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This Weekend in RR History
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April 2, 1853 An Act of the New York State Legislature approves the merger creating the New York Central Railroad. The merger will be ratified by stockholders in June. ? April 2, 1869 Incorporation papers for the Kalamazoo & South Haven Railroad [later MC, NYC, PC, CR] are signed. ? April 2, 1888 To protect it from an oncoming storm, The Hotel Brighton, at the foot of what is now Coney Island Ave. in Brooklyn NY, is moved inland 520 feet. The move is accomplished by laying track, raising the building as a whole, and pulling it using six steam engines. The move begins on this date, and continues for nine more days. It is the largest building move of the 19th Century. ? April 2, 1900 The Peoria & Pekin Traction begins operations between its two namesake Illinois towns. ? April 2, 1918 New Haven's "Bay State Limited" becomes one of many trains eliminated by the USRA. It will not be reinstated after the war, although many are. ? April 2, 1933 The Pennsylvania and Wabash Railroads inaugurate new fast, through passenger trains from Chicago to Detroit via Ft, Wayne, IN. The trains are given a running time of 4 hours, 45 minutes. The Wabash then drops its passenger service between Ft. Wayne and Chicago. ? April 2, 1957 Alfred J. Perlman introduces "Flexi-Van". The cars reduce the dead weight and air drag of conventional TOFC service, but require special equipment. ? April 2, 1962 The Roanoke Transportation Museum is chartered. Later it will be known as the Virginia Museum of Transportation. ? April 2, 1975 Amtrak orders 235 bi-level "Superliner" cars for long-distance service from Pullman-Standard and an additional 200 Amfleet cars from Budd. Pullman-Standard, having sold its Michigan City Plant five years earlier, purchases the Allied Structural Steel Company plant at Hammond IN to build "Superliners". ? April 2, 1976 CN Tower is completed. Built by Canadian National, it was the tallest tower and tallest free-standing structure in the world when built. It remains the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere. ? April 2, 1993 Amtrak's "Sunset Limited" becomes the first regularly scheduled transcontinental passenger train operated by one company in the United States as the eastbound section departs Los Angeles. The westbound will make its first departure on April 4. ? April 3, 1848 The Oakland & Ottawa (later D&M, GT) is chartered by the Michigan State Legislature to construct a railroad from Pontiac to Lake Michigan in Ottawa County. ? April 3, 1853 The Pennsylvania Railroad's new shops at Altoona complete its first repairs to a locomotive, the "Greene". ? April 3, 1855 The Detroit, Monroe & Toledo Railroad (later LS&NI, LS&MS, NYC) is organized. ? April 3, 1875 General Superintendents of several railroads meet at St. Louis, making arrangements to run their trains over Eads Bridge into Union Station. ? April 3, 1890 Streetcars begin running in Milwaukee WI. ? April 3, 1923 The Pennsylvania Railroad's Car Service Department Glee Club gives a one hour and ten minute program over station WIP in Philadelphia. This is the first time a railroad musical group performance has been broadcast. ? April 3, 1924 Prohibition agents find 22 cases of wine, whiskey and gin in the private railroad car of Pennsylvania Railroad Vice President. George LeBoutillier. The steward is arrested and the car seized. ? April 3, 1955 A passenger train plunges into a canyon in Guadalajara, Mexico. Three hundred passengers and crew are killed. ? April 3, 1958 The Baltimore & Ohio completes its dieselization project. ? April 3, 1959 Construction begins on Japan National Railway's "Tokiado" bullet train between Osaka and Tokyo. ? April 3, 1961 The Boston & Albany, Ware River, Pittsfield & North Adams and Beech Creek Extension railroad companies all disappear into parent New York Central. ? April 3, 1987 The Budd Corporation ships its last railcar. ? April 3, 1987 The Soo Line sells its Lake States Transportation Division to the newly-formed "Wisconsin Central Ltd." ? April 3, 2007 A modified TGV train sets a new speed record for conventional (non-MagLev) equipment of 574.73 km/h (357.2 mph). TGV manufacturer Alstrom is using the demonstration to test high-speed technical concepts. The test train, consisting of two electric locomotives and three double-deck cars, has larger than normal wheels on the engines and operates on 31,000 volts rather than the normal 25,000. ? April 4, 1839 Alarmed by the fact that steamboats and railroads provide quick and superior escape routes for runaway slaves, the Maryland Legislature prohibits any slave from traveling on a steamboat or train unless in company of a master or with a signed pass. ? April 4, 1875 Following the North Carolina Railroad's change to 60" gauge despite a state prohibition, Pullman establishes a through sleeper on the Piedmont Air Line between Richmond and New Orleans. ? April 4, 1892 The 5/8-mile long Ellwood Connecting Railroad (later P&LE, NYC) is chartered. ? April 4, 1902 The Grand Rapids & Indiana agrees to operate the Traverse City, Leelanau & Manistique Railroad. ? April 4, 1910 An amendment to the Safety Appliance Act requires freight cars to be equipped with ladders, handholds and running boards. ? April 4, 1927 The first 14-single-room sleepers are placed into service, on the Pennsylvania Railroad. The cars, running between New York and Washington, offer greater privacy than the traditional berths. ? April 4, 1935 The Pennsylvania Railroad tests EMC's new "NC" 900-horsepower switcher. PRR declines to purchase any, saying the locomotive is "too light". ? April 4, 1936 Electric streetcar service ends in Flint MI. ? April 4, 1942 The Nickel Plate's "Commercial Traveler" quits, ending passenger service on the road's "East End". ? April 4, 1953 The Pennsylvania Railroad tests a Lima LS-25m on Madison Hill. The engine is equipped with dynamic brakes and a pressure-maintaining valve. ? April 4, 1960 The New Jersey State Legislature authorizes a $6 million subsidy ($53.5 million in 2021 dollars) for commuter service. ? April 4, 1976 The first F40PH, number 200, begins service on Amtrak. At the end of its service life the locomotive will be rebuilt into a cab-control car. ? April 4, 2005 Greenbriar Equity Group LLC and Berkshire Partners LLC announce the completion of the acquisition of Electro-Motive Division from General Motors. The company is officially renamed Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. (EMD). ? April 4, 2005 Tokyo introduces women-only cars in crowded rush hour trains in a bid to prevent groping by male passengers using the cover of the crowd. ? |
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April 3, 1949 St. Louis' 4 Manchester trolley routes were converted to bus operation because of dangerous left hand operation on PRW. They were routes 53 (Maplewood), 54 (Webster-Kingshighway), 55 (Clay and Adams), and 56 (Kirkwood). They were also the first St. Louis PCC routes to be converted to bus operation.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? April 4, 1948 The first of Chicago's 1936 Blue Goose PCC cars were transferred from route 20 (Madison Street) to route 63 (63rd Street) and all 83 cars were transferred by June 6.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Dennis M Linsky On Fri, Apr 2, 2021, 7:15 AM Mark Tomlonson via <tomlonson=[email protected]> wrote:
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