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December 20, 1864 The Bellefontaine Railway (later CCC&I, CCC&StL, NYC) is created from the merger of the Indianapolis, Pittsburgh & Cleveland and the Bellefontaine & Indiana. The incorporation papers will be filed in Indiana today and in Ohio on December 26.

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December 20, 1869 The Michigan Central begins joint operations with the Great Western Railway of Canada.

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December 20, 1880 A shipment of Chinese silkworms and silkworm eggs valued at $1.2 million (2024: $37.1 million) leaves Chicago on the Pennsylvania Railroad bound for Jersey City and France.

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December 20, 1900 The first Cascade Tunnel on the Great Northern opens, replacing a series of switchbacks.

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December 20, 1904 An acute water shortage in central and western Pennsylvania is delaying Pennsylvania Railroad trains. Water trains are brought in from the east. Next year a program will begin to create reservoirs in the area.

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December 20, 1905 The rebuilt Louisville Union Station opens.

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December 20, 1918 The first Boyne City, Gaylord & Alpena train arrives in Alpena MI.

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December 20, 1918 "Canadian National Railways" is approved as the new name for Canadian Government Railways.

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December 20, 1967 United Aircraft's "Turbotrain" sets the current United States rail speed record: 170.8 mph between New Brunswick and Trenton NJ.

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December 20, 1970 Pullman-Standard closes its Michigan City IN shops.

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December 20, 1984 A freight train derails in Summit Tunnel near Todmorden, England. Over 1 million liters (260,000 U.S. gallons) of gasoline ignite, creating the world’s largest underground fire. Two of the train’s tank cars melt in the 1,632 degree (C, 2,970 degree (F) fire. Flames shooting out of the ventilators rise 148 feet into the air. No one is hurt in the blaze.

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December 20, 2003 Hong Kong Railways (KCRC) opens its West Rail extension.

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December 20, 2010 The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society receives an SD-9, donated by Norfolk Southern. The locomotive, delivered to the Nickel Plate in 1957 as its number 358, was retired in 2007.

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December 20, 2017 The Byron Bay Railway Company, in Byron Bay Australia claims the world’s first solar powered train. Using refurbished rail-diesel cars, the train uses solar energy from curved panels built into the cars’ roofs. Along with panels on the station roof used for recharging the train when it is parked, the train rarely needs its standby diesel engine as it takes beachgoers from the town center to the ocean.

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December 20, 2021 After several challenges to the motion, the Surface Transportation Board approves the sale of 650 miles of Canadian National branch lines in Wisconsin and in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to WATCO.

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December 21, 1829 Carrollton Viaduct, the first stone arch railroad bridge in the U.S., is dedicated in Baltimore. As of 2024 it is the oldest railway bridge still in use.

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December 21, 1833 The Georgia Railroad, the first railroad in Georgia, is chartered.

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December 21, 1841 The Albany & West Stockbridge Railroad (later B&A) completes its line between Greenbush and Chatham NY.

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December 21, 1901 Arthur E. Appleyard assumes control of the Dayton, Lebanon & Cincinnati Railroad. He plans to unite it with other railroads, including the Ohio River & Western, as part of an interurban system to be known as the Ohio Union Traction Company.

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December 21, 1903 The Harbor Beach & Port Hope R.R. Co. (MI) is merged into the Pere Marquette.

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December 21, 1926 The Chambersburg & Gettysburg Electric Railway (PA) quits.

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December 21, 1929 The Albany Southern (NY Interurban) quits.

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December 21, 1938 The Pennsylvania Railroad's class S1 6-4-4-6 duplex steam locomotive is completed at Altoona, save for the streamlining. It also undergoes its first tests.

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December 21, 1948 Grand Trunk Western opens a new passenger depot in Grand Rapids MI. The structure and associated trackage costs $250,000. ($3.3 million in 2024 dollars.)

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December 21, 1962 The Budd Company delivers its last RDC, to the Reading Railroad.

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December 21, 1971 Joseph Easley, longtime cartoonist for "Railroad" magazine dies at the age of 86.

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December 21, 2004 Marklin introduces "condom" cars in HO and Z scale. Packed with a car lettered for German condom maker "Blausiegel" is one of the company's products. The cars are sold in a cigar-box like presentation case and are not marketed to children.

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December 21, 2020 The North Carolina Department of Transportation begins auctioning off the former Ringling Brothers/Barnum & Bailey circus train. NCDOT had hoped to refurbish the cars for commuter service, but a Federal grant made that plan moot.

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December 22, 1851 The first railroad opens in India, hauling construction material in Roorkee.

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December 22, 1886 The Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroad is created from the merger of the Sault Ste. Marie & Marquette, Mackinaw & Marquette, and Sault Ste. Marie & Mackinac Railroad Companies.

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December 22, 1898 Interurban service begins between Elkhart and Goshen IN.

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December 22, 1914 The New York Central & Hudson River, the Lake Shore & Southern Michigan and several other subsidiaries consolidate with the New York Central. The Boston & Albany, Big Four and Michigan Central remain leased lines.

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December 22, 1928 A record 854 long distance trains enter and leave Grand Central Terminal over 24 hours.

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December 22, 1939 Two trains collide head-on near Genthin, Germany. Two hundred and seventy-eight are killed, 453 injured. It is the worst rail accident in German history.

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December 22, 1954 The board of the Pennsylvania Railroad is briefed on the status of lightweight train projects, Pullman has received no orders for its "Train X". General Motors is building two lightweight sets to be powered by a special 1,200 hp diesel.

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December 22, 1984 New York City resident Bernhard Goetz shoots and wounds four youths on a Manhattan subway, claiming they were about to rob him.

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Mark Tomlonson

December 22, 1959 A light snowstorm in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, forced Red Arrow to return 5 center door cars and Queen Mary 26 (ex-PTC 4024) to service on all 3 branches. In Philadelphia, heavy ridership during the Christmas shopping period, mainly due to the start of express service on the Broad Street Subway, forced PTC to return its first 20 PCC cars to service on route 53.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky