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April 11, 1842 The French legislature passes the Railway Act of 1842, which among other provisions states that all rail lines in France are to be owned by the state with operations leased to private companies. Another provision lays out a basic railroad map.

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April 11, 1845 The Pennsylvania Legislature passes an Act that exempts canals and railroads from being fined under Sunday "Blue" laws.

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April 11, 1853 The Ohio & Indiana Railroad Company (later PFW&C, PRR, PC, CR) completes its line from Pittsburgh to Crestline OH.

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April 11, 1853 After intense lobbying from New York interests, who are alleged to have paid $50,000 in bribes [2025: $2,035,299], the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania repeals the 1851 "Gauge Law" and now requires all state railroads to be 4'-8-1/2". The repeal opens the way for Ohio railroads to build to Pittsburgh.

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April 11, 1863 The Oswego & Rome Railroad (later RW&O, NYC) is chartered as a branch of the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg.

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April 11, 1877 Ross Winans, who took credit for many early developments in railroad technology while working for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, passes away at the age of 81.

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April 11, 1920 The Cleveland Interurban Railroad (OH) opens.

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April 11, 1931 The Pennsylvania Railroad adds Tourist Pullmans to the formerly all-coach excursion trains running between New York and Pittsburgh.

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April 11, 1960 The Pennsylvania Railroad places 7 new diesel tugs into service in New York Harbor. The new tugs replace 12 that are being retired, included the last steam-powered tug.

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April 11, 2017 Indiana Landmarks announces it will buy and preserve the Monon High Bridge at Delphi.

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April 11, 2020 The first two (of four) former White Pass & Yukon diesel locomotives are loaded onto a barge in Skagway for eventual delivery to the Durango & Southern. The D&S is also planning to purchase two additional new diesels, and to build a new shop in Durango to maintain them.

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April 12, 1831 Construction begins on the Staple Bend Tunnel, located 4 miles east of Johnstown PA. It is the first railroad tunnel in the United States. (Some sources say November 21)

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April 12, 1842 The Erie & Northeast Railroad (later LS&MS, NYC) is chartered.

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April 12, 1848 The Buffalo & State Line Railroad (later NYC) is chartered.

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April 12, 1861 Confederate forces fire upon Federal forces, which have retreated to Fort Sumter, SC, beginning the US Civil War. In addition to, as historian Ken Burns put it, "changing the nation from united States to The United States", the war will also advance railroad technology and operating practices from the lessons learned transporting troops and material.

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April 12, 1862 Andrew's Raiders steal "The General".

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April 12, 1880 The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Chicago Union Station is held.

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April 12, 1898 Union Traction Company of Indiana opens its line from Alexandria to Summitville.

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April 12, 1944 The Pennsylvania Railroad Mechanical Engineer approves drawings for a proposed class V1 2-D-D-2 steam turbine. While this locomotive class will not be built, the Chesapeake & Ohio will build 3 examples almost identical to this proposal.

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April 12, 1947 The Pennsylvania Railroad places its first Baldwin "Centipedes" in freight service on its Philadelphia Division.

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April 12, 1950 The New York Central adds 250 boxcars to its "Pacemaker" fleet.

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April 12, 1953 Last run of the "Orange Blossom Special".

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April 12, 1960 Chrysler makes its first shipment of automobiles using New York Central auto racks designed to fit on a Flexi-Van chassis.

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April 12, 1970 Last run of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy’s “Black Hawk”, running between Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul.

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April 12, 1976 GG-1 locomotive number 4800 appears in a "Bicentennial" paint scheme.

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April 12, 1987 Last train runs on the Michigan Northern.

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April 12, 1995 The Chicago & North Western and the Union Pacific railroads merge.

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April 12, 2016 A train is delayed 19 minutes at Japan’s Hiroshima station when a cat decides to perch on top. The cat is eventually coaxed down and the train proceeds without further incident. The image of the cat resting on the train is tweeted over 1,500 times.

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April 13, 1771 Richard Trevithick, a Welsh inventor, is born. His most notable contribution to railroading will be the invention of high-pressure steam engines, enabling self-propelled steam locomotives to do useful work.

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April 13, 1846 The Pennsylvania Railroad receives a charter to run between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh.

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April 13, 1868 The Continental Improvement Company is incorporated in Pennsylvania by officers of the Pennsylvania Railroad for the purpose of building the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad. It is the first pure holding company in America.

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April 13, 1869 George Westinghouse receives the first patent for an air brake for railroad cars. The brake uses steam from the locomotive boiler as its power source.

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April 13, 1888 The Valley City Street & Cable Railway begins operations in Grand Rapids MI. The line is no more than 11,000 feet long, and a single cable car is in operation.

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April 13, 1916 The Van Swearingen brothers buy a 75% interest in the Nickel Plate from William K. Vanderbilt for $8.5 million [2025: $256 million]

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April 13, 1921 At noon, all Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive and shop whistles are blown for 30 seconds to mark the 75th anniversary of the railroad.

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April 13, 1925 The Pennsylvania Railroad constructs a replica of the "Broadway Limited's" rear platform for display in Macy's Department store window in New York. Later it will travel to other department stores along the PRR system.

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April 13, 1953 Complaining of poor service, the U.S. Navy sends an LST to pick up sailors originally scheduled to travel on the Pennsylvania Railroad's "Furlough".

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April 13, 1987 The Iowa Terminal Railroad [IA interurban] is sold to David Johnson and renamed “Iowa Traction Railroad”.

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Mark Tomlonson

April 12, 1953 Chicago's Roosevelt Road shuttle trolley route was discontinued. The route used one-man double-end cars and operated from the Cottage Grove car barn. Passengers going to Grant Park and Soldier Field now had to use the 126 bus on the CTA's Boulevard Bus system.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? April 12, 1959 Philadelphia Transportation Company closed the Willow Grove bus garage which was a streetcar barn until 1940. Bus routes 22 from Doylestown and 74 from Hatboro were transferred to Germantown and bus route 55 on Old York Road was transferred to Luzerne.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? April 12, 1968 The NYCTA's NX (Broadway-Sea Beach-Brighton trains, which weren't very popular due to switching delays at Coney Island, ran for the last time in the PM rush hour. All cars assigned to the NX were returned to regular N service.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? April 13, 1952 Chicago trolley route 47 (47th Street), which was converted to bus operation on April 15, 1951, was reconverted to trolleybus operation.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? April 13, 1958 The NYCTA began to transfer the old Q-type El cars to the BMT Myrtle Avenue El after their cholestory roofs were lowered to clear subway tunnels to get to and from Coney Island or 207th Street Shops.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Dennis M Linsky? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??