is carried from Washington to New York via three separate railroads.

?

March 7, 1850 The Toledo, Norwalk & Cleveland Railroad (later LS&MS, NYC) is chartered.

?

March 7, 1865 A collision between an express train and a disabled passenger train kills five Union Soldiers and a train crewman and injures 48. The accident prompts Ashbel Welch to come up with a block system to control trains (which he had studied in England) for the Philadelphia & Trenton Railroad.

?

March 7, 1873 In Prescott, AZ the last reported outbreak of the Great Epizootic devastates the horse population. The virulent equine flu has halted transportation within cities in 33 states, Canada and Cuba.

?

March 7, 1887 Henry Whiting combines 7 Boston street railways into a single system, the West End Street Railway. At 1,700 cars and 200 miles of track it is the largest in the world. He is also given permission to build a subway.

?

March 7, 1887 Lured by the prospect of gold in Indian Territory (later Oklahoma) Mathias Splitlog, a wealthy Native American, creates the Kansas City, Fort Smith & Southern. The gold in Indian Territory turns out to have been “salted” and all that was found in the mines was Fool’s Gold. Part of the line will become a section of the Kansas City Southern.

?

March 7, 1887 The Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroad is incorporated.

?

March 7, 1905 The first McKeen car, the first successful use of internal combustion on U.S. railroads, makes its first run, Omaha to Valley NE.

?

March 7, 1909 The Winona Interurban Electric Railway is forced by its major creditor to begin operations on Sundays, a move resisted by its Sabbatarian founders, including H.J. Heinz and J. M. Studebaker.

?

March 7, 1910 American Car & Foundry builds a sleeper car with traditional sections named "Peoria" for the interurban Illinois Traction Company. It has been preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum.

?

March 7, 2005 Amtrak drops its “Three Rivers” west of Pittsburgh PA.

?

March 8, 1855 The first train crosses the suspension bridge over Niagara Falls. Before this time, goods and passengers were ferried across the river. The bridge does not end the transfer, as the change in track gauge between lines in New York and Ontario remains, although the bridge itself has three gauges (56.5", 66" and 72"). The Bridge will allow the Michigan Central via the Great Western to reach markets in the east and will be a major selling point for the line. (Some sources say March 17)

?

March 8, 1881 The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and Southern Pacific railroads meet at Deming NM, creating the United States’ second transcontinental railroad.

?

March 8, 1884 The Mahopac Falls Railroad (NY - later NYC) is chartered.

?

March 8, 1904 The Lucien cut-off, the causeway across the Great Salt Lake that has bypassed Promontory Summit, site of the Golden Spike Ceremony, is opened for service.

?

March 8, 1905 The Aurora, Elgin & Chicago (Later CA&E) begins operations from its 52nd Street terminal eastward into downtown Chicago and the Loop. (Some sources say March 9)

?

March 8, 1907 The Virginian Railway is formed. It is entirely controlled by Henry H. Rodgers of Standard Oil who is looking for a new outlet from the West Virginia coalfields.

?

March 8, 1910 "Ann Arbor Carferry No. 1" burns at Manitowoc WI.

?

March 8, 1920 Canadian National’s Board of Directors assumes management control of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway.

?

March 8, 1924 New York Central President Alfred H. Smith is killed while riding a horse in Central Park. His horse had reared to avoid hitting another rider.

?

March 8, 1926 The Illinois Central installs the first electro-pneumatic car retarders in the United States at Markham Yard near Chicago.

?

March 8, 1933 The New Haven temporarily suspends the "Yankee Clipper" and "Merchants Limited" due to the Bank Holiday imposed by President Roosevelt.

?

March 8, 1933 The movie "42nd Street" opens at the Strand Theatre in New York City. The movie features an extended musical number taking place in the interior of a Pullman all-section sleeper. In addition, the studio has hired a special train, "The 42nd Street Special" to carry many of the leading actors from Hollywood to the premier.

?

March 8. 1941 The Nickel Plate's "Commercial Traveler" makes its final run in Ohio from Toledo to the Ohio/Indiana state line. Once the Toledo, St. Louis & Western's premier train, it is now a daily mixed train. Operation will continue for another two years in Indiana.

?

March 8, 1955 The New Haven introduces a piggyback car patterned after those on the French National Railways. It is nine inches lower than a standard car.

?

March 8, 1967 New York Central FA-2 #1102 becomes the last cab unit painted at NYC's Collinwood (OH) Shops.

?

March 8, 1968 The last Soo Line passenger train runs on the former Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic between Champion and Calumet.

?

March 9, 1875 The North Brookfield Railroad (later B&A, NYC, PC, CR) is incorporated.

?

March 9, 1910 The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Executive Committee authorizes the purchase of the Toledo & Ohio Central Railway from the Hocking Valley, as well as joint ownership with the Chesapeake & Ohio of the Kanawha & Michigan Railway. This will give the New York Central system access to coal fields in Southeastern Ohio and West Virginia for fuel. It will also provide the NYC System with a connection to the Virginian Railway.

?

March 9, 1917 Official opening of the New York Connecting Railroad Bridge, later known as Hell Gate Bridge. It will be the largest steel arch bridge in the world until 1931.

?

March 9, 1930 The Elgin & Belvidere ends interurban service between Marengo and Elgin IL. The Illinois Railway museum uses a 5-mile segment of the line.

?

March 9, 1933 Chicago & Northwestern abandons its branch from Martin’s Landing to Michigamee MI.

?

March 9. 1937 In a joint announcement, Pullman and the New York Central announce the order of new streamlined equipment to be NYC's "Great Steel Fleet". At the same time Pullman and the Pennsylvania Railroad announce new streamline cars to be PRR's "Fleet of Modernism".

?

March 9, 1954 The Santa Fe completes its dieselization.

?

March 9, 1993 Eleven Russian-built 2,000hp locomotives (Alco RS-1 copies) are imported with the hopes of cracking the low-horsepower locomotive market. They don't pass FRA inspection. Other than providing fodder for invasion conspiracies, their only accomplishment is to slowly turn to rust on the Houston docks.

?

March 9, 2008 After 30 years of planning, the diesel-powered "Sprinter" light railway serving the northern suburbs of San Diego opens for business.

?

March 9, 2009 The Grand Elk Railroad (GDLK), a WATCO short line, begins operations between Elkhart IN and Grand Rapids MI. GDLK uses former Lake Shore & Michigan Southern tracks south of Kalamazoo and former Grand Rapids & Indiana tracks north, all most recently operated by Norfolk Southern. Grand Elk will operate the line in cooperation with Norfolk Southern until April 1, when it will assume full control.

?

Mark Tomlonson

March 6, 1830 Colonel Stephen H. Long constructs a road bridge over the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. It is the first known road bridge to cross a railroad.

?

March 6, 1834 The London & Gore Railroad in Upper Canada receives its charter; the first railroad charter in what is now Ontario. (However it will not be the first to actually operate trains.) Running between Niagara Falls and Windsor, it will be later part of the Great Western, Grand Trunk and Canadian National Railways.

?

March 6, 1880 The Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis & Chicago Railroad (later NYC) is incorporated.

?

March 6, 1882 Regular service begins between Cincinnati OH and Dayton on the Cincinnati Northern (later NYC).

?

March 6, 1902 The Grand Rapids, Grand Haven & Muskegon (MI Interurban) adds service between Grand Haven Junction and Spring Lake Village.

?

March 6, 1958 The New York Central dedicates its Robert R. Young yard at Elkhart, IN. It is NYC's second large, computerized yard. It has been built to pre-sort cars coming to and from the Chicago area.

?

Mark Tomlonson

March 5, 1832 The New Castle & Frenchtown Railroad begins regular daily revenue service. Passenger boats transfer their passengers to the railroad from stagecoaches, forming a through stage-boat-rail line between Philadelphia and Baltimore. During its entire existence, the NC&F is closed from December through March when steamboats are stopped by the ice.

?

March 5, 1850 The Louisville & Nashville Railroad is chartered.

?

March 5, 1856 Service begins to Peru IN on the Toledo, Wabash & Western. (later WAB, N&W, NS)

?

March 5, 1859 The Martinsville & Franklin (IN) reorganizes as the Franklin & Martinsville (later Big Four, NYC). Traffic is so sparse on the line that it will see no trains for the next seven years.

?

March 5, 1872 George Westinghouse Jr. receives patent No. 124,405 for the automatic railroad air brake.

?

March 5, 1879 The Grand Rapids & Indiana leases the Allegan & South Eastern Railroad. The line has track laid from Allegan to Monteith, and unfinished portions between Monteith and the Ohio State line. The lease is retroactive to January 1.

?

March 5, 1880 The first through Cincinnati Southern (later CNO&TP, NS) passenger train departs Cincinnati OH for Chattanooga TN. In the newspaper article covering the story, the reporter dubs the train the "Chattanooga Choo Choo”, the first use of the phrase.

?

March 5, 1888 The Toledo, Ann Arbor & Lake Michigan Railway (later AA) is organized to build from Cadillac to Frankfort MI.

?

March 5, 1891 The Bangor & Aroostook Railroad receives its charter.

?

March 5, 1910 A snow slide in Rogers Pass BC kills 92 persons, most of them Canadian Pacific employees, just 4 days after a similar disaster in Wellington WA.

?

March 5, 1920 The Milwaukee Railroad completes the electrification of its line between Othello and Tacoma, WA, 207 miles.

?

March 5, 1927 Great Northern runs its first electric train using its new single-phase system, from Skykomish to the old Cascade Tunnel.

?

March 5, 1930 The Pennsylvania Railroad holds a "Golden Spike" ceremony at 41st St. in Chicago to mark the upgrading of the New York-Chicago main line to 130-pound rail.

?

March 5, 1956 The last steam locomotive purchased by the Southern Pacific (4-8-8-2 “Cab Forward” #4294) is retired.

?

March 5, 1972 The last "Birney" streetcar in regular service is retired in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia.

?

Mark Tomlonson

March 4, 1951 Brooklyn' s Flatbush Avenue trolley route was converted to bus operation with Mack C-50 buses which could be converted into floating ambulances. A unique feature was that one of the last trolleys and one of the first buses were involved in automobile collisions.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky

March 4, 1826 Granite Railway, the first incorporated company to build and operate a rail road in the United States, is chartered in Massachusetts.

?

March 4, 1839 The first "express" traffic carried by rail travels between Boston and New York, carried in the pouch of 27-year old William F. Harnden, a former railroad conductor who has come up with the idea.

?

March 4, 1869 The Spuyten Duyvil & Port Morris Railroad (later NY&H, NYC&HR, NYC) is chartered.

?

March 4, 1882 Britain’s first electric trams (streetcars) run in London.

?

March 4, 1889 The Grand Trunk carferry "Transit I" is destroyed by fire in its dock at Windsor ON.

?

March 4, 1907 The first section of Philadelphia's Market Street Subway-Elevated opens from 69th Street Terminal to 15th Street. (Some sources say March 7)

?

March 4, 1908 A new Hours of Service law takes effect: 9 hours for train operators and 16 hours for trainmen.

?

March 4, 1913 The Great Northern places its first open observation car on its roster. This is not an open-platform observation car, but a roofless car for tourist use.

?

March 4, 1913 Workers connect the main channel truss of the Kenova Bridge, spanning the Ohio River between South Point OH and Kenova WV. The bridge is 4,000 feet long and 82 feet above normal water level.

?

March 4, 1925 Films of President Coolidge's inauguration are rushed from Washington to New York on a special train chartered by International News Reel that takes three hours and forty minutes for the trip. The film is developed on the train and is shown in theatres at 4:12 p.m. This beats both Pathe and Fox who have sent their films by plane, but require developing once the plane lands.

?

March 4, 1935 Raymond Lowey is given an exclusive contract with the Pennsylvania Railroad. He will not design equipment for any other railroad and PRR will use no other designer.

?

March 4, 1946 Robert R. Young publishes his soon-to-be-famous "A hog can cross the country without changing trains, but YOU can't" advertisement as part of his fight to buy the Pullman Company on the theme of a lack of transcontinental cars.

?

March 4, 1947 Ms. Friedel Klussman launches a drive to preserve San Francisco's cable cars.

?

March 4, 1960 Soo Line passenger train number 8 makes its last run from Minneapolis MN to Sault Ste. Marie MI.

?

March 4, 1970 In the single largest train-off petition ever sent to the I.C.C., Penn Central seeks to drop all passenger service west of Buffalo and Harrisburg. A total of 34 trains are to be discontinued, joining 14 others already in various stages of litigation.

?

March 4, 1996 A broken switch causes a Wisconsin Central train to derail in Weyauwega WI. The residents of the town will be evacuated until March 20 as crews work to control the resulting fire.

?

Mark Tomlonson

March 3, 1957 Philadelphia bus route B, the Roosevelt Boulevard route from the Bridge-Pratt terminus of the Market-Frankford line to Somerton and Langhorne, was re-equipped with new GMC TDH-5105 diesel buses with route K from Frankford to West Oak Lane getting route B's displaced ACF-Brill C-44 buses while the Mack C-41 buses from route K went to Luzerne and Southern Depots.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? March 3, 1958 Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Company took over all operations of Los Angeles Transit Lines and Metripolitan Coach Lines.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Dennis M Linsky

March 3, 1831 George M. Pullman is born in New York.

?

March 3, 1834 Cleveland sees its first railroad: the Cleveland & Newburg Railroad is chartered to serve quarries. It is horse operated with wooden track without iron strapping.

?

March 3, 1842 The Pittsfield & North Adams Railroad (Later WRR, B&A, NYC) is chartered in Massachusetts to build between its namesake cities.

?

March 3, 1851 The Northern Indiana Railroad (later LS&MS) is chartered in Ohio to create a better route into Chicago for the Michigan Southern and associated companies.

?

March 3, 1853 Congress authorizes a survey for a trans-continental railroad.

?

March 3, 1863 Congress authorizes a land grant for the Atchison & Topeka Railway (later AT&SF). The grant requires that the line be completed and operation between Atchison and the Kansas/Colorado line by March 3, 1873.

?

March 3, 1871 An Act of Congress incorporates the Texas Pacific Railroad Company to build from Texas to San Diego.

?

March 3, 1921 President-Elect Harding travels to Washington DC from his home in Marion OH. East of Harrisburg PA the train makes the run in one-half hour less than the fastest schedule between Harrisburg and Washington.

?

March 3, 1938 The “Mallard”, which will later set the steam speed record, is built in LNER’s Doncaster Works.

?

March 3, 1944 A double-headed mixed train in southern Italy near Balvano stalls in a tunnel. Carbon monoxide poisoning kills 521 people. Five people survive. One hundred ninety-three who carried no identification, most of them black marketers, are buried in a mass grave at the site.

?

March 3, 1947 The Baltimore & Ohio begins its "Sentinel" freight service, offering guaranteed delivery of fast freight between major cities.

?

March 3, 1949 American Car & Foundry tests the new Spanish "Talgo Train" at Berwick PA. It will later be tested on the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western.

?

March 3, 1955 The Pennsylvania Railroad runs its first "TrucTrain" TOFC train from Chicago to Kearny, NJ. It is the first time the Pennsylvania has carried trailers of common-carrier trucking companies on its flatcars.

?

March 3, 1966 For the first time GG-1's are retired by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Numbers 4804, 4831 and 4847 leave the fleet. 4804 has cracks in the running gear, a problem that will plague other GG-1's.

?

March 3, 1997 Union Pacific opens the former Western Pacific line through Feather River Canyon after repair of the damage from January flooding is completed.

?

Mark Tomlonson

February 28, 1952 The Pennsylvania Railroad announced plans to abandon the Whitemarsh branch from Fort Washington to the Chestnut Hill branch connection between Allens Lane and St. Martin's because of low ridership despite the buildup of new territory in Cedarbrook. The start of PTC bus route X, the re-equipping of trolley routes 6 and 23 with new PCC cars, the restructuring of bus routes H, H-1, and S, and the start of new bus route XH, which all connected with the Reading Railroad's Chestnut Hill branch have cut into the PRR's ridership.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? February 28, 1953 Boston's first PCC car 3001, the only one built by St. Louis Car Company and known as the Queen Mary, was scrapped at Everett Shops because of a lack of a center-door on the left side and other non-standard features. It was built with Brooklyn's PCC cars.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? March 1, 1955 National City Lines took over Philadelphia Transportation Company and named Douglas H. Pratt, president of Baltimore Transportation Company, as new president.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? March 1, 1964 Port Authority of Allegheny County Transportation took over Pittsburgh Railways and the city's 31 independent bus companies.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky?

February 28, 1815 George Stephenson receives a Patent for his second steam locomotive, an improved version of the principles worked out in the "Blusher" last July.

?

February 28, 1827 The Baltimore & Ohio, America's first passenger railroad is chartered.

?

February 28, 1847 Maine Governor Joshua L. Chamberlain signs the charter of the Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad. Despite never getting as far as Moosehead Lake, the 33-mile railroad will remain in continuous operation through 2009.

?

February 28, 1852 Because of a gap in the Pennsylvania Railroad, over 440 passengers stay each night at the Hollidaysburg Inn. Five hundred wagons and 2,600 horses are used to ferry passengers and freight across the gap.

?

February 28, 1866 The Canada Southern Railway is incorporated in Canada from the Erie & Niagara Extension Railway.

?

February 28, 1871 The Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore Railroad (later PM, C&O, CSX) reaches Grand Junction MI.

?

February 28, 1903 President Theodore Roosevelt signs legislation authorizing a single, Union Station in Washington DC rather than two stations, for the Baltimore & Ohio and Pennsylvania Railroads.

?

February 28, 1906 A gas-electric railcar built by Strang, the "Ogerita", leaves Weehawken Terminal bound for San Francisco. The car, which includes a back-up battery and can make 48 mph, has been testing on various Pennsylvania Railroad branch lines.

?

February 28, 1908 First test run through Grand Trunk's St. Clair tunnel using electric locomotives.

?

February 28, 1920 The Transportation Act is passed, allowing the ICC to set intrastate rates in some cases and forming the Railway Labor Board. It also sets a date for the end of USRA control.

?

February 28, 1931 The Cleveland Southwestern & Columbus Railway (interurban) quits.

?

February 28, 1931 The Detroit, Toledo & Ironton is sold to Pennroad Corporation (PRR subsidiary) and the Wabash Railroad.

?

February 28, 1947 The Illinois Central withdraws the “Green Diamond” trainset from service between Chicago and St. Louis.

?

February 28, 1979 Last day for a freight agent on the Wabash Railroad at Topeka IN.

?

February 28, 1986 The last official move is made at Canadian National's Spadina Roundhouse in Toronto. The facility will later be demolished to make room for the Skydome.

?

February 28, 2022 The last passenger-carrying South Shore train runs on 11^th Street in Michigan City IN. The new alignment has no street running and is double-tracked.

?

March 1, 1833 A meeting of cab owners and drivers is held at Tammany Hall to protest the occupation of streets by the New York & Harlem Railroad. At the end of the meeting the crowd spills out of the hall and tears up a piece of track.

?

March 1, 1837 The Long Island Railroad opens between Jamaica and Hicksville NY.

?

March 1, 1852 The Buffalo & State Line Railroad (later NYC) is completed between Buffalo and the PA/OH state line. Because of Pennsylvania Law, it is built to a 56.5" gauge between Buffalo and the NY/PA state line, 60" between the state line and Erie, and 58" between Erie and the Ohio line. (Some sources say Feb. 22.)

?

March 1, 1869 First train into Grand Rapids MI on the Kalamazoo, Allegan & Grand Rapids Railroad (later LS&MS, NYC, PC).

?

March 1, 1876 The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe reaches Pueblo CO.

?

March 1, 1877 The U.S. Supreme Court upholds the regulation of railroads.

?

March 1, 1881 A passenger train wrecks near Macon MO on the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad (later CB&Q, BNSF) killing 40. Nine more persons are killed when the wreck train crashes on its way to the accident.

?

March 1, 1884 The Norwood & Montreal Railroad (later RW&O, NYC, PC, CR, CSX) is organized.

?

March 1, 1888 The Lartigue Railway Construction Company opens a 14.5-kilometer steel-railed monorail. It links the town of Ballybunion, on the west coast of Ireland, with the market town of Listowel. The only passenger-carrying monorail in the British Isles for many years, it will run until 1924 when operational costs and road transport will force it out of business.

?

March 1, 1893 The New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad leases the Old Colony Railroad.

?

March 1, 1898 The "Maritime Express" between Montreal and Halifax begins service on the Intercolonial Railway. Later, Canadian National will operate the train.

?

March 1, 1901 The Elberfeld-Barmen Suspension Railway, also known as the Wuppertal Schwebebahn, a monorail system with the cars suspended below the rail, opens in Elberfeld Germany.

?

March 1, 1899 The St. Joseph, South Bend & Southern Railroad (later MC) begins operations on the former tracks of the Indiana & Lake Michigan in southwest lower Michigan and north-central Indiana.

?

March 1, 1907 The Terre Haute, Indianapolis & Eastern, one of the largest but ultimately one of weakest interurbans in the Midwest, is formed from several predecessor companies.

?

March 1, 1907 Sometime this month (date undetermined) the Pennsylvania Railroad will issue a rule that all passenger stations must be equipped with cats for rodent control.

?

March 1, 1909 The Pennsylvania Railroad names its new New York Terminal "Pennsylvania Station".

?

March 1, 1910 An avalanche sweeps away 2 Great Northern passenger trains that have been snow-bound near Wellington WA since February 23. Ninety-six people are killed, the last body not recovered until July. It's the worst snowslide accident in U.S. history and the worst natural disaster in Washington State.

?

March 1, 1911 Grand Trunk begins operating the Oshawa Railway in Oshawa ON. Next year it will purchase the line.

?

March 1, 1912 The Pennsylvania Company assumes control of the 3-foot gauge Ohio River & Western.

?

March 1, 1913 The Federal Valuation Act takes effect, authorizing the Interstate Commerce Commission to set a value on the nation's railroads for rate-making purposes. In future years these Valuation Reports will be excellent tools for railroad historians.

?

March 1, 1914 The Grand Rapids & Indiana ends its operation of the Traverse City, Leelanau & Manistique Railroad between Traverse City and Northport MI.

?

March 1, 1920 USRA control of railroads ends.

?

March 1, 1920 The Pennsylvania Railroad ends its Lines East/Lines West structure and forms instead four regions. It also takes this opportunity to restructure most of the corporation.

?

March 1, 1924 The Pennsylvania & Ohio Electric Railway (Conneaut to Ashtabula, 14 miles) quits.

?

March 1, 1925 The Chesapeake & Ohio moves from Dearborn Station to Central Station in Chicago.

?

March 1, 1929 Sixty-nine railroads buy the American Railway Express Company and rename it Railway Express Agency.

?

March 1, 1933 The Pennsylvania Railroad imposes an unpaid furlough of six days per month to spread work among its remaining employees. In addition, the PRR cancels some long-distance trains due to lack of business following the closing of many banks throughout the Midwest.

?

March 1, 1934 The former Mansfield (OH) Railway Light & Power Company's interurban route is abandoned by the Ohio Public Service Company. The city lines will soldier on for another three years.

?

March 1, 1938 In this month’s issue, Railroad magazine reports that two retired Terre Haute, Indianapolis & Eastern interurban cars are being used as part of a dance hall in Alexandria IN.

?

March 1, 1948 The Pennsylvania Railroad places their take on a recreation car on display. Designed by Raymond Loewy, the car includes a children's playroom, newsreel theatre, pinball game, and a lounge with zebra-hide chairs.

?

March 1, 1951 The USO Lounge at Chicago Union Station, which has been closed since 1947, reopens for Korean War traffic.

?

March 1, 1955 Peter Zars earns the distinction of being the first person born aboard the California Zephyr.

?

March 1, 1955 The Pennsylvania Railroad builds a new TOFC facility at Cincinnati. The new yard will handle Chicago-Cincinnati and New York-Cincinnati traffic.

?

March 1, 1977 Turboliners take over the full run of Amtrak's "Adirondack" ending the service of the rebuilt Alco PA-4's and dome cars.

?

March 1, 2005 A new international freight train departs Hohhot, China. It will arrive in Duisburg, Germany near Frankfurt, having traveled over 8,000 miles across 6 countries in 15 days: China, Mongolia, Russia, Belarus, Poland and Germany. The train will operate twice monthly.

?

March 1, 2011 The first Metro-North M-8 cars enter service.

?

March 2, 1831 An Act of Congress authorizes the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad to extend a branch into the District of Columbia.

?

March 2, 1836 In the earliest "cornfield meet" for a which a full date was recorded, a passenger and freight on the Camden & Amboy Railroad meet head on near Burlington NJ. The engines crews leap to safety and no one is injured.

?

March 2, 1863 Congress adopts a track gauge of 4' 8 ?" for the Union Pacific Railroad over the objections of ex-Illinois Central attorney and President Abraham Lincoln. President Lincoln had lobbied for a 5' gauge, but the narrower, "Stephenson" gauge is adopted to make the railroad less useful to the 5' gauge railroads of the Confederacy. This action will lead indirectly to the gauge being adopted as standard throughout North America.

?

March 2, 1866 The Hudson River Railroad and the New York & Harlem Railroad begin operating into Albany.

?

March 2, 1893 The United States Safety Appliance Act is signed into law, mandating that all cars in interchange service be equipped with air brakes, automatic couplers and grab irons.

?

March 2, 1902 The first segment of the James Bay RR (later Canadian Northern, Canadian National) is opened between Parry Sound ON and Canada Atlantic Junction, 3.7 miles.

?

March 2, 1902 The Pennsylvania Railroad begins overnight sleeper service between Chicago and Muncie, IN.

?

March 2, 1913 The New York Central’s electrification project reaches Croton, NY.

?

March 2, 1925 To aid automobile and truck drivers, the Joint Board of State & Federal Highway Officials establishes a numbering system for Federally-supported highways.

?

March 2, 1931 The Chesapeake & Ohio opens a new Greenbrier Hotel at White Sulphur Springs WV.

?

March 2, 1936 Pennsylvania Railroad K-4s #3768 receives a streamlined tender to match its Raymond Loewy designed shroud applied a week and a half earlier. The locomotive, nicknamed "The Torpedo" by crews, begins an exhibition tour.

?

March 2, 1939 The Great Northern receives its first EMD diesel.

?

March 2, 1950 The Nickel Plate runs its first diesel-powered mainline freight, as two yard switchers are pressed into service to handle a train from Peru to Michigan City IN.

?

March 2, 1958 The last local trolley line to operate in the state of Wisconsin, Milwaukee's #10 (Wells) line, is converted to diesel bus operation.

?

March 2, 1958 The Baltimore & Ohio Introduces Budd "Slumbercoaches" on its Baltimore-Chicago "Columbian".

?

March 2, 1970 Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and Spokane, Portland & Seattle merge to form the Burlington Northern. (later BNSF) (Some sources say March 3)

?

March 2, 2024 A Norfolk Southern trains derails in Lower Saucon Township PA in the Lehigh Valley. The first train is subsequently struck by two other NS trains. There were no injuries and no chemical spills.

?

Mark Tomlonson