April 9, 1827 The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania authorizes the construction of several canals as well as surveys for railroads from Harrisburg to Chambersburg and Columbia to York and Gettysburg. The Canal Commissioners are directed to consider an all-canal route but also to survey a railroad between Philadelphia and the Susquehanna River.
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April 9, 1850 The Buffalo & Rochester Railroad (later NYC) is formed.
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April 9, 1883 The tracks of the Michigan & Ohio Railroad (later Nor, MUR, NYC, PC) reach Richland MI. Rail service will not begin until November.
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April 9, 1892 Streetcars begin running in Ashtabula OH.
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April 9, 1898 The Dayton Traction Company is leased to the Cincinnati & Miami Valley.
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April 9, 1906 The Chicago, Indiana & Southern Railroad (later NYC) is organized. Running between East Chicago IN and Danville IL and a second line between Seatonville IL and South Bend IN, it is owned 50/50 by the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern and Michigan Central Railroads.
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April 9, 1934 The Budd Company completes construction of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy trainset that will be known as the "Pioneer Zephyr".
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April 9, 1937 The last Colorado & Southern narrow gauge passenger train leaves Denver.
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April 9, 1951 To counter a $10 million deficit [2025: $124 million], the New York Central lays off several thousand employees.
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April 9, 1959 Passenger service ends on the Monon between Chicago and Indianapolis.
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April 9, 1961 Pacific Electric Railway, once the largest electric railway system in the world, ends operations.
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April 9, 1973 Chicago & North Western #504, the former Union Pacific E-9 935-B, comes out of the Oelwein IA shops with added head end power and a cab fabricated by C&NW. It is the first of the “Crandall Cabs” to enter service.
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April 9, 2004 The Surface Transportation Board approves CNNA taking over operation of the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range, Bessemer & Lake Erie and the Pittsburgh & Conneaut Dock Company.
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April 9, 2019 Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 “Big Boy” #4014 is fired up for the first time in 60 years, and for the first time as an oil burner.
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Mark Tomlonson
