November 6, 1893 The Elwood (IN) Electric Street Railway begins operations.
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November 6, 1906 In the early morning hours, a Baltimore & Ohio freight train and a B&O passenger train collide head-on in Porter County IN. Between 55 and 61 people are killed.
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November 6, 1926 Dayton, Covington & Piqua Traction Company (OH) is abandoned, despite the fact it was one of the few interurbans to outlast a parallel steam road (Cincinnati Hamilton & Dayton). (Some sources say November 5, some say November 26).
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November 6, 1932 The streetcars and buses owned by the Kalamazoo Transportation Company are seized for non-payment of $4,487 ($88,475 in 2020) in unpaid taxes. KTC service ended 5 days ago.
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November 6, 1936 The Pennsylvania Railroad authorizes General Electric to proceed with its proposal to design one 5,000 HP steam turboelectric locomotive. The project is put on the back burner as GE concentrates on a "Steamotive" for the Union Pacific and never makes it back to the front burner.
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November 6, 1939 The U.S. Supreme Court upholds a Circuit Court decision made last January refusing to allow the New Haven to close 93 stations on its East End. The decision is rendered largely moot as the States involved allow most of the stations to close due to lack of traffic.
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November 6, 1947 Niagara Falls ONT trolleys end service.
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November 6, 1967 The New York Central assigns RDC's to its last remaining Cleveland-Cincinnati service.
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November 6, 1970 Great Northern dedicates its new 7-mile Flathead Tunnel in Montana.
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November 6, 2017 Fort Erie ONT council votes $100,000 per year out of the city budget to restore CNR 6218 and its accompanying caboose. The 4-8-4 was donated to the city by Canadian National in 1973.
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November 7, 1835 John Elgar of York PA secures a patent for his plan to build section boats in compartments that are 7 feet by 20 feet, which can be combined end-to-end and side-by-side to form a canal boat and then disassembled to allow transshipment on railroad cars.
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November 7, 1885 The Canadian Pacific Railway, Canada's first transcontinental railroad, is completed with a last spike ceremony at Craigellachie BC.
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November 7, 1894 The Mahoning State Line Railroad (OH, later P&LE) is incorporated.
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November 7, 1902 The Pennsylvania Railroad installs electric arc lighting at Conway Yard.
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November 7, 1907 Jesus Garcia Corona, a Mexican railroad brakeman, saves the entire town of Nacozari, Sonora, Mexico by driving a train with a burning boxcar of dynamite six kilometers out of town before it explodes. He does not survive. The name of the town is changed to Nacozari de Garcia. Many streets and a sports stadium are named after him, and in Mexico November 7 is celebrated as “Dia del Ferrocarrilero” (Railroader’s Day).
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November 7, 1916 A Boston streetcar crashes through a dimly lit barrier and plunges through an open drawbridge into the deep Fort Point Channel. Forty-four men and one woman are killed. The accident receives almost no coverage in the papers because of the surprise victory of Woodrow Wilson over Charles Evans Hughes in a last-minute vote recount.
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November 7, 1925 The ICC approves the takeover of the Ann Arbor Railroad by the Wabash.
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November 7, 1944 In Aguadilla PR a passenger train derails due to excessive speed descending a grade. Sixteen are killed and 50 injured.
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November 7, 1947 The first "Friendship Train" leaves Los Angeles for New York. Following an idea by newspaper columnist Drew Pearson, the trains will collect food and other relief goods for France and Italy. In addition to war damage, severe drought is causing food shortages in those areas.
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November 7, 1987 The Kalamazoo, Lake Shore & Chicago officially begins operations between Paw Paw and Hartford MI. The company has adapted the name of the line's owners from 1906-1926. Pioneer Railcorp will operate the line through 2015. It is now (2020) operated by the Hamilton/Hartford group. Much of the line east of Hartford has had rails removed.
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November 7, 1987 Singapore opens its first rail rapid transit system.
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November 7, 1995 Amtrak "Viewliners" begin in-service testing.
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November 8, 1838 The "Rogers" (RLW c/n #4), the first locomotive in Illinois, makes an excursion run on the Northern Cross Railroad (later Wabash) from Meredosia 8 miles to the end of track and back. The locomotive was delivered to Meredosia by river packet.
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November 8, 1842 The Board of the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad orders a ban on carrying any African Americans from Maryland into either Delaware or Pennsylvania without proof of free status, except when traveling with a master.
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November 8, 1874 The Southern Pacific Railroad reaches Bakersfield CA. Work will now begin on the route that will be known as Tehachapi Loop.
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November 8, 1936 The "Denver Zephyr" is placed in service.
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Mark Tomlonson
