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This Weekend in RR History
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January 17, 1854 The Great Western of Canada is completed to Windsor ON. ? January 17, 1870 Regular service begins between Grand Rapids and Jackson MI on the Grand Valley Railroad [later MC, NYC, PC, KBEC]. ? January 17, 1871 The first cable car is patented by Andrew S. Hallidie, but it will be another two and a half years before one enters service. ? January 17, 1880 The Louisville & Nashville takes control of the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis. ? January 17, 1888 The Bay View, Little Traverse & Mackinaw Railroad becomes part of the Grand Rapids & Indiana. ? January 17, 1908 The Manistique & Northern (later M&LS) is incorporated to take over the ailing Manistique, Marquette & Northern. ? January 17, 1917 The two-foot gauge Gilpin Tram Railway in Colorado ceases operation. ? January 17, 1932 The Arlington & Fairfax streetcar quits, ending its service in Washington DC. ? January 17, 1957 The New York Central begins changing the destination of some Michigan Central passenger trains to LaSalle St. Station in Chicago from Central Station raising the ire of the ICC and saving the railroad several million dollars annually. ? January 17, 1958 The Northern Pacific gives up steam. ? January 17, 1964 The first Alco C-628 comes off the assembly line, bound for the Atlantic Coast Line. ? January 17, 2009 President-Elect Barack Obama journeys to Washington DC on a special Amtrak train for the inauguration. He rides in the "Georgia 300", a private car owned by John Heard of Fernandina Beach FL. ? January 17, 2023 The second part of the Hamilton OH Baltimore & Ohio passenger station is moved 1,100 feet to its new home. The first section moved on December 20. CSX has donated the station to the city. ? January 18, 1854 The Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad is organized to build from Hartford, IN, to the Michigan state line as part of a route between Louisville and northern Michigan. ? January 18, 1878 Construction begins on The Ghan route south of Part Augusta Australia. ? January 18, 1878 The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern experiments with arc lighting in its Cleveland Shops. ? January 18, 1898 Union Traction Company [IN] begins regular service between Anderson and Alexandria. This line has traditionally been considered the first interurban line in Indiana. (Some sources say January 1) ? January 18, 1900 The Office of Public Buildings and Grounds favors removing the Pennsylvania Railroad station from the National Mall in Washington DC. Two reasons are given: Washington will never be a commercial center and the Mall should be reserved for ceremonial events. ? January 18, 1926 Passenger service is taken over by gas-electric car #4731 on the former Eel River Railroad (PCC&St.L, PRR, PC, CR) between Logansport and Butler IN. (Some sources say January 20) ? January 18, 1938 French Railway companies are nationalized. ? January 18, 1944 The War Department returns control of the railroads to their owners following a wage dispute that threatened a nationwide shut-down. ? January 18, 1945 The Pennsylvania Railroad places its first production Q2 4-4-6-4 duplex locomotive in service in its Eastern Region. The locomotive proves to be "slippery" and consumes large amounts of water. ? January 18, 1946 "The Harvey Girls" a movie starring Judy Garland and Ray Bolger and set in a Harvey House Hotel, makes its American debut. The movie will win an Oscar for Best Song for Johnny Mercer's "On The Atchison Topeka and the Santa Fe". ? January 18. 1952 The Pennsylvania Railroad's experimental duplex Q1 6130 and steam turbine S2 6200 are dropped from the PRR roster. The Q2 duplex is also retired this month. ? January 18, 1953 President-elect Eisenhower travels from New York to Washington for his inauguration on the Pennsylvania Railroad's business car #90. ? January 18, 1977 A derailed Australian passenger train strikes a highway bridge. The bridge collapses on top of the third car of the train, killing 80. It is Australia's worst rail disaster. ? January 18, 1993 Two South Shore trains collide on gauntlet track in Gary IN. Seven people are killed, making it the worst wreck in South Shore history. ? January 18, 2005 Milwaukee dedicates a new rail passenger station at Mitchell International Airport. It will be served by Amtrak. ? January 18, 2006 CSX announces it is resuming limited rail service east of New Orleans on its coast line, however repairs continue on the bridge over Bay St. Louis. CSX, the railroad that suffered the most damage in Katrina, is the last New Orleans' railroad to resume service. ? January 18, 2011 Groundbreaking ceremonies are held for the reconstruction of the St. Paul [MN] Union Depot. The structure has not seen a train since 1971. The renovated structure will be used by Amtrak, Greyhound and Jefferson bus line. Future plans include use by commuter rail and high-speed rail to Chicago. ? January 18, 2011 In celebration of its 40th birthday, Amtrak announces that four locomotives will be painted in "Heritage" paint scheme. Also, a four-car train will tour the country with artifacts and displays on Amtrak history. ? January 18, 2018 High speed rail service, known as “Brightline”, begins in Florida between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. ? January 18, 2020 Amtrak train 313 on its way from St. Louis to Kansas City is hit by a falling boulder near Morrision MO. No one is hurt, but damage to the coach that was hit results in a quickly extinguished electrical fire. ? January 18, 2022 Talgo train sets ordered by the State of Wisconsin for a never-materialized Milwaukee to Madison service in 2009 are sold to the government of Nigeria for use in commuter service in Lagos. ? January 19, 1852 The 6-foot gauge Erie & Northeast Railroad opens between Erie PA and the New York State line, connecting with the Buffalo & State Line Railroad. Both roads later became part of the New York Central. ? January 19, 1852 The New York & Harlem reaches Chatham NY. ? January 19, 1887 The Michigan Central opens a new depot at Dexter MI. ? January 19, 1896 The Patterson Heights Street Railway opens. The half-mile Pennsylvania line has a single four-window car and one track switch. The line includes an incline to carry the car up and down a steep grade. ? January 19, 1904 August Belmont hosts a tour of the nearly finished Interborough Rapid Transit for members of the city's elite and the press. The trip from City Hall to 125th street is made on five handcars pumped by laborers. ? January 19, 1908 The first semi-automatic signals with through route locking are installed at Philadelphia's Broad Street station. ? January 19, 1914 The New York Central & Hudson River Railroad opens a new station at Rochester NY. ? January 19, 1921 The Pennsylvania Railroad completes the extension of Bridge No. 3 over the Scioto River at Columbus OH. The project hopes to prevent a recurrence of the damage caused by the 1913 floods. ? January 19, 1941 Shortly after midnight, the Indiana Railroad (Interurban) makes its last revenue rail runs. Service is transferred to buses starting in the morning. An Indianapolis to Seymour segment is turned over to the Public Service Company of Indiana and remains under wire. ? January 19, 1947 The first cuts are made in U.S. passenger service that had increased during World War II. ? January 19, 1956 The Pennsylvania Railroad operates its first westbound COFC (container-on-flat-car) train from Kearny NJ to Chicago. The containers are designed by Clark Equipment Company of Battle Creek MI and built by Fruehauf Trailer Company of Detroit. ? January 19, 1958 Boston & Maine passenger operations in New York state end. ? January 19, 1990 Canadian National spins off its line between Moncton NB and Mont-Joli PC to the New Brunswick East Coast Railway and the Matapedia Railway. ? January 19, 2005 The Lake Superior & Ishpeming files with the STB to abandon its Republic Branch. ? January 19, 2006 Canadian National reacquires the Central Western Railway, Lakeland & Waterways Railway and the Mackenzie Northern Railway from RailAmerica. ? Mark Tomlonson |
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January 17, 1952 Mrs. Katherine Parks, a Philadelphia trolley operator then assigned to route 37, was robbed at Westinghouse Loop in suburban Lester by a 25-year old black man who had a jail record. Mrs. Parks and 2 passengers were unharmed and the robber was captured and arrested inside a vacant house on Bartram Avenue in Eastwick.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? January 17, 1973 A 47-day strike against the Long Island Railroad ended when the United Transportation Union agreed to a 90-day cooling off period. Trains began running again on the 22nd. A new contract was signed on March 28.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? January 18, 1948 The Shore Fast Line, and interurban line which last ran from Atlantic City to Somers Point, was converted to bus operation and extended to Ocean City. The interurban cars were retired to the Inlet Shops and scrapped the following winter. Only car 119, which became a tool shed in 1946, survived but was finally scrapped in 1953.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? January 19, 1953 On the eve of the Eisenhower inauguration, PUC hearings began in Philadelphia for the abandonment of trolley route 18, one of the 5 Market Street routes. The route duplicated trolley routes 17, 32, and 36 for 75% of its routing, then it duplicated route 7 on 22nd and 23rd Streets for the final 25%. Route 18 was abandoned on August 1.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? January 19, 1973 There was no service on the BMT Broadway-Jamaica line from Broadway Junction to Marcy Avenue in Brooklyn for 3 days due to a gun fight inside a sporting goods store on Myrtle Avenue at Broadway which held 9 people hostage for 47 hours before they were released and the suspects surrendered.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? January 19, 1974 NYCTA R-32 subway cars 3464 (sideswiped in 1968) and 3549 (a fire at DeKalb Avenue on a B train in 1969) were back in service with their respective mates.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dennis M Linsky? On Fri, Jan 17, 2025, 6:45 AM Mark Tomlonson via <tomlonson=[email protected]> wrote:
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