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January 1, 1838 The United States Government contracts with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad to carry mail. The B&O is the first railroad in the U.S. to get a mail contract. January 1, 1850 The Vermont Central opens between Waterbury and Burlington. January 1, 1853 The Baltimore & Ohio reaches the Ohio River at Wheeling, Virginia. January 1, 1866 The first train arrives in Schoolcraft on the Schoolcraft & Three Rivers Railroad. [Later K&WP, LS&MS, NYC, PC, CR, NS, GDLK] January 1, 1867 A third rail for standard gauge equipment is placed in service on the broad-gauge Great Western Railway of Canada, opening a continuous standard-gauge line from Chicago to New York with the new train ferry Great Western between Detroit and Windsor. The Great Western is the largest iron or steel vessel on the Great Lakes. Through sleeping car service is inaugurated between Suspension Bridge (Niagara Falls) and Chicago. January 1, 1870 The first train into Kalamazoo on the Kalamazoo & South Haven Railroad. [Later MC, NYC, PC, CR] January 1, 1870 Grand River Valley Railroad completed from Jackson to Grand Rapids via Charlotte and Hastings [later MC, NYC, PC, KBECR]. January 1, 1872 The Denver & Rio Grande Railway opens from Denver to Colorado Springs, a new town founded by General William J. Palmer. January 1, 1872 The Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore Railroad (later PM, C&O, CSX) reaches Pentwater MI from the south. Also today, the Grand Rapids & Holland Railroad completes a branch between its namesake cities for the C&MLS. January 1, 1874 Horsecar service begins between Belding and the Ionia & Lansing railroad in Kiddville. January 1, 1874 The Michigan portion of the Mansfield, Coldwater & Lake Michigan Railroad between Allegan and Monteith is leased to the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad. January 1, 1876 The North Brookfield Railroad (later B&A, NYC) is opened. January 1, 1877 The Toledo, Wabash & Western Railway reorganizes as the Wabash Railway. January 1, 1879 The Pennsylvania Company begins operating the Indianapolis & Vincennes Railroad. The line was leased on December 28. January 1, 1888 Tracks of the Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie & Atlantic Railway (later Soo Line) reach Sault Ste. Marie. January 1, 1899 South Central Station (now South Station) in Boston opens. January 1, 1900 The Pere Marquette Railroad is formed from the Chicago & West Michigan, Flint & Pere Marquette and Detroit, Grand Rapids & Western. It is Michigan's largest railroad. (Some sources say December 31, 1899) January 1, 1900 The Pullman Palace Car Co. buys out its major competitor, The Wagner Palace Car Co. January 1, 1900 The Pennsylvania Railroad establishes a company pension, with 70 set as the mandatory retirement age. January 1, 1902 The Wabash Railroad ceases operation of the Logansport & Toledo (later PRR, PC, CR) between Logansport and Butler. It is taken over by the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railroad. January 1, 1905 The Terre Haute & Indianapolis, St. Louis, Vandalia & Terre Haute, Terre Haute & Logansport, Indianapolis & Vincennes and the Logansport & Toledo merge to become the Vandalia Railroad. (later PRR) January 1, 1907 The Pennsylvania Railroad discontinues its practice of publishing train schedules in daily newspapers. January 1, 1907 The Ft. Wayne & Springfield makes its first trip from Decatur to Ft. Wayne. Only the first 7 miles of the trip are run under wire, the remainder of the trip to Ft. Wayne is made attached to the construction train. Once in Ft. Wayne, the car enters street car track and again runs under wire to the depot. January 1, 1910 The Winona & Warsaw Railway, operating 3 1/3 miles between Warsaw and Winona Lake, begins operations under lease of the Winona Interurban Railway. January 1, 1913 To avoid buying new cars for service into Grand Central and Penn Station, the New Haven contracts with the Pullman Company to operate its lounge and sleeping cars. January 1, 1914 The world's first commercial airline with a regular schedule begins operation between St. Petersburg and Tampa FL. It will fail within four months. January 1, 1917 The V

January 2, 1832 Daniel K. Minor, publisher of the "New York American", publishes the first issue of the "American Railroad Journal". It is the first U.S. periodical devoted entirely to the railroad industry. It is the direct ancestor of "Railway Locomotives and Cars". January 2, 1871 The first train runs from Kalamazoo to South Haven on the Kalamazoo & South Haven Railroad. January 2, 1893 Standards are set for Railroad Timepieces, a vital necessity when most trains move by timetable and train order. January 2, 1901 The Detroit & Charlevoix Railroad (later MC) is chartered. January 2, 1913 The Cleveland Alliance & Mahoning Valley Railway becomes the last interurban in Ohio to open for business. January 2, 1916 Interurban service between Battle Creek and Grand Rapids via Richland begins. Between Battle Creek and Montieth the line uses former trackage of the Cincinnati Northern. From Montieth to Grand Rapids it uses new trackage constructed by the Chicago & Michigan. January 2, 1922 A train of 100 Pennsylvania steel boxcars carrying 500 Durant automobiles leaves Jersey City for California via the Overland Route. It is the largest transcontinental shipment of a single commodity to this date. January 2, 1930 The New York Central system acquires the lease of both the Michigan Central and "Big Four" lines. January 2, 1934 The Seaboard Air Line's "Orange Blossom Special" becomes the first Florida train to be completely air-conditioned. January 2, 1935 Chicago & North Western begins "400" service between Chicago and St. Paul, so named because the 400-mile trip is scheduled to take 400 minutes. January 2, 1938 First run of "The City Of San Francisco" January 2, 1958 The Litchfield & Madison Railway is merged with the Chicago & North Western. January 2, 1958 The New Haven Railroad drops 10 of its 38 New York-Boston trains and 4 of its 32 New York-Springfield trains. January 2, 1970 The world's then-largest freight car leaves Pittsburgh for Florida carrying an electric generator. The car can carry 1.2 million pounds, is 177 feet long and has 44 wheels. January 2, 1996 The Interstate Commerce Commission is replaced by the Surface Transportation Board. Mark Tomlonson

January 3, 1870 The Kalamazoo & South Haven (later MC, NYC, PC, CR) is completed from Kalamazoo to Kendall MI. January 3, 1908 The St. Clair Coal Railway (IL) is merged into the Vandalia Railroad. January 3, 1910 Tired of its cars being routed to the Boston & Maine by mistake, the Brookville & Mahoning (PA) changes its name to the Pittsburg & Shawmut. January 3, 1914 The Niagara, St. Catharines & Toronto Railway (interurban) opens from St. Catharines to Niagara-on-the-Lake, ONT. January 3, 1933 A recreation car is placed on the "Florida Special", operating southbound on Fridays and northbound on Mondays. The car includes a three-piece Hawaiian band, a dance floor, contract bridge tournaments and other amusements including a wading pool. Next year, the pool will be withdrawn due to sloshing water and additional cars will be built making the cars available on all trains. January 3, 1934 When a flying wheel rim from a grade crossing collision kills an engineer, the Pennsylvania Railroad orders its P-5 electrics still under construction to be built with a center cab rather than box cab design. January 3, 1954 The last steam powered passenger train departs Washington DC's Union Station. Richmond Fredricksburg & Potomac engine #622 "Carter Braxton" departs at approx. 1: 40 PM for Richmond VA. January 3, 1960 Washington DC ends suburban and overhead trolley operations. January 3, 1962 First through train, Sydney to Melbourne. January 3, 1970 The Chesapeake & Ohio buys the Chicago, South Shore & South Bend. January 3, 2005 The Federal Railroad Administration publishes a "final rule" requiring reflective material on the sides of locomotives and freight cars as a safety measure to make trains more visible at highway-rail grade crossings. The rule requires railroads to install yellow or white reflective materials on locomotives over a 5-year period and on freight cars over a 10-year period. January 3, 2020 To try to increase public awareness of grade crossing dangers, the North Carolina Department of Transportation and Morrisville police place the remains of a car wrecked in a November 30 car/train collision at the site of the accident for 30 days to illustrate the damage caused to a car when it is hit by a freight doing 55 mph. Mark Tomlonson

January 4, 1875 The Prince Edward Island Railway opens between Summerside and Tignish. January 4, 1877 Commodore Vanderbilt dies at his home at the age of 82. He leaves the bulk of his estate and control of the Vanderbilt Lines to his son, William Henry. January 4, 1891 The Southern Railroad inaugurates its "Washington and Southwestern Vestibule Limited", an ancestor of the "Crescent Limited". January 4, 1901 Union Traction Company opens its Anderson-Indianapolis line. January 4, 1915 The "Dixie Flyer", running between Chicago and Florida on a C&EI/L&N route receives all-new steel cars. January 4, 1920 Ottawa Central Station (Ontario) is renamed Ottawa Union Station. January 4, 1932 The Indiana Railroad (interurban) abandons its main line between Indianapolis and Dunreith branch. January 4, 1952 The Chesapeake & Ohio carferry "Spartan" is launched. January 4, 1962 New York City installs the first automated subway train. January 4, 1963 The Baltimore & Ohio ends passenger service to Cleveland. January 4, 1965 In his State of the Union address, President Johnson calls for funds to study high-speed rail service in the Northeast Corridor. January 4, 1969 The Port Authority Transit Corporation of Pennsylvania and New Jersey (PATCO) begins operations between Broadway, Camden and Lindenwood NJ. January 4, 1970 The "Lake Cities" makes its last run between Chicago and Hoboken, ending long-distance passenger service on the Erie-Lackawanna. The train will arrive at its end terminals tomorrow morning. January 4, 1987 Conrail engines running light run through a signal and collide with an Amtrak train at Gunpow Interlocking on the Northeast Corridor, killing 16. Ricky Gates, the Conrail engineer was found to be using marijuana and watching TV at the time of the accident. The incident will lead directly to licensing and drug testing of locomotive engineers. January 4, 1990 An overcrowded 16-car passenger train strikes a standing freight train in Sindh Province, Pakistan, killing 307 and injuring an estimated 700 people. Mark Tomlonson

January 5, 1832 The Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad Company (later CCC&StL, NYC, PC, CR, I&O) is incorporated in Ohio to build between Sandusky and Dayton via Springfield. The charter, the first successful one in Ohio, replaces a planned canal project that has been shelved for lack of water. January 5, 1861 The Amboy, Lansing & Traverse Bay Railroad (later JL&S, MC) becomes the first land-grant railroad in Michigan to receive certification that it has completed the requisite 20 miles of track. January 5, 1869 Representatives of railroads running between New York and Washington meet at New York to devise a plan to eliminate the use of horse-drawn transfers through the streets of Baltimore. January 5, 1876 In a dispute over a level crossing, the Pennsylvania Railroad parks a locomotive on its tracks in Hopewell NJ where the Delaware & Bound Brook Railroad hopes to cross. When the locomotive backs up to clear another PRR train, D&BB partisans chain it to the track. Today and tomorrow 1500 railroad employees plus townsfolk from Hopewell will confront each other. Four PRR locomotives will derail in unsuccessful attempts to ram barricades. January 5, 1893 The last rail in the construction of the Great Northern Railroad between the Great Lakes and Everett, Washington is put in place at Scenic, WA. It is the fourth transcontinental railroad completed, and the first to receive no Federal aid nor to be involved in a major financial scandal. Service on the line will not start until July. (Some sources place this event on January 6.) January 5, 1914 The Pennsylvania Railroad announces it carried 111,000,000 passengers in 1913 without a single fatality. January 5, 1917 After a five-year court battle, the merger of the Evansville & Southern Indiana Traction Company and the Evansville Public Service Company is approved. January 5, 1955 The Sand Springs Railway (interurban, OK) ends passenger service. January 5, 1956 General Motor's "Aerotrain" number 1000 is tested by the Pennsylvania Railroad between Washington and Newark. Aerotrain 1001 makes its initial Chicago to Detroit test run on the New York Central. January 5, 1966 All parties agree to include the New Haven in the Penn Central merger. January 5, 1985 The Alaska Railroad becomes the property of the State of Alaska. January 5, 1988 The last passenger train leaves Detroit's Michigan Central station. January 5, 2007 300 kph (186 mph) train service begins between Panchiao and Kaohsing, Taiwan, using Japanese "Bullet Train" technology. A second section from Panchiao to Taipei will open March 2. January 5, 2011 In a report issued today, the Public Interest Network reports that highway tolls and other fees cover only 51% of the total cost of road transportation, the rest being borne by taxes. January 5, 2012 In Vernon VT, 15 "Turtle Crossings" are installed under 700 feet of railroad track to allow endangered spotted turtles to safely reach their nesting grounds. Mark Tomlonson

January 6, 1853 The New Jersey Railroad, Camden & Amboy, Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore and the Baltimore & Ohio begin advertising that they will operate a continuous connecting railroad for mail, passengers and express between New York and Washington with connections guaranteed. January 6, 1853 President-elect Franklin Pierce, his wife and son are involved in a train wreck near Andover MA on the Boston & Maine. His son, Bernie, is the only fatality. Pierce will never fully recover from the emotional impact of losing his son. Some historians point to this trauma as preventing Pierce from taking adequate steps to prevent the American Civil War. January 6, 1872 Horsecars begin operation in Ft. Wayne IN. January 6, 1882 The Chicago & Western Indiana absorbs the South Chicago & Western Indiana and the Chicago & Western Indiana Belt Railway. January 6, 1889 First passenger train on the Manistee & Northeastern (later PM, C&O, Chessie, CSX, TSBY). January 6, 1892 The Terre Haute (IN) Electric Railway begins operations. January 6, 1910 The Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad buys the Chicago Terminal Transfer Railroad, giving the B&O direct control of all its Chicago terminals. January 6, 1918 The USRA makes major cuts in U.S. passenger service, saving $60 million per year. A la carte meals are abolished in diners, menus are limited and the number of dining cars is reduced. All passenger train advertising is eliminated (including train names). Consolidated ticket offices are established. During the war, the USRA will move 6,496,000 soldiers in 9,000 troop trains. January 6, 1919 The Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac opens a new station in Richmond VA, part of an extensive capital improvement project in the area. The west side belt line is also double-tracked to handle passenger trains. January 6, 1922 The Pennsylvania Railroad announces it will retire its last wooden Dining Cars in the next few months. January 6, 1930 The Detroit, Toledo & Ironton drops passenger service between Napoleon OH & Tecumseh MI. January 6, 1934 Streetcar service in Frankfort, KY ends as a result of a strike. January 6, 1940 Streetcar service draws to a close in Terre Haute IN. January 6, 1949 In response to the US "Friendship Train" which gathered food and other relief supplies for France and Italy, the French send a "Merci Train" to U.S. State capitols and Washington DC. The "40 and 8" boxcars in the train are filled with gifts of appreciation. They will be carried on flatcars while in the U.S. January 6, 1950 The Long Island Railroad drops its PRR-inspired keystone logo and introduces a new herald with "LI" in a circle. January 6, 2015 California breaks ground on its high-speed rail project. Mark Tomlonson

January 7, 1830 The first railroad station in the U.S. opens in Baltimore for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, which today is opening its first segment of track. The first revenue rail passengers in the U.S. are carried behind horsepower and operation is irregular over the mile and a quarter line. January 7, 1840 Incoming Michigan Governor William Woodbridge recommends in his first message to stop all of the State's internal improvement appropriations. Illinois and Indiana have already dramatically cut back on their programs. January 7, 1876 The Toronto Globe reports that Commodore Vanderbilt has gained control of the Canada Southern Railway. January 7, 1883 The Chicago, Kalamazoo & Saginaw (later MC, NYC, PC, CR (one section); MC, GT, CN (other section)) is incorporated. January 7, 1887 The Manistee & Northeastern (later PM, C&O, Chessie, CSX, TSBY) is chartered to build between Manistee and Traverse City. January 7, 1927 Seaboard Air Line opens its own route between West Palm Beach and Miami for passenger service, ending trackage rights over the Florida East Coast. It also adds an extension to Ft. Myers for passenger service. January 7, 1929 The "20th Century Limited" runs a record seven identical sections. Eight hundred twenty two people pay the extra $10 fare ($147 in 2018) to ride The Century. An automobile show in New York City gets the credit for this sudden increase in traffic. Combined with other special trains arriving for the show, a record 266 sleeping cars arrive at Grand Central Terminal between 5:00 am and 9:50 am. January 7, 1932 The Nicholas, Fayette & Greenbrier Railroad begins operations. It is jointly owned by the Chesapeake & Ohio, which switches its east end, and the New York Central Subsidiary Kanawha & Michigan which switches its west end. January 7, 1952 The last segment of the Reading Traction Company (PA) quits. January 7, 1961 In cooperation with the Atlantic Coast Line, the Pennsylvania Railroad begins running a solid train of TOFC equipment from Florida to Kearny NJ. January 7, 1969 A Long Island Railroad commuter is arrested for "Theft of Services" after refusing to show his ticket while riding in an unheated and unlit car. Five more commuters will be arrested for a similar protest on January 10. January 7, 1995 The Algoma Central Railway is purchased by the Wisconsin Central. (Some sources say February 1) January 7, 2002 Amtrak train 351 becomes the first in regular service to hit 90 mph between Kalamazoo and Porter IN using the new GPS-based Incremental Train Control System. January 7, 2006 At 2:40 a.m. a Norfolk Southern train slams into a local in Graniteville SC due to a misaligned switch. A tank car carrying chlorine is punctured by a loose steel coil, sending chlorine gas into the air. The escaping gas kills nine people, including one of the engineers. Mark Tomlonson

January 8, 1855 The first through train runs from Chicago to Cairo, IL. January 8, 1855 A mob in Erie, PA tears up the tracks of the Erie & North Eastern, the last battle in the "Gauge War". January 8, 1863 Ground is broken for the Central Pacific Railroad in Sacramento. January 8, 1872 James Fisk of the Erie Railway is shot and mortally wounded by Edward Stokes, a blackmailer and rival in a love triangle. January 8, 1902 Two trains collide in a smoke-filled tunnel under Park Avenue in New York City, killing 17 and injuring 38. Public outcry following the accident will lead to the banning of steam engines in lower Manhattan and the building of Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station. January 8, 1923 The van Sweringens acquire the Chesapeake & Ohio. January 8, 1937 The Beech Grove (IN) Traction Company shuts down at 1:00 a.m. Its electric supplier, Indianapolis Railways, terminates electric service due to Beech Grove Traction owing almost $30,000 ($536,000 in 2019 dollars). It has been rumored that employee's pay consisted partly of BGT trolley tokens. January 8, 1954 The Sunset Limited becomes the first train to use the new New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal. January 8, 1956 Steam locomotive servicing at New York Central's Jackson MI shops officially ends. January 8, 1957 The New Haven's "Dan'l Webster", a "Train X' built by Pullman-Standard, makes its first public appearance. During the run the trailing unit catches fire due to a problem with a third rail shoe. When the damaged cars are towed home they derail, blocking the tracks and delaying rush hour trains. January 8, 1962 In the worst railway accident in the history of the Netherlands, the driver of one passenger train misses a signal and collides nearly head on with another. The accident, which kills 91 people, takes places just outside Harmelen. January 8, 1962 The Interstate Commerce Commission begins hearings on the "Big John" grain rate case. The American Watercraft Operators et al. have protested the Southern Railway's proposed discounts for bulk shipments of grain. The ICC will sit in almost continuous session through August 29 to hear the case. It will be resolved with a ruling in favor of the railroad by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1967. The decision is the first chink in the armor of regulated railroad freight rates. January 8, 1973 Pipe Major Gordon Speirs is asked to restrict his bagpipe playing in Liverpool Street Station, London to just one minute in fifteen. Hired by the Scottish Tourist Board, his playing is alleged to “interfere with station business”. January 9, 1830 Ground is broken in Charleston, South Carolina for the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road (later SRR, NS). It will be the first railroad in South Carolina to use steam locomotives. In 1833 its 136-mile length will earn it the title of world's longest railroad. January 9, 1850 A freight train crew on the Pennsylvania Railroad that had earlier run into the rear of a passenger train is disciplined. It is the first mention of a wreck on the PRR. January 9, 1882 The first train from Cincinnati OH to Dayton on the Cincinnati Northern (narrow gauge, not the later NYC ancestor) leaves Cincinnati. It will not arrive in Dayton, however, until January 12th due to poor track work. January 9, 1882 The re-opened Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad, now owned by Jay Gould and converted to standard gauge, opens between Huron and Massillon OH. January 9, 1891The Ann Arbor & Ypsilanti Street Railway begins service using a small steam car. A trial run had been made on January 3. January 9, 1897 Today’s “Literary Digest” carries an article on the Fitchburg MA trolley system, which has fitted a former flatcar with traction motors, armor plate, two 6 pound (3 ? inch) cannons and one 18 pound (5 1/8 inch) cannon. The car’s designers christen it “The McKinley”, style it like a battleship, and hope that it will aid the navy in coastal defense against the Spanish fleet. Other than providing a campaign float for William McKinley’s Presidential bid, it never sees service. January 9, 1955 The departure of the 20th Centu

January 11, 1859 The Atchison & Topeka Railroad (later AT&SF, BNSF) is chartered. January 11, 1868 The Sandusky & Cincinnati Railroad reforms as the Cincinnati, Sandusky & Cleveland Railroad (later Big Four, NYC). January 11, 1910 The Grand Rapids Street Railroad Company begins interurban service between Grand Rapids WI and Nekoosa. Grand Rapids will later change its name to "Wisconsin Rapids" and the traction company will follow suit. January 11, 1922 The van Sweringen brothers buy the Lake Erie & Western from the New York Central and align it with the Nickel Plate, which they also own. January 11, 1931 The Boston & Maine runs its first "Snow Train" for skiers and other winter vacationers. January 11, 1934 The new Dayton (OH) Union station is dedicated. Mark Tomlonson

January 12, 1830 DeWitt Clinton Jr. reports to several New York businessmen on the cost of building a rail road from New York to New Orleans. The proposal calls for using stone sleepers north of Washington and wood pilings for the rest of the way. The cost is estimated at $11.8 million. January 12, 1883 The second U.S. transcontinental railroad, the Southern Pacific, is completed with a "Golden Spike" ceremony on the Pecos River High Bridge. (some sources say January 15) January 12, 1891 The first train of the Lowell & Hastings Railroad (later PM, C&O, Chessie, CSX) runs from Lowell to Grand Rapids MI. January 12, 1912 The Ann Arbor Railroad acquires control of the Manistique & Lake Superior. January 12, 1929 Seatrain service (railroad cars loaded on ships) begins between New Orleans and Havana. January 12, 1929 The Great Northern Railroad opens 8-mile long Cascade Tunnel, the longest in the United States. January 12, 1934 All interurban service in and around Lexington KY ends. January 12, 1942 The Chicago & North Western begins using streamline passenger cars on its "400" fleet. January 12, 1945 Bituminous Coal Research Incorporated's Locomotive Study Group, made up of representatives from eastern railroads and locomotive manufacturers, meets to find ways to combat the rise of the diesel locomotive. They decide reciprocating steam is dead, and to explore coal-fired turbines. January 12, 1952 Using ex-Denver & Rio Grande narrow gauge locomotives, Knott’s Berry Farm at Buena Park CA opens the “Ghost Town & Calico Railroad”. January 12, 1957 The Santa Fe's "Super Chief" and "El Capitan" passenger trains are combined during off-peak seasons. January 12, 1958 The Duluth South Shore & Atlantic runs its last passenger train between St. Ignace and Marquette MI. Other passenger service will continue through 1968. January 12, 1977 VIA Rail Canada is created as a subsidiary of Canadian National. For the previous nine months, "VIA" has been CN's brand for its passenger service. January 12, 1989 The Fox River Valley Railroad begins operations on former Chicago & North Western tracks between Green Bay, Milwaukee, Butler and Appleton WI. January 12, 2009 The Department of Transportation issues new rules for the construction of tank cars designed to carry hazardous material. The rules will apply to cars built after March 16, 2009. The railroads hope the tougher construction standards will reduce their liability insurance premium. January 12, 2010 A loose boxcar door on a passing CSX freight strikes Amtrak's northbound Silver Star, which was waiting in a passing siding near Boulogne FL. The door hits the fireman's side of the train, goes airborne and strikes four cars in the Amtrak train. Only the diner is severely damaged, loosing 20 feet of its roof. No one is in the diner at the time and no one is hurt. January 12, 2016 The “London Evening Standard” reports that train operator Southeastern blamed commuter train delays the previous day on “Too much sunshine”. No further explanation was offered. Mark Tomlonson

January 13, 1842 The Philadelphia & Reading (later Reading) opens for revenue freight and passenger service from Mount Carmel to Philadelphia. Its coal-hauling operations will prove that a rail road can compete with a canal for heavy freight service. January 13, 1882 A rear end collision at Spuyten Duyvil kills Mr. Webster Wagner of the Wagner Car Company, operator of a fleet of sleeper cars. January 13, 1918 The Presidents of 70 different railroads meet at Grand Central Terminal to formulate a demand that Congress declare that Government control of the railroads is only for the duration of the war. January 13, 1928 The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul is reorganized into the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific. January 13, 1929 Chicago Great Western places a three-car trainset made by McKeen in service between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Rochester, serving the Mayo Clinic. January 13, 1930 Robert M. Davis of McGraw-Hill Publishing buys a single ticket at New York City's Penn Station for a 35-city tour. The ticket is a record 83 inches long. January 13, 1941 Freight motor no. 717 departs southbound with the last electric freight train from the Commerce Dr. freight terminal in Ft. Wayne IN. Its counterpart from Indianapolis will arrive at the freight terminal at 5:30 a.m. the next morning. This closes out electric freight service entering Ft. Wayne from all except the north line. January 13, 1947 The Nickel Plate Road orders 4 BL-1 diesel locomotives from EMD. The model will be upgraded to BL-2 by EMD after the order has been submitted. Six months later EMD will not have started construction of the locomotives and NKP will cancel the order. January 13, 1952 The "City of San Francisco" is trapped in snow on Donner Pass. Passengers will be stranded in the train until January 16. January 13, 1986 In the worst rail disaster on the African continent, an Ethiopian passenger train plunges into a ravine, killing 428. Mark Tomlonson

January 14, 1878 The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the federal government has no power to overturn state laws creating segregated accommodations in railroad cars, opening the way for Southern states to impose "Jim Crow" segregation. Many northern railroads with branches in the south are also affected. January 14, 1905 Pennsylvania Railroad's Enola Yard opens. An urban legend arises that the name of the yard comes from an early operator at the site who felt all "alone", but the truth is that it is named after the daughter of the owner of the land on which the yard is built. January 14, 1923 In the Pennsylvania Railroad Timetable for its Southwest Region issued today, many branch-line and rural passenger trains are removed due to competition from buses and private automobiles. January 14, 1939 The last scheduled Southern Pacific commuter ferry run sails on San Francisco Bay. Other SP ferry service will continue in the bay until 1958. January 14, 1942 German U-Boats begin attacking United States coastal shipping. At first, the lack of blackouts on the east coast makes the ships easy targets. Attacks by U-Boats will force much cargo from ships onto the railroads. January 14, 2015 A bus carrying 12 prison inmates and 3 guards slips off a highway bridge near Odessa TX and strikes a Union Pacific freight train. Eight inmates and 2 guards are killed. The incident is blamed on black ice on I-20. January 14, 2017 Serbia attempts to send a train painted in Serbian national colors and lettered “Kosovo is Serbia” to Kosovo. Kosovo refuses to let the train cross the border, saying that it antagonizes existing conflicts between the two countries. Mark Tomlonson

January 15, 1829 The "America", the first steam locomotive in the United States, arrives at New York. January 15, 1831 The first American-built locomotive to pull a passenger train, "Best Friend", runs from Charleston to Hamburg, South Carolina. On board are a Mr. & Mrs. Pierson, who are making the first railroad honeymoon trip in the U.S. January 15, 1838 The Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad (later PRR) reports that it has ordered two locomotives, two 8-wheel coaches with private apartments for ladies, drinking water and water closets, and seats stuffed with hair instead of moss. They have also ordered two coaches without ladies apartments and water closets. January 15, 1862 Michigan extends the construction deadlines for the Grand Rapids & Indiana. January 15, 1868 The Pan Handle [sic] Railway Company (later PRR) is incorporated in Pennsylvania as a reorganization of the Pittsburgh & Steubenville Railroad. January 15, 1885 An experimental streetcar line opens between South Bend and Mishawaka IN. January 15, 1898 The Pennsylvania Railroad paints its premier passenger train, "The Pennsylvania Limited", in a green/yellow/red scheme. This earns the train the nickname "The Yellow Kid" after a popular comic strip of the time. January 15, 1903 The New York Central & Hudson River Railroad stages a competition for the design of the new Grand Central Terminal. Among the entries: a 60-story tower that would be the tallest building in New York. January 15, 1915 The final spike is driven on the transcontinental Canadian Northern Railway at Basque, British Columbia. January 15, 1918 Noted railroad artist Gil Reid is born in St. Louis MO. January 15, 1928 The seven and a half-mile Mechanicsburg & Dillsburg Railway (PA), owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad, calls it quits. The interurban used a unique side trolley that required four poles on each car. January 15, 1937 The Pennsylvania Railroad, via trackage rights over the Grand Trunk Western, establishes new freight routes to the west. The ferry used for this service is the Grand Trunk's "Grand Rapids", running between Muskegon and Milwaukee. January 15, 1939 The Market St. Railway and Municipal Railway of San Francisco connect to the Transbay Terminal. January 15, 1943 The New York Central pays a dividend for the first time since 1931. January 15, 1950 The last through car leaves Peoria on the Illinois Terminal. January 15, 1953 The Pennsylvania Railroad's "Federal Express" crashes into the concourse of Union Station in Washington DC, injuring 87 passengers. By 7:00 AM the next day all of the train's cars will be removed from the station, leaving only GG-1 #4876 in the baggage room. So as not to restrict traffic in the station during the upcoming Presidential Inaugural, the engine will be lowered into the basement and a temporary floor built over it. The station will open as usual within 72 hours of the accident. The engine will eventually return to service. January 15, 1990 VIA Rail Canada cuts services by 51%. January 15, 1998 Ms. Fannie Mae Barnes becomes the first woman to demonstrate enough upper-body strength to become a grip operator on a San Francisco cable car. January 16, 1830 The Tuscumbia Railroad, the first in Alabama, is chartered. January 16, 1836 The first railroad out of Chicago, the Galena & Chicago Union, receives its charter. The railroad, later part of Chicago & North Western, will be constructed to reach the lead mines at Galena IL. January 16, 1837 Pennsylvania Governor Ritmer asks the Legislature to allow the use of locomotives between Philadelphia and Belmont Plane on the grounds that it will prevent cruelty to horses. January 16, 1857 The Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad (later DGH&M, GT) completes its line to St. Johns MI. January 16, 1868 William Davis, a Detroit fish dealer, patents a refrigerator car. January 16, 1873 Representatives of the Reading, Delaware & Hudson, Lehigh Valley, Central of New Jersey, and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western set uniform prices for anthracite coal and fix the amounts to be shipped. January 16, 1892 The Chicago,

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 is the last New Orleans' railroad to resume service after Hurricane Katrina. It was also the railroad that suffered the most damage in the storm. 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 small electrical fire, which is quickly extinguished. Mark Tomlonson

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 (later NYC). January 19, 1852 The New York & Harlem reaches Chatham NY. 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 passenger service that 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, 2005 The Lake Superior & Ishpeming files with the STB to abandon its Republic Branch. Mark Tomlonson

January 20, 1837 An advertisement in the “Toledo Blade” states that the Erie & Kalamazoo has received its first steam engine, and service will commence “in a few days”. January 20, 1848 The Schenectady Locomotive Engine Manufactory is incorporated. It is a predecessor of both the Schenectady Locomotive Works and Alco. January 20, 1862 The Flint & Pere Marquette (later PM, C&O, Chessie, CSX, LSR) begins operations between East Saginaw and Mt. Morris MI. January 20, 1874 The Chicago lakefront depot of the Michigan Central, Illinois Central and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroads is destroyed by fire. January 20, 1877 Charles Collins, Chief Engineer of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway, commits suicide over last month's Ashtabula bridge disaster. January 20, 1880 The Illinois Central completes its purchase of the New Orleans, St. Louis & Chicago Railroad, which it has controlled since 1877. January 20, 1903 The Kanawha & West Virginia (later NYC, PC, CR) is incorporated. January 20, 1907 The Pennsylvania Railroad establishes trains 186 and 187, running only on Sundays between Chicago and Valparaiso IN. The trains are to serve city dwellers going to the countryside and returning in the evening. January 20, 1923 Canadian Government Railways incorporate as Canadian National Railways. Railways affected are Canadian Northern, Intercolonial, National Transcontinental, Grand Trunk Pacific Branch Lines, New Brunswick & Prince Edward Island, International Railway of New Brunswick, Salisbury & Albert, Elgin & Havelock, St. Martin's, Lotbiniere & Megantic, Caraquet & Gulf Shore and the New Glasgow Iron, Coal & Railway. January 20, 1953 More than 600 coaches, sleepers, parlor cars and diners converge on Washington DC for Dwight Eisenhower's first inauguration. Over 10,000 people use parked Pullmans as hotels; two thousand one hundred at Baltimore & Ohio's Eckington Yard alone. January 20, 1959 The Seaboard Air Line opens its new St. Petersburg FL station. January 20, 1986 Plans for the construction of a railroad tunnel under the English Channel are announced. Actual work will not begin for another 23 months. January 20, 2009 Washington DC's Metrorail sets a record as it handles more than 930,000 riders. Most of the increase is due to the inauguration of President Barack Obama. January 20, 2009 About 200 Indians riding on top of a passenger train are swept off by a tree branch. The passengers, all of them young men, were traveling to an army recruitment drive. Three of the riders were killed. January 20, 2017 Reviving a tradition he began as a Senator, Vice President Joe Biden takes an Amtrak train from Washington to Wilmington following the inauguration of Donald Trump. Mark Tomlonson

January 21, 1841 George Hacker patents a passenger car based on a tobacco barrel. The car was intended to be 30’ long with 20 windows, but the design was never built. January 21, 1880 The Ontario & Western (later NYO&W) is incorporated to run between Oswego NY and New York City. January 21, 1903 The Grand Trunk moves into a new depot at Lansing MI. Grand Trunk officials tout the station as "the handsomest between Portland ME and Chicago". January 21, 1929 The Pennsylvania Railroad announces the formation of coordinated rail-bus service on some long distance routes. Travelers will ride the bus by day connecting to towns and villages not on the PRR, and then ride the train by night. January 21, 1931 The first of three boat trains leave New York for San Francisco. There they will connect with a Matson Liner for the trip to Hawaii. January 21, 1946 Streetcars end service in New Albany IN. January 21, 1954 New York Central President William White says he has made plans with Rail-Trailer Company of Chicago to introduce modern piggyback service on the NYC. January 21, 1963 The last Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee RR interurban train pulls into Milwaukee at 2:55 a.m., ending 68 years of service on America's fastest Interurban. One of the cars in the last train is currently on display at the Illinois Railway Museum. Mark Tomlonson

January 22, 1857 The Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad (later PM, C&O, Chessie, CSX) is chartered to construct a rail line from Flint to Lake Michigan via Saginaw. January 22, 1858 The directors of the Great Western take control of the Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad (later GT). January 22, 1869 The Muskegon & Ferrysburg Railroad (later MLS, GHR, C&WM, PM, C&O, Chessie, CSX, MQT) files incorporation papers in Michigan to build from Ferrysburg to Muskegon Harbor. The papers were drawn up last April. January 22, 1880 Jay Gould announces the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway (later Wabash) has leased the Toledo, Peoria & Western. January 22, 1893 The Ashland Light Power & Street Railway Company begins streetcar service in Ashland WI. January 22, 1912 The Florida East Coast's line to Key West is opened. It will become a popular passenger train destination with boat connections to Havana. January 22, 1914 The Great Northern opens a new passenger depot in Minneapolis. January 22, 1929 The driver of a Greyhound bus in Bellevue OH does not see an approaching Lake Shore Line interurban in heavy snowfall and pulls onto the tracks in front of the car. Nineteen of the 32 passengers on the bus die. Passengers on the interurban suffer only minor injuries. January 22, 1949 The first American Freedom Train officially ends its tour. January 22, 1956 A two-RDC train from Los Angeles bound for San Diego approaches a 15-mph curve at Redondo Junction near Olympic Street at 70 mph and is unable to slow down in time. Thirty people are killed and 130 injured in Los Angeles' worst railroad accident. The Los Angeles police are unable to completely control the crowds. Widespread looting of the dead and injured takes place. The LAPD ties at least one person to a tree in their attempts to restore order. January 22, 2014 A Pakistani teen, in England as part of a work-study program, is killed instantly when he places his head on the live third rail to see if a train is coming. In Pakistan, which does not use third-rail electric locomotives, it is common practice to listen for oncoming trains by putting an ear on a rail. January 23, 1869 George Westinghouse applies for his first air-brake patent. January 23, 1872 The Baltimore & Ohio completes the first grain elevator at Locust Point, Baltimore. January 23, 1876 A plan is formed to consolidate all railroads operating on Long Island NY into the Long Island Railroad, eliminating duplication of services. January 23, 1880 The Coney Island Elevated Railroad is incorporated. January 23, 1900 The Dayton-Xenia Traction Company opens from Dayton to Xenia via Belmont. January 23, 1905 The Great Northern-owned steamship "Minnesota" makes its maiden voyage from Seattle to ports in Japan and China. Patrons can buy a single ticket for their St. Paul to Tokyo journey. January 23, 1911 A new speed record is set for Washington to New York: 3 Hours 55 minutes. J.P. Morgan has rented a special Pennsylvania Railroad train for the trip. January 23, 1932 The Pennsylvania Railroad begins a trial of fixed ladders for upper berths in New York to Washington service. January 23, 1946 The Pennsylvania Railroad Board of Directors authorizes the purchase of 214 passenger cars to re-equip Blue Ribbon trains at a cost of $20.5 million. ($277 million in 2017) Eighty-seven cars are ordered from Pullman-Standard, 70 from Budd and 57 from AC&F. PRR wants the cars in the first quarter of 1947, but the crush of orders from other roads and postwar reconversion problems will cause the last delivery to be in August 1949. January 23, 1949 The Pennsylvania Railroad cuts its Chicago-Detroit service to two daily round trips. January 23, 1952 The Pennsylvania Railroad queries a consulting firm about reducing the financial losses of passenger service. The idea of eliminating long-distance trains duplicated by the New York Central and Baltimore & Ohio railroads is suggested. January 23, 1955 A new ticket bureau is installed in 30th Street Station, Philadelphia. With new "Ticketfax" and other machines, it can deliver a Pullman ticket in as little as 1 m

January 25, 1842 Locomotive builder Baldwin & Vail tests a six-wheel geared locomotive. It will later be used on the Philadelphia & Reading. January 25, 1899 The St. Joseph, South Bend & Southern (later MC, NYC) is incorporated in Indiana to acquire the Indiana & Lake Michigan. January 25, 1901 The Lake Erie, Alliance & Wheeling Railroad is chartered. Although built by the New York Central, it never connected to other NYC rails. It will eventually be purchased by the van Sweringen brothers. January 25, 1905 Fairview Yard on the Pennsylvania Railroad is re-named "Enola", matching the nearest station and Post Office. A land company is authorized by the PRR to develop a town at Enola for employees. January 25, 1907 The Chicago, South Bend & Northern Indiana takes over all of the property owned by the Northern Indiana. The public will generally continue to refer to the new interurban company as the Northern Indiana. January 25, 1919 "Hotel Pennsylvania" opens in New York City. It is located across the street from Penn Station. With 2,200 rooms to handle mostly railroad travelers, it will be the world's largest hotel until 1927. January 25, 1928 The Board of the Pennsylvania Railroad authorizes spending $25,000 ($364,000 in 2018) for one Cummins Diesel locomotive. January 25, 1959 American Airlines makes the first commercial domestic flight of a Boeing 707 airliner. The 707, along with the Interstate Highway System, will deal major blows to the U.S. passenger rail system. January 25, 1963 Two thousand employees strike Florida East Coast Railway when the railroad proposes reducing the number of people required in a train crew. The strike will remain unsettled for nine years. January 25, 1973 Canadian National Railways expands the Turbos to 9-car sets, eliminating two Turbos. The remaining equipment is stored and will eventually be sold to Amtrak. January 25, 1979 22.2-km (13.79 mile) Oshimizu railroad tunnel is "holed through" in Honshu, Japan. January 25, 1995 Amtrak operates its last Dome car as the Lake Shore Limited pulls into Chicago. (Some full-length dome cars will continue.) January 25, 2011 The Association of American Railroads announces that the car defect card, in use for almost 125 years, is discontinued. Instead of using the 3.5 x 8 inch card, problems with freight cars will now be reported and tracked using AAR's Raillinc car-tracking program. Mark

January 26, 1876 The Pennsylvania Railroad Board decides to provide uniforms for conductors, train agents, brakemen, baggage masters, stationmaster and gatemen. They also approve construction of a "Centennial Station" in Philadelphia on the Centennial Celebration grounds. January 26, 1886 The Mountain Central Railway Company (later GN) is established) January 26, 1909 The Jamestown, Franklin & Clearfield Railroad (later LS&MS) is chartered. January 26, 1925 The "Orange Blossom Special" is inaugurated as a deluxe winter-only train, running between New York and St. Petersburg/West Palm Beach. It replaces the previous "All-Florida Special". (Some sources say January 27) January 26, 1927 The Michigan Public Utilities Commission approves the abandonment of the Grand Rapids & Indiana's Jennings branch. The abandonment of the 3.7-mile line between Jennings and Round Lake had been approved five days before by the ICC. January 26, 1964 Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee "Electroliners" make their debut as "Liberty Liners" on Philadelphia's Red Arrow Lines. January 26, 2004 RailAmerica completes its purchase of the Central Michigan Railroad. January 26, 2005 Juan Manuel Alvarez drives his SUV into the path of a Metrolink train in Los Angles in an attempt to gain the attention of his estranged wife, killing 11 and injuring 180. Alvarez will be sentenced to eleven consecutive life sentences. The accident will launch an investigation into the safety of "push" mode passenger trains, which will show they are as safe as traditional "pull" trains. Mark Tomlonson