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February 10, 1851 The Illinois Central Railroad receives its charter. It is the first land-grant railroad in the United States. February 10, 1879 The Pittsburgh & Lake Erie begins freight operations. February 10, 1887 The Lake Erie & Western Railroad (later NYC, NKP) is chartered. February 10, 1892 The Pennsylvania Railroad hosts a rail tour from New York City via New Orleans to Mexico City. The tour will last 4 weeks and cost $450 ($15,423 in 2025). February 10, 1903 Union Traction Company opens its Elwood to Tipton [IN] line. February 10, 1908 The Chicago Great Western declares bankruptcy for the first time. February 10, 1927 The Chicago South Shore & South Bend shows off its new DC-powered interurban cars to an invited audience of 125 newspapermen, city officials and other dignitaries. The general public will see the new cars in a few days. February 10, 1935 GG-1 electric locomotives make their first revenue run as through electric service begins between New York and Washington on the Pennsylvania Railroad. February 10, 1942 RCA Victor spray paints one of its masters gold and presents it to Glenn Miller for "Chattanooga Choo Choo". The song has sold over a million recordings, but this "Gold Record" is a publicity stunt. The first Gold Record, an award from the Recording Industry of America, will be given 16 years later. February 10, 1950 Canadian National Railway gains control of Temiscouta Railway, operating in Quebec and New Brunswick. February 10, 1989 A fire started by an electric kiln guts the 107 year old Durango CO roundhouse of the Durango & Silverton Railroad. The fire reaches 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit and damages all six locomotives stored in the roundhouse. Mark Tomlonson

February 7, 1841 The Chicago & Rock Island Railroad, earliest predecessor of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific is incorporated. February 7, 1849 Senator Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri proposes a transcontinental railroad on the floor of the Senate. February 7, 1855 The Buffalo & Mississippi and the Northern Indiana & Chicago railroads (later LS&NI, LS&MS, NYC) merge, forming the Northern Indiana Railroad. February 7, 1871 The Clayton & Theresa Railroad (NY, later NYC) is chartered. February 7, 1880 The first Grand Trunk passenger train leaves Chicago for points east. February 7, 1899 The Raquette Lake Railway (NY, later NYC) is chartered. February 7, 1922 The van Sweringen brothers buy the Toledo, St. Louis & Western, also known as "The Clover Leaf". It will become part of their Nickel Plate Road. February 7, 1940 British railroads are nationalized. February 7, 1950 The Illinois Northern is acquired from International Harvester by the Santa Fe, Burlington, Pennsylvania and New York Central railroads. February 7, 1954 Detroit's Jefferson Avenue trolley line is converted to bus. February 7, 1962 A derailing Pennsylvania Railroad freight train demolishes the Wayland MI passenger depot. February 7, 1973 The RTV31 tracked hovercraft is given its first tests in the United Kingdom. The vehicle, an early version of Mag-Lev trains, is cancelled a week later due to budget cuts. February 7, 1979 "Supertrain" debuts on NBC. The TV series, patterned after "Love Boat" but set on a super-wide, super-luxurious train, will be a super-bomb. It is the most expensive TV series to date, and its failure coupled with the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games will nearly bankrupt NBC. February 7, 1983 Elizabeth Dole, the first female Secretary of Transportation is sworn in. February 7, 1995 Santa Fe President Robert Krebs announces that AT&SF stockholders have “overwhelmingly approved” the merger with Burlington Northern. February 8, 1855 The first passenger train leaves Halifax NS. February 8, 1867 The first through passenger train from Council Bluffs, IA arrives in Chicago over the Chicago & North Western Railway. It is the first such through service to the Missouri River. February 8, 1879 The Pennsylvania Railroad tests a passenger train that is heated by a steam boiler located in the baggage car. February 8, 1883 Maine’s first railroad, the Bangor, Oldtown & Milford (later MEC) is chartered. February 8, 1904 The Interborough Rapid Transit tests a steel subway car on the 2nd Avenue El. February 8, 1913 The Great Northern receives its first motor cars, numbered 2300 and 2301. February 8, 1918 The USRA announces that it will standardize rolling stock for all new equipment orders. February 8, 1985 Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole recommends selling the government's share of Conrail common stock to Norfolk Southern Corporation for $1.2 billion ($3.57 billion in 2025). This is before the formal merger of the Norfolk & Western and Southern Railroads in 1990. February 8, 1985 A judge approves the Soo Line’s bid for the Milwaukee Road. The Chicago & North Western withdraws its offer. February 8, 1986 A Canadian National freight runs a red signal in Dalehurst AB, possibly because the crew was asleep, and crashes head-on into VIA's train No. 4. Twenty-three people are killed; 71 are injured. Most of the first responders come from Hinton, just over 18 km (11 miles) away. February 8, 2002 The last EMD FP45 makes its last revenue run on the Wisconsin Central. February 8, 2022 Amtrak’s new ALC42 locomotives make their first run on the westbound “Empire Builder”, in a trip hampered by a component failure on one of the ALC42’s, a fire on one of Amtrak’s passenger cars and a grade crossing collision. February 9, 1853 The Cairo & Fulton Railroad (later CA&T, StLIM&S, MP, UP) is chartered to build a railroad across Arkansas from the Missouri State Line to Texas. February 9, 1875 The Troy & Greenfield Railroad (later B&M) opens Hoosac Tunnel, the longest railroad tunnel in the United States east of the Mississippi River.. February 9, 1875 Theodore N

February 6, 1815 John Stevens of Hoboken NJ is granted the first charter to build a railroad in the United States, the New Jersey Railroad Company. The line is never built. (Some sources say 1816). February 6, 1835 The Buffalo & Mississippi Railroad (later NI, LS&MS) is chartered to run from Buffalo NY to the Mississippi River. February 6, 1837 The Buffalo & Mississippi Railroad changes its name to the Northern Indiana Railroad (later LS&MS). The line will manage to do some grading between Michigan City and La Porte IN before the money runs out. February 6, 1843 Through service begins between Albany and Buffalo with a gap at Rochester. The journey over several rail lines takes two days, with an overnight stop at Syracuse eastbound and Auburn westbound to avoid night running in winter. February 6, 1862 Pennsylvania Railroad executive and Assistant Secretary of War Tom Scott begins a trip scouting railroads in the Midwest for possible use against the South. The knowledge Scott gains will be called on during the PRR's postwar expansion. February 6, 1871 A New York Central & Hudson River passenger train strikes a derailed oil car near New Hamburg NY. The resulting fire kills 22. February 6, 1873 The Springfield, Athol & Northeastern Railroad (later B&A) is formed to rename the Athol & Enfield Railroad. February 6, 1879 Henry Roe Campbell, a pioneering Civil Engineer and the inventor of the 4-4-0 type steam locomotive, dies at the age of 72. February 6, 1883 The first train from New Orleans via the Southern Pacific’s new “Sunset Route” reaches San Antonio. The first train from Los Angeles will arrive in San Antonio tomorrow. February 6, 1891 The Dalton gang robs its first train. February 6, 1908 The Kanauga Traction Company opens, operating with gas-electric cars between Gallipolis OH and Point Pleasant WV. February 6, 1908 The Florida East Coast opens its Florida Keys Extension to Knights Key, 47 miles from Key West, with a boat connection to Havana. February 6, 1951 Pennsylvania Railroad's "The Broker" is routed onto a temporary wooden overpass, built to allow construction of a permanent bridge over the New Jersey Turnpike. The train derails due to excessive speed. Some cars fall off the overpass, killing 85 of the 1,100 passengers. It is the deadliest U.S. train wreck since World War II. It is the third deadliest in US History. February 6, 1952 The New York Central approaches a consulting firm to study NYC's operating losses and to tailor its passenger services to actual demand. Mark Tomlonson

February 5, 1834 As railroads debate the use of steam over horse power, a satiric column appears in the West Chester Village Record urging the use of horse-drawn vehicles on the Columbia Railroad. The piece points out "the use of horses will create jobs for horse-breeders, blacksmiths, farriers, feed-growers, etc." The piece also says, "horses can go up to 12 mph and people should not desire to go faster. Besides only the rich will be able to afford locomotives." February 5, 1834 Inventor Matthew A. Cherry is born, On January 1, 1895 he will be awarded a patent for his invention of a streetcar fender, a device designed to protect pedestrians. February 5, 1838 The Central Railroad of Michigan reaches Ypsilanti from the east. February 5, 1853 The Mississippi & Missouri Railroad (later CRI&P) is given an Iowa charter to build between Davenport and Council Bluffs. February 5, 1883 Collis P. Huntington gains full control of a number of smaller railroads, allowing him to create the Southern Pacific’s “Sunset Route” from New Orleans to California. February 5, 1896 The Mill Valley & Mt. Tamalpais Scenic Railway (CA) begins construction. Known as “The Crookedest Railroad in the World”, built as a tourist line, its longest stretch of straight track is 413 feet long. February 5, 1916 The last railroad-owned horse-drawn taxicabs are withdrawn from major Pennsylvania Railroad Stations. Increasing competition from private, motorized taxis have ended the service. February 5, 1927 Buster Keaton's movie "The General", the story of the Civil War Andrew's raid, is released. It bombs on its first release although it's now considered a classic. February 5, 1950 The San Diego & Arizona (later SD&AE) tries out its first diesel locomotive, in freight service. February 5, 1976 The Final System Plan for Conrail is signed into law. February 5, 1989 The Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe and J.B. Hunt truck lines set up an alliance whereby J.B. Hunt traffic will be moved off the roads and onto Santa Fe intermodal routes. The alliance begins when J.B. Hunt himself rides in a Santa Fe office car and sees how smoothly intermodal cars move across Illinois. February 5, 1998 Canadian National confirms that it is in negotiations to buy Illinois Central Corporation. This will add 3,450 miles (5,552 km) of track to CN at a proposed price of $2.3 billion. [2025: $4.5 billion] Mark Tomlonson

February 4, 1830 The Camden & Amboy Rail Road, the first to be built in New Jersey, is chartered. February 4, 1832 The first street railroad opens in the United States in the Bowery in New York City. The line uses horse-drawn cars running on iron rails. February 4, 1841 President-elect William Henry Harrison becomes the first president-elect to travel by train to the inaugural, changing from stagecoach to the Baltimore & Ohio at Frederick, MD. February 4, 1887 The Interstate Commerce Act is signed into law, setting up a commission to regulate rates on the railroads and ensure that the interests of farmers and small businessmen are represented. Thomas Cooley of Michigan is the commission's first Chairman. February 4, 1895 The first rolling lift bridge opens to rail traffic in Chicago. February 4, 1907 The Pennsylvania Railroad completes its first all-steel RPO car at Altoona. February 4, 1911 In honor of the work being done on the canal, Illinois Central names its premier passenger train the "Panama Limited". February 4, 1930 New Orleans opens "tieless, shockless, noiseless" streetcar tracks. February 4, 1941 Santa Fe FT A-B-B-A set #100 becomes the first FT in revenue service and the first diesels used on a road freight on the Santa Fe. February 4, 1941 The USO (United Service Organizations) is formed by the merger of six charitable groups. In addition to entertaining troops, the USO will provide station lounges for in-transit U.S. service men. February 4, 1948 The last steam engine built for the Santa Fe, 4-8-4 #3752, is test fired at the factory. February 4, 1966 The last RPO car operates in suburban service: Southern Pacific, San Francisco to San Jose. February 4, 1977 In Chicago’s “loop”, a CTA train hits the rear of a standing train. Motorman Stephan Martin continued to increase power to his train, forcing cars off the tracks and onto the streets below. Eleven are killed and 180 injured, the worst accident in CTA history. February 4, 2016 “Felix”, a cat on duty as “Senior Pest Controller” since 2011 in Huddersfield Station, England is given her own cat door to allow her to pass through the gates keeping non-paying passengers away from the trains. The newly installed gates had prevented Felix from carrying out her task of keeping the station vermin-free. February 4, 2020 Durango & Southern 493 undergoes its first tests as an oil burner. The D&S is converting its coal burners to oil to prevent sparks that may start forest fires in the Colorado mountains. February 4, 2022 Google announces it is joining Ford in the renovation of Detroit’s former Michigan Central station. Google will provide cloud-based services and training. Ford reports that to this date it has spent $740 million on the restoration project. Mark Tomlonson

February 3, 1858 A Michigan act extends the time to complete the first 20 miles of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad from December 1, 1857 to December 1, 1858, and to complete the whole line to November 5, 1865. This will be the first of many extensions granted to the GR&I. February 3, 1862 Thomas Edison becomes the first newspaper publisher to distribute his paper on a train. He sells his one-page Weekly Herald on a Grand Trunk train between Port Huron and Detroit. February 3, 1869 The Grand Rapids & Lake Shore Railroad (later PM, C&O, CSX) is formed. Next year the company will build a line between Muskegon and Nunica. February 3, 1881 The New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, known for most of its life as the Nickel Plate Road, is formed. February 3, 1893 Carferry Ann Arbor No. 1 is caught in the ice near Green Bay WI and will remain there for the next 63 days. February 3, 1903 The first Kenosha Electric Railway (interurban) opens for business. February 3, 1906 Thieves use nitroglycerin to break open the station safe in the Chicago Great Western depot in Marshalltown IA. The total take: $1.38 in pennies (2025 value: $47.83) from the station’s gumball machine. February 3, 1918 San Francisco's Twin Peaks Tunnel, the longest (11,920 feet) streetcar tunnel, opens. The tunnel connects Market & Castro streets with West Portal and Ulloa. February 3, 1929 The Pennsylvania and Wabash railroads begin a through sleeping car service between Cincinnati and Detroit. February 3, 1930 The Detroit, Toledo & Ironton ends freight service between Tecumseh and Dundee MI. Passenger service to Dundee was dropped last month. February 3, 1958 Railway Age Magazine reports 1,377 active steamers on U.S. rails and 1,709 in Canada. Mikados (2-8-2) are the most common type still steaming. The editors add, "The future of steam is in a museum." February 3, 1970 Great Northern issues its last public timetable. February 3, 1995 Canadian National sells the former Central Vermont line from New London CT to East Alborg VT to RailTex. RailTex will operate the line as the New England Central Railroad. February 3, 2004 Australia runs the first Trans-continental Adelaide to Darwin train. February 3, 2015 The Toronto Transit Commission removes a route sign it had posted at Downsview station last December after members of the public reported it looked too much like a penis. Other passengers who saw it thought it looked like a fungus or mushroom. February 3, 2016 Sir Elton John plays a quick impromptu concert in St. Pancras’ station in London, surprising commuters. He then donates the piano he played to the station for use by passers-by. February 3, 2020 Taking advantage of air rights obtained in 1977, construction begins on a 51-story skyscraper over the tracks of Boston’s South Station. February 3, 2023 A 150-car Norfolk Southern train traveling from Illinois to Pennsylvania derails in East Palestine OH. Thirty-eight cars derail. Those cars plus an additional 12 cars that have stayed on the tracks catch fire. Mark Tomlonson

January 31, 1853 The Black River & Utica Railroad (later RW&O, NYC&HR, NYC) is incorporated. January 31, 1862 The Railways & Telegraph Act authorizes President Lincoln to seize and operate any railroad or telegraph line needed for the war effort. It also creates the U.S. Military Railroads to operate captured Confederate lines. January 31, 1882 The Rochester & Ontario Belt Railway (later NYC) is incorporated. January 31, 1905 The New York Central & Hudson River Railway takes over control of the Ottawa & New York Railway. January 31, 1918 The USRA begins operating trains loaded with just food and supplies for the Allies from St. Louis and Chicago to Eastern ports. The trains are run on a 60-hour schedule, versus 8-14 days previously. January 31, 1925 Trolley service ends in Ann Arbor MI January 31, 1927 The Cambridge Power Light & Traction Company is shut down by its owners, the Ohio Service Company, who can no longer justify serving the mere 3,000 people living along its route. January 31, 1932 Railway unions in the United States accept a 10% pay cut in hopes of easing the effects of the Depression on the railroads which will in turn allow them to keep their jobs. January 31, 1932 Findlay OH loses streetcar service. January 31, 1935 Union Pacific's M-10000 enters service as the "City of Salina" between Salina KS and Kansas City. The 116-seat train carries an average 280 passengers per round trip. January 31, 1939 The Pennsylvania Railroad's Class S1 6-4-4-6 duplex passenger locomotive leaves Altoona. It is the first steam locomotive out of Altoona since 1930. The locomotive will prove to be too big in many respects and will be confined to service between Chicago IL and Crestline OH. The lessons learned from this locomotive will be applied to PRR's class T1 4-4-4-4. January 31, 1951 The “Philadelphia Enquirer” reports that in 1950 the Lionel Corporation earned more than Baldwin Locomotive Works. January 31, 1957 Last passenger service on the Illinois Central to Paducah KY. January 31, 1961 The Decatur (MI) depot is closed by the New York Central. The small-town station had no scheduled stops and few riders. The planned consolidation of freight agent services in Kalamazoo has rendered the depot obsolete. January 31, 2000 Amtrak's New Haven to Boston electrification project is completed. January 31, 2009 Canadian National takes control of most of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern. CN has acquired the line to connect its Wisconsin Central, Illinois Central and Grand Trunk lines while avoiding the congestion of Chicago. January 31, 2011 FedEx begins using BNSF and Norfolk Southern Intermodal services as part of its Less-Than-Truckload division. January 31, 2012 WATCO completes its purchase of the Ann Arbor Railroad, running between Ann Arbor and Toledo. January 31, 2018 A chartered Amtrak train carrying 200 Republican Senators and Representatives to a retreat at White Sulphur Springs strikes a garbage truck at a grade crossing near Charlottesville, Virginia. The truck driver is killed and the Amtrak head-end crew suffers injuries. Three of the Congressmen who are also medical doctors assist with the injured. January 31, 2022 The South Shore’s 11th Street station building in Michigan City IN, closed since 1987, is torn down. The fa?ade of the building is saved and will be used on a new Michigan City station after South Shore tracks are taken out of 11th Street and a second track is added. The new alignment will reduce travel time between Michigan City and Chicago from 1 hour 40 minutes to 67 minutes, allowing additional trains. February 1, 1832 "The Western Immigrant" newspaper of Ann Arbor MI suggests transcontinental railroad, the first mention in print of such a project. February 1, 1846 The first train arrives in Kalamazoo on the Central Rail Road of Michigan. February 1, 1854 The first train to use a single gauge over the entire trip between Buffalo NY and Erie PA on the Buffalo & State Line Railroad (later LS&MS, NYC) makes its run. February 1, 1869 The Carthage, Watertown & Sackets Harbor Railroad (later NYC) is chartered. Fe

January 30, 1834 The first railroad built in Kentucky, linking Lexington and Frankfort, is completed. January 30, 1875 The Detroit, Hillsdale & South Western (later LS&MS, NYC) is incorporated. It will run between Ypsilanti and Bankers MI. January 30, 1883 The Toledo & Indianapolis (later T&OC, NYC) is completed. January 30, 1902 The Detroit Manufacturers Railroad (later NYC) is incorporated. January 30, 1905 The Halifax & South Western (later CN) opens, connecting Halifax to Yarmouth NS. January 30, 1923 The Grand Trunk is absorbed into the Canadian National. The Grand Trunk within the United States is spun off and becomes the Grand Trunk Western. CN will operate the GTW as a subsidiary. January 30, 1939 Streetcar service ends in Ashtabula OH. January 30, 1950 The Pennsylvania Railroad announces the beginning of "Keystone" freight service for less-than-carload freight. Five hundred boxcars and 3,000 containers are purchased. The new equipment along with higher freight train speeds are designed in part to compete with the New York Central's "Pacemaker" service introduced in 1946. January 30, 1985 Amtrak's "Cardinal" is pulled by steam, 4-8-4 #614T. The locomotive is winding up a month of tests, hoping to prove a modern coal-burning steam locomotive can compete with an oil-burning diesel. January 30, 2001 Master Railroad photographer O. Winston Link dies. Best known for his nighttime shots of the Norfolk & Western, some of his work reaches the status of cultural icon, quoted in commercials, music videos and TV's "The Simpsons". Mark Tomlonson

January 27, 1824 The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Company is incorporated in Virginia. January 27, 1836 The State of Indiana enacts "Internal Improvements" legislation, calling for roads, canals and railroads to be built. The program is to be funded by a $10.5 million loan. (2025: $354 million) January 27, 1840 The New Jersey Railroad Board approves the issuing of commuter tickets, good between Jersey City and Newark, for $100 per year. (2025: $3,608) January 27, 1851 The first train arrives in Dayton OH, on a trip that started in Springfield on the tracks of the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad Company (later CCC&StL, NYC). January 27, 1854 The Great Western Railway (later GT, CN) opens between London and Windsor Ontario. January 27, 1870 The Pennsylvania Railroad signs its first contract with the Pullman Company. January 27, 1877 The Fairland, Franklin & Martinsville Railroad (later Big Four, NYC, PC) is incorporated as a reorganization of the Cincinnati & Martinsville. January 27, 1879 The worst wreck in monorail history occurs when the Bradford & Foster Brook Monorail in Pennsylvania tests its new steam locomotive. Running at high speed to demonstrate its capacity, the boiler explodes, killing the fireman, engineer and three company officials riding a flatcar behind the engine. Other passengers were severely injured. The line will close shortly after. January 27, 1883 The Toledo & Indianapolis (later T&OC, NYC) reaches Bowling Green OH. The first “train” is a handcar. January 27, 1889 The last passenger car in a Chicago & North Western train derails, overturns, and then is dragged over tree stumps near Elmwood MI. Michigan’s Lieutenant Governor and an acquaintance are killed, January 27, 1912 The Pennsylvania Railroad reports that last year's "Safety First" campaign has reduced injuries by 66%. January 27, 1920 Groundbreaking ceremonies are held for Cincinnati’s subway. January 27, 1935 The Pennsylvania Railroad begins service between New York and Washington DC with its new GG-1 electric locomotive. January 27, 1940 The Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn Railroad, a narrow-gauge suburban railroad, discontinues operations in preparation for abandonment. January 27. 1947 The Chesapeake & Ohio begins accepting credit cards as payment for passenger tickets. January 27, 1962 Washington DC streetcars run for the last time. January 27, 1976 The Hillsdale County Railroad is incorporated. Operations will begin in April on former Penn Central routes in Hillsdale County MI, with extensions to Stubenville IN and Quincy MI. January 27, 2011 Amtrak begins providing WiFi service to Cascades Service riders between Eugene OR and Vancouver BC. Plans are being formed to extend the service system wide. Mark Tomlonson

January 28, 1823 The Pennsylvania Senate passes a bill allowing John Stevens to build a railroad from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh. The Pennsylvania House will kill the bill in Committee. January 28, 1842 The State of Indiana halts funding of its Internal Improvements program, save for the Wabash & Erie Canal. All work on state railroads is halted. January 28, 1855 The first through train runs on the Panama Railway, the first transcontinental (trans-isthmus?) railroad. January 28, 1877 The Lake George & Muskegon River Railroad, Michigan's first logging road begins operations in Clare County. January 28, 1882 Cable cars begin service in Chicago IL. January 28, 1901 Cleveland OH shuts down its cable car service. January 28, 1907 The Winona & Warsaw Railway (a.k.a. Winona Interurban Railway) begins operations between Peru and Chili IN over the former Peru & Detroit Railway line it purchased last year. January 28, 1907 The New York Central & Hudson River Railroad begins electrified service in MU cars between Grand Central and Wakefield. Some trains continue to White Plains behind steam. January 28, 1919 The New York Central opens the "Commodore Hotel" across the street from Grand Central Terminal with 2,000 rooms. January 28, 1930 Streetcar service ends in Port Huron, MI. January 28, 1935 Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 Number 4800 brings the first electrically powered train out of Washington DC's Union Station with a round trip to New York City for the press and railroad and government VIP's. January 28, 1957 The Great Northern begins the use of a Univac 1 for payroll preparation. January 28, 1965 The ICC, in a contentious 6-5 decision, rules against Monon’s plans for water-rail-water coal service between the Ohio River and Lake Michigan. Monon has purchased 9 Alco C-628’s in anticipation of the service being approved. January 28, 1971 Transportation Secretary John Volpe reveals the basic system of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation or "Railpax". The system consists of 21 routes. January 28, 2002 The World Trade Center Station on the NYC Subway system reopens for the first time since the destruction of the Twin Towers. January 28, 2009 In China, a special passenger train added to handle the crux of passengers during the Lunar New Year holiday leaves Shanxi Province for Beijing with only two passengers. Chinese Railway officials believe that the tickets for the train were scooped up by scalpers and later seized in a raid by police. January 28, 2010 President Obama announces awards of $8 billion in Recovery Act funds for High-Speed Rail projects. January 28, 2014 The Mineral Range Railroad begins. The northern Michigan railroad operates on 12 miles of ex-Lake Superior & Ishpeming trackage along with an additional 1.9 miles of abandoned line that has been put back in service. The new line will serve the newly-built Humbolt Mill. Mark Tomlonson

January 29, 1830 Papers are filed for the first railroad incorporated in Kentucky, the Lexington & Ohio Railroad Company. January 29, 1834 In the first use of federal troops to put down a labor dispute, President Jackson calls on the War Department to quell a "riotous assembly" of Irish workers on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad. January 29, 1835 The Morris & Essex Railroad (later DL&W) is incorporated in New Jersey to build from Newark to Morristown and further west. January 29, 1871 The Baltimore & Ohio stops charging state tax on through New York-Washington passengers using the Washington Branch. It had continued to collect the tax from passengers even though it hadn't been collected by Maryland for years. January 29, 1873 The gap between the eastern and western sections of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad is closed at Hawks Nest WV, completing the line to the Ohio River at Huntington WV. January 29, 1880 The Columbus, Hope & Greenburg Railroad (later NYC) is incorporated. January 29, 1902 Streetcar service extends from Appleton to Kaukauna WI. January 29, 1907 New York Central’s electrification project for Grand Central Terminal reaches High Bridge NY. January 29, 1909 The final spike is driven for the Virginian Railway. January 29, 1917 The Wabash Railroad leaves Pittsburgh, and the Wabash-Pittsburgh Terminal Railroad becomes the Pittsburgh & West Virginia. January 29, 1927 The U.S. Post Office issues the first private mail contract, to William Boeing and Edward Hubbard to carry mail between Chicago and San Francisco. January 29, 1929 The Orient Express becomes trapped in snow in Western Turkey for seven days, an event that will be fictionalized in Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express". January 29, 1940 Three trains collide in Osaka, Japan. The resulting explosion near Ajikawaguchi Station kills 181 people. January 29, 1963 Alco introduces its "Century" line of diesel Locomotives. January 29, 2010 An Illinois woman sues METRA, saying that she was injured by an exploding toilet one year ago today on a METRA train. January 29, 2022 WATCO assumes operation of 328 miles of former CN trackage in Wisconsin as well as 143 miles in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Wisconsin trackage will operate under the “Fox Valley & Lake Superior” name. Michigan operations will be headquartered in Newberry MI as a new division of the Grand Elk railroad. Mark Tomlonson

January 24, 1828 Horatio Allen of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company sets sail for England. His mission is to examine rail roads in that country and to buy 5 steam locomotives of no more than 5 ? tons, one of which is to come from Robert Stephenson & Co. January 24, 1833 Freight service begins on the Camden & Amboy Railroad. Three cars, each pulled by its own horse, provide the service. January 24, 1848 William Marshall discovers gold at Sutter's Mill on the American River in California. This discovery, combined with famine and revolution in Europe, will restore prosperity in the United States. Many railroad projects will be revived and new ones launched, particularly in the Midwest. January 24, 1853 The Toledo, Norwalk & Cleveland Railroad Company (later LS&MS, NYC, PC, CR, NS) opens, forming the last link in the chain of roads from Chicago to New York and Boston. January 24, 1916 In “Brushaber v. Union Pacific Railroad”, the United States Supreme Court rules that the Federal Income Tax is legal. January 24, 1954 Cleveland streetcars make their last revenue run. January 24, 1970 President & Mrs. Nixon take the Metroliner from Washington to Philadelphia to attend a chamber music concert. January 24, 1980 Bankruptcy Judge Frank McGarr orders the shutdown of the Rock Island Railroad. Lines south of Kansas City will quit by March 24. All other lines will finish up by March 31. January 25, 1842 Locomotive builder Baldwin & Vail tests a six-wheel geared locomotive. It will later be used on the Philadelphia & Reading. January 25, 1853 The Cincinnati, Cambridge & Chicago Short Line Railway (later PRR) is incorporated in Indiana to build from New Castle southward to the Ohio state line. January 25, 1899 The St. Joseph, South Bend & Southern (later MC, NYC) is incorporated in Indiana to acquire the Indiana & Lake Michigan. 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, 1911 In Harrisburg PA the Pennsylvania Road Improvement train makes its first of 165 stops. The train carries experts and demonstrations of how farmers can use logs and other equipment to improve farm roads. 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 ($456,000 in 2025) 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. January 25, 2021 Amtrak tests four of their new Siemens “Venture” cars between Chicago and Pontiac MI. Testing will look at 110-mph

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, 1896 Construction begins on the Chicago “L”. The first structure is built at the corner of Fullerton and Sheffield Avenues. 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. ($355 million in 2025) 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 minute, as opposed to up to 1 hour previously. January 23, 1980 Amtrak AEM-7 900 makes its first trial run. The AEM-7's will eventually replace the GG-1's. January 23, 2014 The London Underground’s Victoria Line is shut down when workers accidently pour fast-setting concrete into a signal-relay vault. January 23, 2024 The U.S. Department of Transportation approves a $2.5 billion bond offering to build Brightline West. The planned 218-mile line between southern California and Las Vegas is to reach speeds of 186 mph (300 km/h) or more, half the time of making the same trip by car. 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 70 mph and is unable to slow down. 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. 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, 1873 The New York, Boston & Montreal Railway (later NYC) is created out of a reorganization of the New York, Boston & Northern. January 21, 1880 The Ontario & Western (later NYO&W) is incorporated to run between Oswego NY and New York City. January 21, 1883 Eight locomotives are involved in a head-on collision in Iowa on the Wabash Railroad. Four of the engines were on a train that had stalled in a snowdrift. The other four were sent to rescue them and, owing to imprecise orders, collided head-on with the stalled train. January 21, 1902 Peoria IL sees its first scheduled Chicago & North Western passenger train. 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". (Some sources say January 20) January 21, 1910 Canadian Pacific’s “Soo Express” derails on a bridge crossing the Spanish River in northern Ontario. Forty-four people are killed. 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 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, 1846 An act of the Indiana Legislature charters the Martinsville & Franklin Railroad (later Big Four, NYC). It will be another 7 years before it is built. January 20, 1848 The Schenectady Locomotive Engine Manufactory is incorporated. It is a predecessor of both the Schenectady Locomotive Works and Alco. January 20, 1856 The first train arrives in Wabash IN on the Toledo, Wabash & Western Railroad (later WAB, NW, NS). 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 used by 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 Grand Trunk Western opens a passenger depot in Lansing MI. 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, 1938 The ICC grants the request of the Wisconsin & Michigan to abandon the entire line. In early 1939 Chicago & North Western will buy the W&M property in Menominee MI. 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, 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 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,

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, is being built to reach the lead mines at Galena IL. (Some sources say January 10) 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, St. Paul & Kansas City becomes the Chicago Great Western [later C&NW, UP]. January 16, 1906 The Pennsylvania Railroad opens a new car shop at Hollidaysburg PA. January 16, 1932 The Fostoria & Fremont and Western Ohio (interurbans) quit. January 16, 1932 The last segment of the Chambersburg, Greencastle & Waynesboro Street Railway (PA) quits. January 16, 1939 The U.S. Circuit Court overturns a lower court ruling that would have allowed the New Haven Railroad to discontinue passenger service at 93 stations on its East End. January 16, 1944 A train crashes in Torro Tunnel in Leon Province, Spain. More than 500 are killed. January 16, 1969 Penn Central's "Metroliners" begin service between New York and Washington DC. January 16, 1990 The “Canadian Rail Operating Rules” are approved by Canada’s Minister of Transport. 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, 1878 A bridge on the Connecticut Western Railroad (later NYNH&H) fails under the weight of two locomotives leading a passenger train. Thirteen passengers are killed, some by freezing in the water, and more than 70 injured. Among the survivors: Evangelist Dwight W. Moody. 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 if built 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, 1935 Thomas H. Gray passes away. He is credited with designing, in 1884, the “crossbucks” now in use throughout North America to warn motorists of grade crossing. 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, 1960 Canadian National converts its Alexandria Subdivision in Ottawa to CTC. 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. Mark Tomlonson

January 14, 1851 First train into Salem IN on the New Albany & Salem Rail Road (later CIL, L&N). 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, 1940 The Santa Fe drops its San Francisco – LA – Chicago “Navajo”. 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, 1990 VIA’s “Canadian” and its “Super Continental” make their last runs. A new train will be introduced tomorrow under the “Canadian” name traveling mostly on the former “Super Continental” route. 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, 2022 Railfan & Railroad magazine reports that potatoes are being shipped by rail out of northern Maine for the first time since 1976. A bumper crop of potatoes has farmers shipping on the former Bangor & Aroostook (now Maine Northern) to markets in Washington state. Mark Tomlonson