February 10, 1851 The Illinois Central Railroad receives its charter. It is the first land-grant railroad in the United States.
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February 10, 1879 The Pittsburgh & Lake Erie begins freight operations.
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February 10, 1887 The Lake Erie & Western Railroad (later NYC, NKP) is chartered.
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February 10, 1892 The Pennsylvania Railroad hosts a rail tour from New York City via New Orleans to Mexico City. The tour will last 4 weeks and cost $450 ($15,423 in 2025).
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February 10, 1903 Union Traction Company opens its Elwood to Tipton [IN] line.
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February 10, 1908 The Chicago Great Western declares bankruptcy for the first time.
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February 10, 1927 The Chicago South Shore & South Bend shows off its new DC-powered interurban cars to an invited audience of 125 newspapermen, city officials and other dignitaries. The general public will see the new cars in a few days.
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February 10, 1935 GG-1 electric locomotives make their first revenue run as through electric service begins between New York and Washington on the Pennsylvania Railroad.
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February 10, 1942 RCA Victor spray paints one of its masters gold and presents it to Glenn Miller for "Chattanooga Choo Choo". The song has sold over a million recordings, but this "Gold Record" is a publicity stunt. The first Gold Record, an award from the Recording Industry of America, will be given 16 years later.
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February 10, 1950 Canadian National Railway gains control of Temiscouta Railway, operating in Quebec and New Brunswick.
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February 10, 1989 A fire started by an electric kiln guts the 107 year old Durango CO roundhouse of the Durango & Silverton Railroad. The fire reaches 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit and damages all six locomotives stored in the roundhouse.
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Mark Tomlonson
