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February 26, 1851 The first Milwaukee Road predecessor, the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad runs its first train: from Milwaukee to Waukesha, WI. (some sources say February 25). February 26, 1870 The experimental air-driven Beach Pneumatic Transit opens for public demonstrations over a one-block route in New York City. The next subway will not open for another 34 years as the city builds elevated railroads for mass transit. February 26, 1908 The Hudson & Manhattan "Tubes" open for service between 19th Street and Hoboken. February 26, 1928 Moffat Tunnel opens. February 26, 1950 The new streamlined Wabash "Blue Bird" is christened. February 26, 1951 Trolley service ends in Queens, NY. February 26, 1956 Pennsylvania Railroad's Aerotrain is placed in demonstration service between New York and Pittsburgh. Its seven hour, 30 minute schedule is the fastest ever between the two cities. February 26, 1973 The Chessie System Inc. Is formed from the Baltimore & Ohio, Chesapeake & Ohio and Western Maryland railroads. February 26, 1979 Amtrak "Superliner" cars begin operation. February 26, 2005 Charlotte NC breaks ground for a new light-rail line. February 26, 2017 Dolton Tower (IL) is closed. It was the last ex-Pennsylvania Railroad tower still active in the Chicago area. February 26, 2021 A filing by CSX to take over Pan Am Railways is made public. The proposed takeover would create a new company, CSX will own half of the company, Genessee & Wyoming the other half to preserve Norfolk Southern’s existing trackage rights in New England. Mark Tomlonson

February 25, 1834 Formation date of the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac. February 25, 1848 Future railroad magnate E.H. Harriman is born. February 25, 1848 Incorporation papers are filed for the Bellefontaine & Indianapolis Railroad. (later NYC) February 25, 1854 Grand Junction Railroad & Depot Company is merged the Union Railroad (later B&A). February 25, 1876 The Board of the six-foot gauge Erie Railroad ratifies a contract to lay a third rail on its line between Waverly NY and Buffalo/Suspension Bridge for the use of the standard-gauge Lehigh Valley Railroad. February 25, 1880 The Terminal Railroad of St. Louis is incorporated. February 25, 1893 Horsecar service ends in Kalamazoo MI. Streetcars will begin running in June. February 25, 1902 The 2-mile long Fulton Chain Railroad, notable for its initial operation with wooden rails, is reorganized as the Fulton Chain Railway, operated by the New York Central. February 25, 1941 Baltimore & Ohio EA #56 and EB #56X complete 365 trips on the "Capitol Limited", running over 280,000 miles with 100% availability. February 25, 1947 A passenger train on the Hachiko line in Japan enters a curve at excessive speed. The derailment kills 184 and injures 495. February 25, 1951 Service begins on the Chicago El’s Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway. February 25, 2003 CSX announces it is moving its headquarters from Richmond VA to Jacksonville FL. February 25, 2016 Following a 4.2 million Pound (2025: $7.31 million) makeover, the “Flying Scotsman” locomotive returns under steam to its home in York at the National Railway Museum. Mark Tomlonson

February 24, 1812 John Stevens issues the first publication in the United States to advocate steam rail roads. He suggests a rail road built on posts three to six feet off the ground over a canal. February 24, 1846 Congress is asked to fund a land grant to build a rail road from Lake Michigan to Oregon. February 24, 1853 Missouri passes a law requiring all railroads in the state to use a gauge of 5 feet 3 inches. February 24, 1865 The Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw Railroad (later MC, NYC, PC, CR, NS, A&B) receives its charter. February 24, 1875 The Pennsylvania Railroad YMCA is organized at Altoona. Railroad YMCA's will provide cheap and safe accommodations for crew layovers across the United States. February 24, 1879 The Pittsburgh & Lake Erie opens for passenger service between Pittsburgh and Youngstown. February 24, 1888 The Grand Trunk Railway acquires the Northern & Northwestern Railway. February 24, 1893 The Lake Superior & Ishpeming is formed. February 24, 1900 The Cincinnati & Miami Valley Traction Company is consolidated into Southern Ohio Traction February 24, 1910 The Cleveland Short Line Railway, a subsidiary of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, opens its first section of track between Rockport and Marcy OH. February 24, 1916 The Pennsylvania Railroad makes its first payout under Pennsylvania's new Worker Compensation Law. The widow of a man killed by a locomotive on his way to work will receive $100 in funeral expenses plus $21.48 per month until November 1921. [$2,966.00 and $637.00 respectively in 2024] February 24, 1930 The Standard Steel Car Co. is incorporated as a Pullman subsidiary. February 24, 1933 The Kankakee & Seneca Railroad, running 42 miles between Kankakee and Seneca IL, is abandoned. It was built as a link between the Rock Island and Big Four railroads. February 24, 1955 The Pennsylvania Railroad announces it has purchased a "tubular" train from Budd. It will be known as the "Keystone". February 24, 2021 Amtrak tests 110 mph operation between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek MI. Mark Tomlonson

February 21, 1804 Richard Trevithick, on a bet, mounts a stationary steam engine on wheels and pulls 10 tons of iron (the amount in the bet) plus 5 wagons and 70 men 16 km (9.75 miles) at an average speed of 5 mph. The engine was heavy enough to break some of the iron plates in the tramway it was running over. Trevithick collected 500 Guineas (2024: $79,000) on the bet. The demonstration also proves that smooth wheels on a smooth iron rail could do useful work, although there were issues with traction. (Some sources put this event on February 13) February 21, 1843 Michigan authorizes an extension of the Central (later MC, NYC, PC, CR, NS) and Southern (later MS, MS&NI, LS&MS, NYC, PC, CR, NS) Railroads and the Clinton & Kalamazoo Canal in anticipation of proceeds from an 1841 land grant. February 21, 1851 The first train runs between Cleveland and Columbus on the Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Railway. (later CCC&StL, NYC) February 21, 1879 The Senate Commerce Committee passes a bill on transporting livestock, sponsored by Senator John R. McPherson. The Bill reads that livestock must not be carried in railroad cars more than 28 hours at a time, but may be carried for 60 hours if fed and watered in cars. (Senator McPherson and his friends have recently obtained patents for devices that allow this.) February 21, 1880 The Pennsylvania Railroad begins posting the 1:00 a.m. weather report from the U.S. Signal Office in principal railroad stations. February 21, 1883 Five convicts escape form Sing Sing prison using a New York Central & Hudson River Railroad switch engine. February 21, 1900 The Chicago Junction, Chicago Rock Island & Pacific, Michigan Central, and Pennsylvania railroads agree to joint operation of the Calumet Western Railroad in Calumet IL. February 21, 1900 The City of New York awards Subway Contract No. 1 to build a line from City Hall up 4th Avenue, 42nd Street and Broadway. February 21, 1935 The New Haven receives the last of its 50 new lightweight air-conditioned coaches. The new cars have been purchased through the Federal Emergency Administrator of Public Works. February 21, 1936 Streamline shrouding designed by Raymond Loewy is applied to Pennsylvania Railroad K-4s Pacific #3768. February 21, 1947 General Electric releases its final report on its coal-burning turboelectric locomotive. The units are more expensive to build and operate than comparable diesel-electric locomotives. General Electric scraps its project. February 21, 1951 Pullman's experimental "Train X" receives its first over-the-road test. A prototype car is evaluated on tracks between the Pullman-Standard plant in Hammond IN and nearby Griffith. February 21, 1954 An SNCF electric train hits 151 mph in tests, setting a world's record. February 21, 1954 Since Mississippi does not require advance notice, Gulf Mobile & Ohio terminates the Mississippi portion of their "Little Rebel" trains in mid-run. Passengers are taken by bus and car to their destinations. February 21, 1967 The last horse used in Great Britain to switch railroad cars is retired in Newmarket, Suffolk. February 21, 1968 The last "Golden State" arrives in Chicago on the Rock Island, on time. February 21, 1981 MBTA discontinues passenger service to Rhode Island February 21, 1985 The Soo Line acquires the Milwaukee Road. They will operate the line as a subsidiary. February 22, 1850 The Columbus & Xenia Railroad (later Little Miami, PCC&StL, PRR, PC, Conrail) is completed between its namesake Ohio cities. It is the first railroad in Ohio to be built with T-Rail (as opposed to strap rail) in its original construction. (Some sources say Feb 21.) February 22, 1851 The Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati RR (later Big Four) is completed and service begins between Cleveland and Columbus. February 22, 1852 The Buffalo & State Line Railroad (later LS&MS) opens between Buffalo and the NY/PA state line near Erie. February 22, 1854 The Chicago & Rock Island Railroad completes its line between Chicago and Rock Island, IL. It is the first railroad to reach the upper Mississippi River. February

February 20, 1852 The Michigan Southern Railroad via the Northern Indiana & Chicago (later MS&NI, LS&MS, NYC, PC, CR, NS) reaches Chicago. The rush to beat the Michigan Central into Chicago has left a break in Michigan Southern's line between La Porte and Michigan City. Michigan Southern travelers are forced to take a stagecoach between those two cities. February 20, 1873 The last rail is laid on the Canada Southern Railway, completing the line from St. Thomas to Ft. Erie, Ont. February 20, 1904 Streetcars begin running between Indiana Harbor and East Chicago IN. February 20, 1915 The Panama-Pacific Exhibition opens in San Francisco. The Pennsylvania Railroad wins the Grand Prize for the best railroad display. They have brought scale models of Penn Station. Washington Union Station and a 2 miles=1 inch map of the entire PRR system. They are also showing promotional films in two P70 coaches spliced together. Westinghouse contributes to the display with a DD1 locomotive. February 20, 1917 The Pennsylvania Company obtains trackage rights over the Wabash at Detroit. February 20, 1921 A blizzard hitting the east coast causes transmission lines to fail, halting or delaying electric-powered rail service. Some stranded passengers one-half mile east of Manhattan Transfer burn newspapers, advertising cards and car seats in an attempt to stay warm until help arrives. February 20, 1927 The Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railway begins deluxe limited parlor and dining car service between Chicago and South Bend. Fare in the parlor cars is an extra 50 cents, dinner in the diner averages $1.25. ($8.86 and $22.16, respectively in 2024) February 20, 1939 The Lehigh Valley introduces its "Asa Packer", a rebuilt heavyweight train that has been "streamstyled". It is in service between Jersey City NJ and Mauch Chunk PA. February 20, 1946 Pullman Standard claims (incorrectly) delivery of the first passenger car built after World War II. February 20, 1998 The Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern files an application with the Surface Transportation board to build a new line to haul coal in the Powder River Basin. February 20, 2002 An overcrowded train en route from Cairo to the southern Egyptian city of Luxor bursts into flames. At least 360 are killed. February 20, 2006 The Chicago Transit Authority opens infrastructure improvements on its Brown line, designed to update and increase capacity. February 20, 2014 While filming the movie “Midnight Rider” just outside Doctortown GA, a camera assistant is killed while on CSX’s Altamaha River bridge. The movie crew had permission to shoot in the area, but did not have permission to be on CSX tracks. February 20, 2023 The head of Renfe, the Spanish rail network, resigns after the discovery that the 31 new passenger trains he ordered at a cost of $275 million do not fit through several tunnels. The trains were slated for the mountainous northern region of Spain between Asturias and Cantabria. Mark Tomlonson

February 19, 1918 The Committee on Standard Locomotive and Cars reports to the USRA that its proposed standards of last week will delay construction of equipment due to material shortages. USRA Director William McAdoo ignores the advice and proceeds with standard designs. February 19, 1931 The 1927 application to unify the Great Northern, Northern Pacific and the Spokane, Portland & Seattle is withdrawn. February 19, 1935 New York Central 4-6-4 #5344 enters service as the first streamlined Hudson. February 19, 1978 The musical "On the 20th Century" with Book & Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and Music by Cy Coleman opens on Broadway. It features sets based on the 1938 Dreyfus-styled New York Central train. February 19, 1982 The Chessie System abandons trackage between Manistee and Petoskey via Traverse City, the former Manistee & Northeastern. February 19, 1983 Pere Marquette 2-8-4 1225 is moved from the Michigan State University campus to Owosso MI. February 19, 2009 The San Joaquin Valley Railroad (CA) is forced to shut down operations when high winds cause dry cow manure to drift across the tracks. The three-foot drifts will later be cleared away by the rancher. Mark Tomlonson

February 18, 1848 The Cleveland, Painesville & Ashtabula Railroad (later LS, LS&MS) is chartered. It will not begin operations until 1852. February 18, 1857 The Galena & Illinois River Railroad (later PCC&StL) is incorporated in Illinois. February 18, 1868 The Erie Railway board approves an agreement to obtain a broad-gauge route to Chicago by building a new railroad between Akron and Toledo and having the Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana (later LS&MS, NYC, PC, CR, NS) lay a third rail between Toledo and Chicago. February 18, 1871 The Mahoning Coal Railroad (later LS&MS, NYC, PC) is chartered. February 18, 1925 The Pennsylvania Railroad announces it has replaced over 1,500 handcars with motorized track cars. February 18, 1927 President Coolidge pushes a button activating 124 shots of dynamite, clearing the last rock wall in the construction of Moffat Tunnel. February 18, 1930 The Pullman Company buys the Osgood-Bradley Car Company, which has been making trolleys and other transit cars since 1833. February 18, 1947 The Pennsylvania Railroad announces its first operating loss, for the year 1946. February 18, 1947 The "Red Arrow" derails at Bennington Curve, just west of Horseshoe Curve. Twenty-four are killed as the cars roll down the mountain. February 18, 2003 A Korean man, despondent over his failing health, sets fire to a commuter train in Daegu, South Korea. The blaze spreads to a second train arriving at the station. At least 198 people are killed and 147 suffer injuries. February 18, 2004 Runaway freight cars carrying fuel and industrial chemicals derail, setting off explosions that destroy five villages in Neyshabur, Iran. Up to 320 people are killed, up to 200 of those being rescue workers. Mark Tomlonson

February 17, 1848 The Indianapolis & Bellefontaine Railroad (later NYC) is chartered. February 17, 1870 The Pullman Palace Car Company leases Central Transportation Company, retroactive to January 1, 1870 and absorbs its sleeping car fleet. This gives Pullman, formerly confined to some Midwestern roads, an additional 6,000 route-miles. February 17, 1871 William J. Pamer announces that the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad will be built to 3-foot gauge. February 17, 1872 The President of the Peninsular Railway (later GTW, CNR) writes to the Pennsylvania Company noting that his road is laid from Lansing MI to a point 12 miles west of South Bend. He proposes joining the Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne & Chicago (later PRR) at Valparaiso for a route to Chicago in exchange for Bonds and a favorable freight rate. His proposal will be declined. February 17, 1881 The first train operates between Norwood and Lebanon OH on the Cincinnati Northern Railway (later NYC). February 17, 1885 The Southern Pacific Railroad and the Central Pacific Railroad are consolidated into the Southern Pacific Company, a Kentucky corporation. February 17, 1911 The Locomotive and Boiler Inspection Act sets regular and mandatory boiler inspections, to be performed by the ICC. February 17, 1912 The eastbound “Pennsylvania Limited” wrecks near Ft. Wayne. Four are killed and 10 injured. February 17, 1929 The Central Railroad of New Jersey debuts its new “Blue Comet” passenger train at a special showing. February 17, 1950 A head-on collision between two Long Island commuter trains at Rockville Center results in 32 deaths. February 17, 1961 An application to create the Burlington Northern Railroad is filed with the ICC. February 17, 2003 Heavy snow causes the roof of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore to collapse, damaging several exhibits. Mark Tomlonson

February 14, 1834 King Ludwig I of Bavaria approves the first railroad in Germany. February 14, 1842 Author Charles Dickens arrives in New York, after traveling from Boston via railroad and steamship. February 14, 1857 The State of Michigan awards a federal land grant between Grand Rapids and Little Traverse Bay to the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad. February 14, 1867 The first car of flour shipped using the new Blue Line, a cooperative traffic agreement among several railroads, arrives in Boston from St. Louis via the New York Central, Great Western of Canada, Michigan Central and Chicago & North Western. The line also operates over the Illinois Central, St. Louis, Alton & Chicago, Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, Hudson River Railroad, Boston & Albany, Housatonic, Worcester & Nashua, and Providence & Worcester railroads. February 14, 1886 California orange groves ship the first trainload of fruit to the east. February 14, 1891 The last spike in the construction of the Great Northern is driven at Blaine WA. February 14, 1896 The Northern Pacific Railway opens Portland (OR) Union Station. February 14, 1897 Railroad reformer Robert R. Young is born. Chairman of the Board of Chesapeake & Ohio, Erie, Missouri Pacific, Nickel Plate, Pere Marquette, Wheeling & Lake Erie and finally New York Central, he is well known for his advertising campaign: "A hog can cross the country without changing trains but you can't". February 14, 1905 Workers tunneling for the Pennsylvania Railroad blast a hole under the Erie Railroad's Weehawken NJ yard. A number of freight cars are swallowed up by the hole, but no one is injured. February 14, 1915 The first position-light signals are placed in service between Overbrook and Bryn Mawr PA. Designed to increase signal visibility in electrified areas, they will eventually become a Pennsylvania Railroad standard. February 14, 1923 Great Lakes carferry "Ann Arbor #4" encounters a gale soon after leaving Frankfort MI. She turns around and heads back, but her load of freight cars break loose and careen about the deck. A huge wave hits her and swamps her. She founders against the Frankfort breakwater. No hands are lost, but some of the crew are injured. February 14, 1927 The first New York Central "J-1" Hudson locomotive is outshopped by Alco. February 14, 1932 The Kenosha Electric Railway ends operations. Streetcars will return to Kenosha in 2000. February 14, 1937 The first of 3 “buoy” trains moves on the Great Western Railway from Chepstow to Newport, England. The 24 navigation buoys in each train move on drop-center flat cars. The buoys are so wide they are placed on their sides and traffic on the adjacent track is diverted. February 14, 1998 In Yaounde, Cameroon, an oil train collides with another freight train. After the wreck, a person trying to scavenge some of the waste oil tosses a lit cigarette and sets off an explosion that kills 120. February 14, 2004 Tower 17 closes in Texas, the last in the state and the next to the last west of the Mississippi. February 14, 2007 A TGV train sets a new world speed record for conventional flanged-wheel-on-rail trains of 553 km/h (343.6 mph) breaking the 513.5 km/h record set in May 1990. The record will be broken again when preparations are made for an all-out attempt in April 2007. February 14, 2024 Following a rally celebrating the Kansas City Chief’s Super Bowl victory at Kansas City Union Station, gunfire erupts. One person, a local radio personality, is killed. Twenty-three others, including 9 children, are hurt. February 15, 1833 The Western Railroad of Massachusetts (later B&A) is chartered to build between Worchester MA and the New York state line. February 15, 1854 The Pennsylvania Railroad opens its Pittsburgh to Harrisburg main line, including Horseshoe curve. February 15, 1855 The Joliet & Chicago Railroad (later C&M, StlA&C, C&A, GM&O, ICG, CN) is chartered. It will be completed next year. February 15, 1857 The Michigan legislature ratifies the land grant awarded last June for the Flint & Pere Marquette (later PM, C&O, CSX) railroad. February 15,

February 13, 1849 The Vermont Central Railway opens from White River Junction south to Windsor VT. February 13, 1855 The Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad (later GTW) is formed by the merger of the Detroit & Pontiac and Oakland & Ottawa Railroad. This will create a continuous line from Detroit to Lake Michigan. (Some sources say February 12) February 13, 1859 The Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad (later CB&Q) completes construction between its two namesake cities. February 13, 1907 The New York Central & Hudson River Railroad uses an electric locomotive for the first time to pull a passenger train out of Grand Central Terminal. Earlier electric passenger trains used MU equipment. February 13, 1910 The Pennsylvania Railroad announces it has 324 all-steel passenger cars in service: 245 coaches, 21 combines, 10 diners, 29 baggage cars, 18 postal cars and one office car. This represents about 25% of the entire fleet. February 13, 1935 Madison, Wisconsin streetcar service ends as damage from an ice storm hastens the already-planned conversion to buses. February 13, 1954 Construction is completed on the Quebec, North Shore & Labrador, running 414 km (257 mi) from northeastern Quebec to Labrador. February 13, 1970 The Interstate Commerce Commission approves discontinuance of the “California Zephyr”. Mark Tomlonson

February 12, 1827 Two dozen Baltimore merchants, concerned over loss of trade to New York and Philadelphia, hold their first meeting to discuss a rail road to the West, to be built along the line of the National Road. February 12, 1849 The Aurora Branch Railroad is chartered, the first segment in what will be the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. February 12, 1855 Michigan passes a law requiring crews on passenger trains and depot personnel to wear badges on their hats or caps indicating their job title. February 12, 1868 The Columbus, Chicago & Indiana Central Railway (later PCC&StL, PRR) is incorporated by the merger of the Columbus & Indiana Central Railway and Chicago & Great Eastern Railway The CC&IC operates between Columbus and Chicago via Logansport and between Columbus and Indianapolis, with a branch from Logansport to Effner. February 12, 1871 Equipment owned by the New York City Fire Department is shipped by flatcar to assist in fighting a blaze in Baltimore. February 12, 1879 The Board of the Pennsylvania Railroad gives the Altoona (PA) Library Association $500 (2025: $15,596) and the use of a room at the Altoona Shops to create a library for the use of PRR employees. February 12, 1880 The Tawas & Bay County Railroad (MI, later D&M)) purchases the Lake Huron & Southwestern Railway. February 12, 1900 The Pennsylvania Railroad Lines West Executive Committee authorizes the further expansion of Conway Yard, including a lengthened turntable for Class H4 and H6 locomotives. February 12, 1900 The Escanaba & Lake Superior Railway is reorganized as part of bankruptcy and becomes the Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad February 12, 1901 In two separate acts, Congress requires the Baltimore & Ohio and the Pennsylvania Railroads to eliminate grade crossings within the District of Columbia and to build new passenger stations. February 12, 1929 The Vatican Railroad is authorized by a treaty with the Italian government. February 12, 1930 The Columbia City and Logansport (IN) RPO is discontinued. February 12, 1933 The last passenger train runs between Niles and Benton Harbor on the New York Central. February 12, 1934 In Chicago, Union Pacific takes delivery of M-10000, later known as the "City of Salina". It begins a nationwide tour of 12,625 miles. Some of that mileage will be run at 111 mph. February 12, 1953 The New York Central sells 28 acres of its old coach yard in Boston. The land will be developed as the Prudential Center. February 12, 1964 Over 10,000 fans swarm Penn Station in New York to see “The Beatles”, who have arrived on a train from Washington DC. They will play two shows at Carnegie Hall later tonight. February 12, 2008 Arthur Lewis passes away at the age of 89. Mr. Lewis was an investment banker who oversaw both the creation of Amtrak and the creation of Conrail. He also worked for a bus-lobbying group and headed several airlines. February 12, 2012 Berkshire Hathaway acquires the BNSF Railway for $44 billion ($61 billion in 2025). Mark Tomlonson

February 11, 1848 Ohio passes a General Railroad Law. It requires all new railroads in the state to be built with a 4'-10" gauge and complete construction within seven years of being granted a charter. February 11, 1849 The Peoria & Oquawka Railroad (later CB&Q) is chartered in Illinois. February 11, 1855 The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad is formed. February 11, 1859 The Kansas Territorial Legislature charters what will be the Santa Fe Railway, primarily due to the instigation of Cyrus Holliday. The company will be incorporated as the Atchison & Topeka Railway Company. Construction of the line is delayed by drought and the outbreak of the Civil War. February 11, 1862 The 13th Michigan infantry leaves Kalamazoo for the front lines in 21 coaches, 10 baggage and 8 freight cars. February 11, 1869 Following an investigation requested by the legislature, the Michigan Attorney General reports that the Grand Rapids & Indiana is insolvent and recommends dissolution. February 11, 1870 The Warsaw, Goshen & White Pigeon Railroad (later BIG Four, NYC, PC, CR, NS) is authorized by the Indiana State Assembly to build 24 miles between Goshen & Warsaw. February 11, 1904 The Chicago River & Indiana Railroad (later NYC) is incorporated. February 11, 1908 The Pennsylvania Railroad issues an order forbidding the use of profanity in its shops. February 11, 1932 Dessert is added to the $1.25 (2025: $27.98) combination plate and a $2.00 ($44.77) steak dinner is added on Pennsylvania Railroad east-west passenger trains. February 11, 1948 New York Central’s “Pacemaker” becomes its first of 28 all-new post war passenger trains. February 11, 1956 Rock Island's Aerotrain, "Jet Rocket" begins service between Chicago and Peoria. February 11, 1997 Mona MacDonald Tippens of Arkansas ends her record-setting 79,841 miles of unduplicated train travel in 33 countries. She began her travels 28 months earlier. She will later write "Tomorrow The Train: Journey to the World Record", a book about her travels. February 11, 1998 Canadian National purchases the Illinois Central for $2.4 billion (US - $4.68 billion in 2025 dollars) in cash and shares. February 11, 2023 The Siemens plant in Sacramento CA completes the last of 10 trainsets for Florida’s “Brightline” service. Mark Tomlonson

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