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May 30, 1830 "Tom Thumb", a one horsepower locomotive built by businessman Peter Cooper, passes its first test by pulling over 4 tons at 15 miles per hour. May 30, 1880 The Pennsylvania Railroad cuts its New York to St. Louis time to 34 hours and its New York to Chicago time to 28 hours 30 minutes. May 30, 1907 Two interurban cars collide in Elyria OH. Eight passengers are killed, including the son of Elyria businessman Edgar F. Allen. This loss will lead him to help create charities dedicated to assisting crippled children, including “Easter Seals”. May 30, 1908 The "Ash Pan Act" requires all steam locomotives to be equipped with an ash pan that can be opened without crawling under the engine. May 30, 1911 Record crowds fill Indianapolis Union Depot and the Indianapolis Traction Terminal to see the first Indianapolis 500. The Peoria & Eastern will convey about 70,000 to the Speedway; traction lines about 5,000. Both the Monon and the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton have run special trains for the event. May 30, 1927 The 240-mile Angora Cesarea Railway in Turkey opens. Keeping with tradition, in Constantinople 100 sheep, a camel and rugs are sacrificed to mark the occasion. May 30, 1953 The Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway runs its last passenger trains. May 30, 1957 The last official steam-powered passenger train leaves Halifax NS. Steam will make at least one additional appearance before the end. May 30, 1960 Canadian National announces that its conversion from steam to diesel is complete. May 30, 1963 The Peoria & Eastern runs the last of its "500" specials. The race day special trains are profitable, but do not fit into the company's long-range plans. May 31, 1847 The first railroad between The Hague and Rotterdam opens for business. May 31, 1865 The Board of the Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne & Chicago Railroad (later PRR) decides that their stock cars can go to any stockyard in Chicago, not just those on the PFW&C. May 31, 1871 The Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad begins operations as a three-foot gauge line connecting Norwalk and Huron OH. The narrow gauge enterprise will fail within two years due to lack of traffic. May 31, 1879 An electric railway is demonstrated at the Berlin Trades Exhibition. Ernst Werner von Seimens has constructed a 300-meter circular track to carry passengers. May 31, 1887 The first Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe train enters Los Angeles. May 31, 1891 Work begins on the Trans-Siberian Railway. May 31, 1916 Michigan United Railways ends its lease of the Kalamazoo, Lake Shore & Chicago, ending hopes that the line between Kalamazoo and South Haven MI would become part of a statewide interurban network. May 31, 1926 A Sesquicentennial International Exposition opens on South Broad Street in Philadelphia. It is backed by the Pennsylvania Railroad, which is hoping to repeat the success of the Centennial Exhibition 50 years ago. The fair is a financial disaster and attracts few visitors, in part because of rainy weather and poor word-of-mouth. PRR exhibits models, paintings and a 1/32 size 69-foot operating four-track model railroad. May 31, 1934 The Detroit United Railway Stephenson line makes its last run. May 31, 1947 The Gulf, Mobile & Ohio acquires the Chicago & Alton and gains access to Chicago. May 31, 1949 Over the past month, airline passenger-miles exceed Pullman passenger-miles for the first time. May 31, 1952 The Winona Railway ends operations with a ceremonial trip from Warsaw to New Paris IN and back. Passenger service having ended several years before, the fans ride in gondolas pulled by a diesel locomotive. May 31, 1966 Great Northern takes delivery of its first SD-45 locomotive from EMD. It will later receive the "Hustle Muscle" sobriquet. May 31, 1969 The Texas & Pacific discontinues its "Texas Eagle", leaving Dallas without passenger service. May 31, 1970 Des Moines loses passenger service with the last run of Rock Island's "Cornbelt Rocket". May 31, 1972 At 12:28 pm Canadian National sends its last communication by Morse code, ending the use of Morse code for official railroad purposes in Canada

May 29, 1832 The first section of the Paterson & Hudson River Railroad (later Erie) between Paterson and Acquackanonk Landing (later Passaic) opens using horse power. It is the first revenue railroad service in New Jersey. May 29, 1853 Kalamazoo's Michigan Central Station is destroyed by fire when two drunks upset a stove in an illegal tavern two doors away. The fire is beyond the capabilities of the Kalamazoo Fire Department to extinguish. An intervening thunderstorm is credited with putting out the conflagration and saving the town. May 29, 1884 First cable cars in London, England. May 29, 1905 The Lansing Manufacturers Railroad is leased to the Michigan Central and Lake Shoe & Michigan Southern railroads for 25 years. The lease will take effect on July 1. May 29, 1906 A new 17-span drawbridge across the Susquehanna River at Havre-de-Grace MD opens. The former bridge is offered free to the adjacent counties for use as a road bridge, but the offer is declined. May 29, 1909 "Ann Arbor Carferry No. 4" capsizes at Manistique due to placing 8 fully loaded cars of iron ore on the port side track with no cars on the starboard track to balance the load. No one is injured, but the boat will be out of service until September. May 29, 1914 The steamer "Empress of Ireland" sinks in the St. Lawrence River near Rimouski in dense fog. One thousand twelve people perish. The ship was owned by Canadian Pacific Railway. May 29, 1916 Empire Builder James Jerome Hill passes away. May 29, 1931 Passenger service on the Pennsylvania Railroad ends between Columbus and Sandusky OH. May 29, 1935 The Otto Kuhler-styled "Streamlined Hiawatha" enters service on the Milwaukee Road. May 29, 1955 Long a steam-only holdout, the Norfolk & Western purchases its first diesels: eight Alco RS-3's. May 29, 1955 Great Northern's "Empire Builder" receives new dome cars. May 29, 1958 Passenger service ends on the New York Central’s Putnam Division. Mark Tomlonson

May 28, 1848 To extend its service, the Michigan Central Railroad places the steamboat "Mayflower" with accommodations for 300 cabin passengers in service between Detroit and Buffalo. May 28, 1860 Through passenger trains begin operating between Jersey City and Harrisburg via Allentown. The single round trip takes 18 hours. The service exists particularly to distribute New York newspapers. May 28, 1870 The first freight car with a feather key on its axles permitting wheel gauge to be adjusted en route is demonstrated. Invented by William B. Snow, it leaves Jersey City on the Erie Railway and will arrive in Chicago on June 3 en route to West Coast. May 28, 1872 The Columbus & Toledo Railroad (later HV, C&O) is incorporated. May 28, 1879 The Pennsylvania Railroad Board approves the construction of an office building in Grand Rapids MI to serve as the headquarters for the Grand Rapids & Indiana. May 28, 1881 Construction begins on the New York, Chicago & St. Louis, which has already been dubbed "the great nickel-plated road" by the Norwalk (OH) Chronicle. May 28, 1900 The Compagnie du Chemins de Fer de Paris a Orleans opens the world's first electrified urban railroad terminal, the Gare du Quai d'Orsay in Paris. The system uses a 550-volt DC third rail, designed by the French General Electric subsidiary. The design of the terminal will greatly influence Penn Station. May 28, 1904 The Lebanon & Franklin Traction Company opens between its two namesake towns in Ohio for a route of 11 miles. May 28, 1905 The Boyne City, Gaylord & Alpena is incorporated. May 28, 1911 The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul's (it was not yet known as "The Milwaukee Road") "Olympian" and "Columbian" make their maiden runs. May 28, 1915 The Pennsylvania Railroad adopts its own standard for grade crossing signs. May 28, 1918 The American Railway Express Company is formed to unify the express business. American Express, Wells Fargo, Adams Express and the Southern Express as well as the express subsidies of the Great Northern, Northern Pacific and Soo Line form the new company. May 28, 1925 Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee's high-speed "Skokie" line opens. May 28, 1929 The Michigan Railroad Company (interurban) declares bankruptcy. May 28, 1932 Due to the effects of the Depression, Illinois Central suspends operation of the "Panama Limited". May 28, 1936 The first PCC Streetcar arrives in Brooklyn. The next one will be delivered in July. May 28, 1947 General Motors' "Train of Tomorrow" gets its public debut at Soldier Field, Chicago. May 28, 1951 The United States Supreme Court refuses to hear a case in which a lower court ordered Atlantic Coast Line to stop segregation on its passenger cars. The case has been brought by a man who was removed from a train for refusing to move to a segregated car. May 28, 1961 Last run of the Orient Express between Paris and Bucharest. May 28, 1976 The Grand Trunk Western coal dock at Port Huron MI is demolished. May 28, 2015 Because of a faulty brake, a Grand Elk train stalls in Kalamazoo MI during the morning rush, blocking several busy road crossings. A neighboring business owner offers fresh coffee to the waiting drivers, who are delayed up to 25 minutes as the train brakes are repaired. Mark Tomlonson

May 27, 1794 Cornelius Vanderbilt, creator of the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad, is born. May 27, 1861 The Cooper Shop Volunteer Refreshment Saloon goes into operation in Philadelphia serving meals to troops in transit. It takes its name from an adjacent cooperage. It replaces impromptu efforts of ladies who had handed out coffee and other refreshments. May 27, 1876 The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western changes its gauge from 6' to 4' 8 ?". May 27, 1877 "Havana" station in Kalkaska County MI on the Grand Rapids & Indiana is renamed "Westwood". May 27, 1885 Horsecars begin operating in South Bend IN. May 27, 1896 A swarm of caterpillars cover the rails of the Minneapolis & St. Louis near Redwood Falls MN, stalling a train trying to climb up the grade, even though large amounts of sand were applied. After an hour or so enough of the caterpillars move off the rails to allow the train to proceed. May 27, 1907 The first steel column of New York's Pennsylvania Station is put into place. May 27, 1911 The Boston & Maine begins using electric locomotives through Hoosac Tunnel. May 27, 1924 The Winona Service Company is chartered to operate the properties of the Winona Interurban Railway, which it has purchased at foreclosure. May 27, 1962 Last run of the Aalberg-Orient Express. May 27, 1977 The last Istanbul-Paris Orient Express arrives in Paris. May 27, 2005 Canadian Pacific renames an interchange in Kamloops BC in honor of one of the Chinese workers who helped build the railroad. The interchange is now “Cheng Interchange”. Mark Tomlonson

May 23, 1832 The Festinog Railway Company is created by an Act of Parliament. The Welsh Railway is the oldest surviving railway in the world, and operates at a gauge of 1’ 11 ?”. May 23, 1860 The Sheriff of Dauphin County PA attaches a number of Pennsylvania Railroad locomotives for $300,000 (2024: $11.4 million) in back taxes. The PRR posts bond and redeems its equipment. May 23, 1880 The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha (“The Omaha Road”, later C&NW) is incorporated. May 23, 1887 First transcontinental train enters Vancouver, BC. May 23, 1890 Salem OH gains streetcar service. May 23, 1920 The Pennsylvania Railroad begins passenger service from Toledo to Fort Street Union Depot in Detroit via trackage rights over the Ann Arbor, Pere Marquette and Wabash. The New York Central begins two daily round trips between Detroit and Pittsburgh to compete with the new PRR service. May 23, 1920 New York Central extends the New York-Buffalo "Mohawk" to Chicago via the Michigan Central. May 23, 1958 Nickel Plate shops its last steam locomotive: 2-8-4 #759 at Conneaut OH. Two other steamers in for class repairs, 754 & 756, will be scrapped in place when Conneaut closes. May 23, 2000 EMD delivers 5 SD70M locomotives to the Union Pacific, the first deliveries in a 1,000 locomotive order. This is the largest order for locomotives placed by a single railroad. May 23, 2022 CSX makes its last run from Holland to Hamilton MI. Operations will be taken over by the Hamilton Northwestern Railroad Co. May 23, 2023 The reason for a delay in the completion of a highway bridge over CSX tracks in Halethorpe MY is announced: the bridge is 1 ? inches too low to meet railroad clearance standards. The bridge, already months behind schedule, is not expected to be corrected and open to traffic until next year. May 24, 1830 The first regular steam passenger rail service in the U.S. begins: Baltimore to Ellicotts Mill MD. (some sources say May 22). May 24, 1841 The Western Railroad (later B&A) is completed from West Springfield to Chester MA. May 24, 1844 Samuel F.B. Morse sends the first telegraph message from the basement of the Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C. to the Baltimore & Ohio's Mt. Clare Depot. The message "What God hath wrought" was transmitted across overhead wires following the B&O's Washington Branch. For the first time in the history of mankind, two persons communicate instantly over a distance of 40 miles. May 24, 1867 The Boston & Albany receives a new charter, adding the Boston & Worcester and Western railroads. May 24, 1874 The Grand Rapids & Indiana opens for revenue service on its trackage between Walton Junction and Petoskey, MI operating three times a week. The branch was completed in November 1873 but has sat unused this past winter. May 24, 1883 The Brooklyn Bridge opens. It carries both cable cars and trolleys. Later it will carry Long Island Railroad trains for a time. May 24, 1905 The Board of the Pennsylvania Railroad authorizes spending $356,300 (2023: $12.2 million) to equip freight cars with air brakes. May 24, 1916 The Pennsylvania Railroad Board authorizes converting 267 MP54 MU cars for branch line passenger service. May 24, 1919 An Union Traction Company (IN) car loses its brakes as it comes into the Noblesville town square, overturns, and crushes 10 automobiles. A small boy in one of the autos is killed, 23 are injured. May 24, 1931 The first air-conditioned passenger train goes into service on the Baltimore & Ohio, the all-parlor "Colombian". Individual cars had been air conditioned for several years previous, with the first ice-cooling experiment in 1884. May 24, 1933 The Union Pacific announces it is developing what would be the first lightweight, streamlined passenger train in the United States. May 24, 1938 The Michigan Railroad Club has its first railfan excursion: a trip over the Michigan Central to tour the shops and other facilities at Jackson MI. May 24, 1954 Cleveland Union Terminals Company approves the sale of their electric locomotives to the New York Central for use in New York City. May 24

May 22, 1851 The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania bans the use of four-wheel cars in passenger trains. One four-wheel baggage car per train is allowed. May 22, 1852 First through passenger train, Toledo to Chicago, over the tracks of the Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana railroads. The final rail segment was laid between LaPorte IN and Bailey Town. May 22, 1854 The Pittsburgh & Connellsville Railroad lets a contract for Sand Patch Tunnel on its extension to reach the Baltimore & Ohio at Cumberland, MD. The P&C plans to offer the B&O direct access to Pittsburgh. May 22, 1868 The "Great Train Robbery" takes place in Marshfield, IN, near Seymour. Seven members of the Reno gang are credited with making off with $96,000 in loot from the safes of the Adams Express Company. May 22, 1871 The Detroit & Bay City Railroad (later MC, NYC) is formed. (Some sources say May 6) May 22, 1878 A refrigerated carload of beef arrives in Philadelphia 64 hours after leaving Chicago. It has been routed on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, New York Central & Hudson River, Lehigh Valley and Reading Railroads. May 22, 1915 The worst train wreck in Great Britain's history: Four trains collide at a manual junction when the operator gives a false clear to one train and fails to warn two others. The death toll is estimated at 227, most of them soldiers bound for the front. May 22, 1930 The Pere Marquette carferry "City of Flint 32" is placed into Lake Michigan service. May 22, 1932 The Indiana Railroad (interurban) discontinues service between Peru and Lafayette. May 22, 1956 Eleven days after the official end of steam, a Chicago & North Western steam locomotive is pressed into service one last time for a Chicago commuter train. May 22, 1956 First test of the Pennsylvania's "Keystone" cars, low-level tubular cars built by Budd. May 22, 1961 Milwaukee's "Olympian Hiawatha" departs Chicago and Seattle for the last time. May 22, 1972 Henry Ford II identifies a 32-acre waterfront site that will be the site of the new Renaissance Center. Among the buildings to be torn down: Grand Trunk Western’s Brush Street depot. May 22, 1993 On the Escanaba & Lake Superior, the wooden trestle over the Ontonagon River is set on fire. Rail traffic is suspended until June 19. May 22, 2008 TTX Corporation announces the first of 55 "Uni-level" cars is placed in service. The 85-foot long, enclosed cars are intended to carry Class 5-8 trucks, recreational vehicles, busses, military equipment, fire trucks and other large wheeled vehicles not able to be carried in conventional enclosed racks. The new cars carry a "TTUX" reporting mark. May 22, 2009 The Disney Corporation launches a five-car train to promote its new movie, "A Christmas Carol" due to open in November. The tour will cover 16,000 miles in 36 states and 40 cities. May 22, 2015 Police in Ft. Lauderdale FL are called out to rescue a naked man sitting on top of an open Florida East Coast Railroad drawbridge. Police believe the man had been swimming in the Tarpon River and had sat on the bridge to rest when it began to open. The open bridge is 80 feet tall. Mark Tomlonson

May 21, 1836 The Troy & Schenectady Railroad (later NYC) is incorporated. Construction will begin in 1841. (Some sources list this company as the Schenectady & Troy Railroad) May 21, 1852 The Michigan Central runs its first train from Detroit to Chicago. May 21, 1876 The Cincinnati, Wabash & Michigan Railroad (later Big 4, NYC, PC, CR, NS) opens its 111-mile line between Goshen and Anderson IN. May 21, 1877 At Altoona, Pennsylvania, tests begin which result in the permanent installation of telephones in the Pennsylvania Railroad shops, the first trial and use of the telephone for railroad purposes. May 21, 1884 The Wheeling & Lake Erie opens new ore docks at Huron OH. May 21, 1905 First revenue run, South Bend to St. Joseph on the Southern Michigan Railway (interurban) May 21, 1920 Canadian National is assigned the management of the Grand Trunk. May 21, 1927 The Chicago South Shore & South Bend formally opens a new station in Michigan City IN. May 21, 1930 Streetcar service ends in Oshkosh WI. May 21, 1932 The Houghton County Street Railway (MI) calls it quits. May 21, 1966 The last trolley runs in St. Louis. May 21, 2014 French railway and government officials confirm that the platforms and track spacing on nearly 1,300 French stations is too narrow to accommodate new equipment scheduled for delivery through 2016. The French weekly La Canard Enchaine reports that it will take $68 million (2023: $87 million) to fix the problem. May 21, 2017 Ringling Brothers/Barnum & Bailey Circus closes and with it the last circus train, a railroad tradition that goes back to 1872. May 21, 2024 Plans are announced in Kalamazoo MI to turn the former Lawrence & Chapin Ironworks building into 82 apartments and a restaurant. The building has also been used for offices, a furniture store, and the terminal for Michigan United Railways. With the completion of this plan, two former MUR stations in Kalamazoo will have been converted into living space. May 21, 2024 Amtrak begins its “Borealis”, conventional equipment running on a Chicago – Milwaukee – Minneapolis/St. Paul route. Mark Tomlonson

May 20, 1830 The first railroad timetable published in a newspaper appears in the Baltimore American. May 20, 1852 The Michigan Central is completed to Calumet (Kensington) south of Chicago, forming an unbroken line from Detroit. It enters the city over the Illinois Central from Calumet to 22nd Street after Illinois refuses to grant the MC an Illinois charter. (Some sources say 5/21, others say 5/22) May 20, 1873 The Westinghouse air brake is demonstrated on the Pennsylvania Railroad. May 20, 1876 The Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad begins operating through Pullman sleeping cars between Grand Rapids MI and Centennial Station in Philadelphia. May 20, 1877 In response to last week's announcement of a new fast train bypassing Chicago, the Pennsylvania Railroad breaks an agreement with the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern and Michigan Central to begin a new fast passenger train between Chicago and New York, scheduled for 29 hours. May 20, 1892 The last Broad-gauge (7 feet, 1/4 inch) train runs on the Great Western Railway, out of London's Paddington Station. May 20, 1908 Gary Railways begins streetcar service in Gary IN. May 20, 1924 A head-on collision between two interurban cars in Roanoke IN kills 5. The two cars “telescope”, with one car overriding the floor of the other. The death toll includes a woman who had come to view the wreckage and died at the scene of a heart attack. May 20, 1926 The Railway Labor Act becomes law. May 20, 1936 The first locomotive rolls out of Electro-Motive Corporation's (later EMD) LaGrange plant in McCook IL: a 100-ton, 600-horsepower switcher built for the Santa Fe. May 20, 1940 Sixty-six railroads in the United States, in cooperation with the Travelers' Credit Corporation, begin selling railroad tickets, Pullman accommodations and all-expense tours on an installment basis, known as the Travel Credit Plan. Purchases over $50 [2025: $1,146] could be charged. May 20, 1962 On the floor of the U.S. Senate, Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island, in talking about railroads, calls for a "Public Authority that would carry passengers while existing companies would continue their more profitable function of hauling freight". May 20, 1963 The Rutland Railroad ceases operations after failing to come to terms with its operating unions over a proposed operations center move from Rutland to Burlington VT. May 20, 1964 The presidents of the Pennsylvania and New York Central Railroads sign an agreement in anticipation of the Penn Central merger that will provide job protection in the new company for Union employees. In turn the unions drop their opposition to the merger. May 20, 1976 The first locomotive painted in “Conrail Blue”, GP-40 #3091, rolls out of the Collinwood Diesel Shop in Cleveland OH. May 20, 1983 Canadian National abandons its Haliburton Sub. May 20, 1984 Metrorail opens in Miami FL. May 20, 2008 The trailer of a semi-truck carrying an 80-ton locomotive (ex-Timken #7948) breaks free, hitting three bridge supports under I-74. The bridge deck comes to rest on top of the locomotive. Officials expect the repair of the bridge to take up to three months. Mark Tomlonson

May 19, 1835 The York & Maryland Line Railroad (later Maryland & Pennsylvania) is organized at Baltimore. May 19, 1845 Sir John Franklin launches an expedition to find the North-West Passage. His two ships have been modified to navigate through the ice, and include propellers driven by steam locomotives from which the wheels have been removed. The locomotives formerly served the London & Greenwich Railway. The mission will ultimately fail with all hands lost. May 19, 1846 The New York & New Haven Railroad is organized at Hartford CT. May 19, 1847 The "Fall River Line Steamboat Express" enters service between Boston and Fall River. Arthur D. Dubin considered it the first express train in the U.S. May 19, 1857 Cornelius Vanderbilt, already a multi-millionaire steamboat operator, becomes a director of the New York & Harlem Railroad. May 19, 1862 The Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac is opened to Falmouth, opposite Fredericksburg. The quickly constructed bridge over Potomac Creek will cause President Lincoln to quip it was built from "beanpoles and cornstalks". May 19, 1869 The City of Logansport, IN signs an agreement with the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railway to subscribe $50,000 [2025: $1.2 million] to build shops on east side of town. May 19, 1869 The Boston & Albany buys the East Boston Freight Railroad. May 19, 1871 The Woodruff Sleeping & Parlor Coach Company is incorporated in Pennsylvania. May 19, 1881 The Southern Pacific, building from Los Angeles, reaches El Paso. May 19, 1906 The Simplon Railroad Tunnel between Italy and Switzerland, the world's longest until 1979, opens to traffic. May 19, 1909 The Milwaukee Road completes its route to the west coast with a "Golden Spike" at Garrison MT. May 19, 1925 The Wabash Railroad gains control of the Ann Arbor through purchase of stock. May 19, 1937 The Baltimore & Ohio receive the first streamlined EMC diesels: EA/EB models. May 19, 1950 An explosion of munitions at the Pennsylvania Railroad piers at South Amboy NJ kills 30, puts PRR coal docks out of action and scatters land mines and other explosives throughout South Amboy. May 19, 1954 Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton ships a coal turbine locomotive to the Norfolk & Western. The locomotive, numbered 2300 and nicknamed "Jawn Henry" will prove to be very powerful and very expensive to operate. May 19, 1968 Last run of Illinois Central's "Green Diamond". May 19, 1980 The Grand Trunk Company merges into CN Rail. May 19, 1984 Amtrak and CSX partner to run the “Tulip Train” from the Chicago Area to Holland MI’s Tulip Festival. Both Amtrak and CSX display railroad equipment such as TOFC flats and wedge plows in Holland. May 19, 1997 CSX announces it will spend $222 million [2025: $445 million] to restore double track on the former Baltimore & Ohio mainline through Indiana and Ohio. CSX plans to use the added capacity after it acquires its share of Conrail. May 19, 2014 The Dutch Railway signs an agreement to power their electric trains entirely with electricity from wind turbines. Mark Tomlonson

May 16, 1831 The first shipment of 36-pound T-rail rolled by Dowlais Iron Works of Wales for the Camden & Amboy railroad arrives at Philadelphia on board the "Charlemagne". In addition, the railroad has ordered two-foot square stone sleepers from Sing Sing State Prison in New York. May 16, 1853 The first railroad to operate in Ontario, the Ontario. Simcoe & Huron Union Railway (later OS&H, Northern, GT, CN) runs a passenger train from Toronto north to Mitchell’s Corners (later known as Aurora), a distance of roughly 50 km (31 miles). Much of the line is still in use. May 16, 1878 The Toledo & Ann Arbor Railroad reaches Ann Arbor from the south. May 16, 1881 The world's first electric trolley to receive a large public viewing is demonstrated at a trade fair in Lichterfelder, Germany (near Berlin). May 16, 1896 The East Chicago Belt Railroad (later IHB) is incorporated. (Some sources say May 15) May 16, 1905 Baldwin-Westinghouse demonstrates an experimental electric locomotive used for switching at the Westinghouse plant. The twin unit C+C boxcab uses 6,600 volts AC, the largest single-phase locomotive in the world. It is the first to use a diamond pantograph instead of a trolley pole. May 16, 1907 The Ohio Electric Railway is organized. May 16, 1925 The Headhouse, Concourse, and Baggage rooms of the new Chicago Union Station open. May 16, 1929 In speech to a luncheon meeting of the Bond Club in New York, Pennsylvania Railroad President Atterbury restates his vision of railroads as integrated transportation companies. The Pennsylvania, through Pennroad Holding Company, is already moving into container, truck, bus and air services. May 16, 1952 "Denver and Rio Grande", a movie telling a romanticized version of the building of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad makes its debut. May 16, 1953 Fairbanks-Morse ships the first H24-66 "Train Master" locomotives: demonstrators headed for a trade fair in Atlantic City. May 16, 1955 The New York Central announces it will convert its four-track main line between Buffalo and Cleveland to a two-track main controlled by CTC. May 16, 1956 The New York Central christens its "Train X" "The Explorer" in ceremonies at Cleveland. It is then run to Columbus for the press. NYC has deleted a Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Diesel-Hydraulic locomotive that was to have been at the end of the train. This increases the train's instability and makes it more expensive to turn at the end of a run. May 16, 1961 The Board of the Mackinac Transportation Company authorizes selling the car ferry "Sainte Marie" for scrap. May 16, 2005 The last Canadian National revenue train pulls off the Kinghorn Sub at Current Junction. May 16, 2014 Amtrak takes delivery of its first Viewliner II car, a baggage car. It is the first of over 100 cars ordered. May 17, 1851 Railway service starts in Peru. May 17, 1853 The Mohawk Valley Railroad merges with 9 other railroads to create the New York Central. Erastus Corning has managed the merger. May 17, 1853 In the wake of the Rancocas Creek wreck, the Camden & Amboy Railroad adopts new running regulations. All conductors, engineers, switchmen and bridge tenders are furnished with watches at company expense. The conductor and engineer are to compare those watches with each other and with a standard clock at the beginning of each run and turn them in at the end. Express trains are limited to 45 MPH and way trains to 30 MPH. Two brakemen are to be always on duty, one on the gig-top and one on the front platform of the rear car. No smoking or drinking is allowed while on duty. Standard bell and whistle signals are adopted, as well as rules governing meets and late running. May 17, 1908 The last steam engine passes through the St. Clair Tunnel as operations become fully electric. May 17, 1909 Firemen on the Georgia Railroad strike to protest the hiring of African-Americans. May 17, 1915 Michigan Railway service (interurban) between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids begins. Service also begins Battle Creek to Grand Rapids, with the two routes joining at Monteith Junction, south of Martin. May 17, 1919

May 15, 1851 The New York & Erie Railroad (later Erie) is completed and opened from New York City to Dunkirk, New York, on Lake Erie. This forms the first trunk line railroad linking an Atlantic port with the Great Lakes. The event is widely celebrated; President Millard Fillmore, Daniel Webster, Stephan A. Douglas and others deliver speeches; a procession marches through New York City "amid such a din of cannon and tin horns as the city did not again hear until the Civil War." The six-foot gauge NY&E becomes the longest railroad in the world. May 15, 1865 Horsecar service begins in Grand Rapids MI, run by the Grand Rapids Street Railway Company. May 15, 1867 The Erie & North East and Buffalo & State Line railroads consolidate into the Buffalo & Erie Railroad. (later LS&MS, NYC) May 15, 1869 Passenger service begins on the new Union Pacific/Central Pacific transcontinental railroad. Fares for the Omaha to Sacramento journey are $111 for First Class [2025: $2,592] $80 for Second Class [$1,869] and $40 for Third Class [$934]. May 15, 1879 An account is published in a Pittsburgh newspaper of the Pennsylvania Railroad's new "observation" cars: coaches with the area between the belt line and the roof opened to the air for use by tourists on Horseshoe Curve. Next month the railroad will construct a park at the curve for sightseers. May 15, 1882 The Ann Arbor Railroad acquires the Frankfort & Southeastern Railway. May 15, 1893 The Hammond, Whiting & East Chicago Railway begins streetcar service in East Chicago and Hammond IN. The line will be featured in Jean Shepherd’s story “Daphne Bigelow and the Tinfoil Noose”. May 15, 1893 The 1? mile Tivoli Hollow Railroad (later NYC&HR, NYC) is chartered in Albany NY. May 15, 1894 Streetcars begin operation in Elkhart IN. May 15, 1899 Chicago’s Lake Street “L” is extended into Oak Park. May 15, 1906 The Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad begins using Englewood Station in Chicago. May 15, 1915 The Interstate Commerce Commission orders the Pennsylvania, Northern Central, Lehigh Valley, New York Central, Rutland, Erie, Grand Trunk and Lackawanna railroads to divest themselves of their Great Lakes steamship lines by December 1. The Great Lakes car ferrries are not affected. May 15, 1919 The U.S. Post Office establishes an Air Mail route between Cleveland and Chicago as the first link in a transcontinental service. May 15, 1922 The City of Detroit takes over operations of the city's street railway routes from the privately owned DUR (Detroit United Railway). As a result, the city's municipally owned Department of Street Railways (DSR) is formed. May 15, 1923 Due to operational problems in the United States, the American lines of the former Grand Trunk Railway of Canada in New England are reorganized as the "Grand Trunk". May 15, 1925 The Lake Erie, Bowling Green & Napoleon (OH interurban) between Pemberville and Bowling Green is abandoned. May 15, 1927 Union Pacific and the Chicago & North Western begin the Chicago to Denver "Columbine". May 15, 1930 Coach Porters are withdrawn from east and Midwest corridor trains on the Pennsylvania Railroad. May 15, 1935 The Moscow Metro opens for service. May 15, 1936 The Union Pacific-Chicago & North Western "City of Los Angeles" streamliner makes its first run. It uses a trainset pulled by UP M-10002, UP's first separable diesel locomotive. May 15, 1942 Motorists in the eastern United States are hit with gas rationing. The normal limit is three gallons per week. Transit and rail systems will see a marked increase in passengers as a result. May 15, 1963 Mid-Continent Railway Museum buys Chicago & North Western’s “Rattlesnake Line” in Wisconsin. May 15, 1968 A tornado destroys much of the overhead wire on the Charles City Division of the Iowa Terminal Railroad, ending operations on the branch. May 15, 1992 The SS "Badger" is rededicated and begins a new career as a non-railroad car ferry. May 15, 2001 A runaway CSX freight train rolls 70 miles through Ohio with no one aboard. The train is brought to a stop after an employee of the railroad jumps onto the

May 14, 1845 The Troy & Greenbush Railroad (later HRRR, NYC) the last link in an all-rail route between Boston and Albany is incorporated. May 14, 1848 The Oswego & Syracuse Railroad (later DL&W) begins operations between its namesake cities (35.5 miles). May 14, 1877 The Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw, Wabash, and Canada Southern Railways establish a through passenger route from Burlington IA to New York, bypassing Chicago. Trains are scheduled to take 9 hours less than competing lines, even though the route is 100 miles longer. May 14, 1905 The Michigan Central launches the "Wolverine", eastbound between Chicago and Detroit. The train carries a library-buffet car through to New York City. May 14, 1934 The Chicago & Illinois Valley (interurban) ends service. May 14, 1938 The Lake Shore Electric is abandoned between Cleveland and Toledo. May 14, 1939 The Cincinnati & Lake Erie (interurban) ends long distance passenger routes. Some freight and suburban service continues. May 14, 1948 The Bangor & Aroostook inaugurates its first diesel-powered passenger train. May 14, 1951 The first trains run on the preserved Talyllyn Railway in Wales, marking the first time that volunteers have operated a railroad. May 14, 1955 Canadian National Railways opens a causeway on its Hopewell Subdivision, ending the use of carferries in that location. May 14, 2003 The Huron & Eastern and Saginaw Valley Railroads merge, and the Saginaw Valley becomes a fallen flag. May 14, 2003 Canadian National officially drops the "Illinois Central" name. All United States operations are now under the CN name. May 14, 2008 BNSF adds a fourth track to 21 miles of its Powder River Basin line, shared with Union Pacific. The additional track raises capacity from 150 trains per day to nearly 200. May 14, 2017 An Amtrak train between New York and Washington is held up by mechanical delays. Frustrated by the wait, a passenger orders two pizzas from a local shop. They are delivered to the train amid applause and cheering. Mark Tomlonson

May 13, 1829 The "Stourbridge Lion", the second locomotive imported into the United States and the first in service, arrives in New York. May 13, 1830 The Baltimore & Ohio operates its first test trip between Baltimore and Ellicotts Mills, the full length of the railroad. May 13, 1836 The 78-mile long Auburn & Rochester Railroad (later R&S, NYC) is chartered. May 13, 1842 The Northern Cross Railroad (later Wabash) completes its 23.5-mile line. It is the only state railroad project completed in Illinois. May 13, 1861 Members of the Michigan Infantry move by rail over the Michigan Central from Kalamazoo to Michigan City. It’s the first time a Michigan train carries troops. May 13, 1861 First railroad in what is now Pakistan, running from Karachi to Kotri. May 13, 1870 The Grand Rapids & Indiana, Fort Wayne, Muncie & Cincinnati and Fort Wayne, Jackson & Saginaw Railroads contract for connecting their tracks in Fort Wayne IN. May 13, 1880 Thomas Edison makes his first test run of an electric locomotive. The 1,400-foot test track is energized through the running rails that are insulated from each other. Edison proposes a 500-horsepower locomotive to run at 60 mph on the Pennsylvania Railroad, however the PRR feels the locomotive would be impractical. May 13, 1903 The Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley (later C&NW) begins passenger train service to Casper WY. May 13, 1923 First run of Baltimore & Ohio's "Capitol Limited". Introduced to compete with the Pennsylvania Railroad's "Washington Broadway Limited" its luxury amenities and 19 hour running time will eventually allow it to dominate the Washington/Baltimore to Chicago market. May 13, 1939 The Lima (OH) City Street Railway is abandoned, and the single-truck "Birney" cars are sold for scrap. The line was owned by the interurban Cincinnati & Lake Erie, which today also abandons its Hamilton to Dayton Division. May 13, 1949 Lima ships Nickel Plate 2-8-4 #779, Lima's last steam locomotive. May 13, 1954 President Eisenhower signs the St. Lawrence Seaway Bill providing for joint U.S. - Canadian construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway. The bill is bitterly opposed by the railroads, who see it as a threat to their freight business. May 13, 1959 Two paintings by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec survive a derailment and subsequent collision on the Northeast Corridor at Frazier. TV sets and cans of baked beans are not so lucky. May 13, 1971 The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers agrees to end the "Divisional Rule", which defined 100 miles as 1 day's work. Many engineers were being paid a full day's wage for 150 minutes of train operation. May 13, 1994 Frank Martin of Iowa begins a record-setting Amtrak trip that will cover 22,857 unduplicated miles and take one month to complete. Mark Tomlonson

May 12, 1846 The Hudson River Railroad is incorporated with the goal of building a line from New York City to Albany. May 12, 1847 The New York State Legislature passes a law giving railroads financial incentives to replace strap rail with T-rail. Those who don't convert in three years are threatened with the loss of their charters. May 12, 1858 The Michigan Central Railroad contracts with J.D. Morton to operate Woodruff sleeping cars. May 12, 1874 The Union Depot Company of St. Louis is incorporated in Missouri. May 12, 1881 Built by Siemens, the first electric trolley line in Europe opens between Berlin and Lichterfelde, Germany. May 12, 1890 Cable car operation commences in Washington DC. May 12, 1900 The American Bridge Company, which will build many of the nation's railroad bridges, is formed from the merger of 24 smaller companies. May 12, 1902 An explosion and fire from a leaking oil car kills 23 near Pittsburgh on the Pennsylvania Railroad. May 12, 1910 To promote immigration into western Canada, Canadian Northern Railway's subsidiary "Canadian Northern Steamships" begins sailing between England and Canada. The service will end at the start of World War I as the two ships are commandeered for troop transport. May 12, 1936 The AT&SF "Super Chief" begins weekly Chicago-Los Angeles service behind diesels 1 and 1A. May 12, 1949 Lima-Hamilton completes its first diesel-electric locomotive: a 1,000 hp switcher. May 12, 1953 Union Pacific opens its Sherman Hill relocation project. May 12, 1955 Manhattan's last elevated line becomes history as the NYCTA cuts back the Third Avenue El from Chatham Square in Lower Manhattan to 149th Street, Bronx. May 12, 1970 Three young bandits board a freight train as it enters Detroit, hold a conductor at gunpoint, and break into two freight cars. The robbery, which was believed to be Detroit's first train robbery, netted the thieves baby strollers, bassinets and rattles. May 12, 2017 Detroit’s “Q-Line” light rail begins regular service along 3.3 miles of track on Woodward Ave. May 12, 2020 Crews in Ann Arbor MI install tunnels under the former Michigan Central line (now owned by M-DOT and used by Amtrak). The tunnels are to allow residents to safely cross the right-of-way on their way to riverside recreation areas. May 12, 2022 At the Pennsylvania Railroad Historical & Technical Society meeting in Harrisburg PA, the T! Trust shows the progress on its attempt to build another 4-4-4-4 T1 class duplex locomotive. The cab, boiler shell, and streamlined prow are displayed at the show. The T1 Trust also reports that four of the 80” drivers have been cast. Estimated completion of the project is set for 2030. Mark Tomlonson

May 11, 1975 The NYCTA closed the BMT Culver Shuttle from 9th Avenue on the West End line to Ditmas Avenue on the Culver line because of deteriorating rail condition's. It was the last elevated line in which the third rail was in the elevated position. An NYCTA worker played an accordion on the last train. The R-27/30 cars used on the shuttle were 8032-33, 8046-47, 8058-59, 8146-47, 8256-57, 8422-23, and 8524-25. Dennis M Linsky

May 9, 1846 The partially completed Southern Railroad of Michigan is sold by the state, and along with the former Palmyra & Jacksonburgh RR is reorganized into the Michigan Southern Railroad (later MS&NI, LS&MS, NYC). The targeted western terminal of the line is changed from New Buffalo MI to Chicago IL. May 9, 1888 Three nights of rioting begin as citizens protest the Street Railway Company of Grand Rapids’ (MI) plan to add a fourth track to East Street. The arrest of one of the rioters on May 11 will put an end to the “East Street War”. May 9, 1904 The Great Western Railway locomotive "City of Truro" becomes the first locomotive in Europe to exceed 100 mph. May 9, 1906 The Pennsylvania Railroad adds pneumatic switch machines at Hollidaysburg Yard. May 9, 1927 The Manitowoc & Two Rivers Railway calls it quits, ending streetcar service in Manitowoc WI. May 9, 1928 Streetcars end service in Kaukauna WI. May 9, 1928 Grand Trunk and the Chicago & Kalamazoo Terminal railroads merge. The C&KT has been owned by GT since 1907. May 9, 1931 Mixed train service on the New York Central and Michigan Central between Battle Creek MI and Goshen IN via Findley and Sturgis MI ends. This ends all rail traffic on the New York Central between Findley and Sturgis. May 9, 1937 Last day of the Dayton & Western Traction Company as the long route between Indianapolis and Dayton is abandoned. May 9, 2010 After serving in the interim as a roadside diner, lounge, pottery shop and plumbing supply company office, Virginia & Truckee McKeen Motor Car No. 22 is restored to service. May 10, 1835 The Portage Railroad (PA) opens a second track. May 10, 1848 The Union Railroad (MA – later B&A) is chartered. May 10, 1864 A new 40-foot RPO car makes its first trial run between Baltimore and Jersey City. The car will enter regular service between Jersey City and Washington. May 10, 1865 Horsecars begin operation in Grand Rapids MI. May 10, 1869 Tracks of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads are joined at Promontory, UT. May 10, 1871 The Lancaster & Reading Narrow Gauge Railroad is incorporated in Pennsylvania to build a 4'-0" gauge line between Reading and Safe Harbor via Lancaster and a branch from Lancaster to Quarryville. The line will compete with the Reading & Columbia Railroad. May 10, 1876 Fearful of being bypassed by the main lines, the citizens of Bedford and Billerica MA charter the Billerica & Bedford Railway, the first common-carrier 2-foot gauge railroad in the United States. May 10, 1876 The Pennsylvania Railroad places 85 new passenger cars in service to handle the Centennial traffic. Sixty-five of the cars are listed as "Third Class" and are boxcars with open window holes and board seats. These cars will not be successful and most will be converted to peach cars by August. May 10, 1893 New York Central's 4-4-0 "999" sets an absolute speed record (fastest speed attained by humans) of 112.5 miles per hour. May 10, 1903 The Pennsylvania Railroad begins running a summer-only coach train between Indianapolis and French Lick Springs, a popular Indiana resort. The route runs over the Monon between Gosport and the resort. May 10, 1929 The Hillman Branch west of Emerson and the Rockport branch of the Detroit & Mackinac are abandoned. May 10, 1930 The Pennsylvania Railroad cancels its experiments with a diesel switcher powered by a Cummins engine. The test bed never received the carbody that had been ordered for it. May 10, 1932 William K. Walthers founds the model railroad manufacturing and distributing company bearing his name. May 10, 1945 The last remnant of the former Toledo & Chicago interurban line north of Ft. Wayne to Garrett ends freight service. Most services ended in 1937 May 10, 2019 Over 25,000 people attend celebrations at Golden Spike National Historic site for the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad. Traffic approaching the park is backed up for 40 miles. Also today: Union Pacific locomotives 4014 and 844 touch pilots in front of Ogden depot in a symbolic reenactment of the original Promontory

May 8, 1842 A passenger train derails near Moudon, France. The official death toll in the accident and resulting fire is 55 people, however estimates of the total deaths run as high as 200. May 8, 1858 The New York Central provides a sleeping car on overnight trains between Albany and Buffalo NY. May 8, 1863 The Brotherhood of the Footboard is organized in Marshall, MI. The group will eventually become the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. May 8, 1869 The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad (later NYC) is organized. May 8, 1876 First through trains on the Boston-Philadelphia "Northeast Corridor". The route will not receive that title until much later, nor does this train directly serve New York City. May 8, 1876 The first pneumatic interlocking in the world is installed by the Pennsylvania Railroad at Mantua PA in anticipation of the heavy traffic expected at Philadelphia for the Centennial. May 8, 1878 The Spencer Railroad (MA – later B&A) is incorporated. May 8, 1889 In Kalamazoo, a Michigan Central train strikes a horsecar at a grade crossing, killing 5. The train was an extra movement, not expected by the crossing guard who was eating supper. In response to the wreck, Kalamazoo requires all horsecars to stop before crossing railroad tracks, and train speeds are limited to 10 mph. A city park now marks the site of the collision. May 8, 1906 A special train carrying E.H. Harriman makes a run from Oakland CA to New York in 76 hours and 27 minutes. This record will stand until October 1934, when it will be broken by Union Pacific Streamliner M-10000. May 8, 1910 Southern Pacific's "Lark" makes its debut. May 8, 1912 The Pennsylvania Company reorganizes its vice-Presidents following the loss of John B. Thayer aboard the RMS “Titanic”. May 8, 1924 Arthur Honegger's "Pacifica 231" premieres. The orchestral tone poem reflects Honegger's impressions of train trip behind a steam engine. May 8, 1926 A. Philip Randolph organizes the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. This event is a major labor as well as civil rights milestone. May 8, 1937 Last day of service on the Indiana Railroad's (interurban) line between Indianapolis and Richmond IN. May 8, 1951 The 724th Transportation Railway Operating Battalion is mobilized. May 8, 1952 The Chesapeake & Ohio tests "Train X" between Grand Rapids and Grand Ledge MI using conventional diesel-electric power rather than the train's normal diesel-hydraulic locomotive. May 8, 1954 Passenger service on the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton ends with a mixed train originating in Springfield OH. May 8, 1961 Chicago & North Western drops its “Chicago-Duluth-Superior Limited” passenger train. May 8, 1962 Trolley bus service ends in London, England. May 8, 1962 Stockholders in both the New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroads approve the Penn Central merger. May 8, 1971 The former Grand Rapids & Indiana freight house in Grand Rapids is destroyed by fire. The building housed two businesses. May 8, 2006 The last operating tower on the Long Island Railroad, "PD" at Patchogue, is closed. The tower was also the site of the last "hooped up" orders on the Long Island. The tower had acquired he nickname "Leaning Tower of Patchogue", and its unstable condition will result in its demolition in August. Mark Tomlonson

May 7, 1863 The Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore carries over 3,000 Confederate prisoners from the Battle of Chancellorsville to prisons in Philadelphia. May 7, 1868 The Kalamazoo & Allegan Railroad (later KA&GR, LS&MS, NYC, PC) is organized. May 7, 1896 The Central Vermont's lease of the Rutland Railroad is cancelled. May 7, 1896 The Pennsylvania Railroad buys the Cincinnati, Lebanon & Northern. Built to narrow gauge, it was converted to standard gauge 2 years earlier. May 7, 1903 The New York State Legislature votes to prohibit steam locomotives on New York City's Park Avenue south of the Harlem River by July 1, 1908. May 7, 1919 The Manager of the Women's Service Section of the USRA files a complaint that women are being laid off while men with less seniority are being retained. May 7, 1921 The New York Central makes the first test of run of mail containers, from New York and Chicago. May 7, 1938 Lorain OH streetcars run for the last time. May 7, 1957 Boston & Maine 6000, known during its life as the "Flying Yankee", the "Mountaineer", the "Cheshire", the "Minuteman" and the "Businessman" (or "Business Man") is retired and sold to the Edaville Museum. May 7, 1959 The Chesapeake & Ohio launches mail and express service between Grand Rapids and Petosky MI using "Railvans", short vans that can be used on rails as well as the highways. The vans carry side ladders and marker light brackets, and are the forerunners of the modern Roadrailers used by Norfolk Southern Corporation and others. May 7, 1977 Chessie starts the first of its 46 steam excursions behind the former Reading 4-8-4 #2101. May 7, 2011 The last train runs on the former Canada Southern spur between Pelton and Fargo ON. May 7, 2014 For the first time Amtrak begins using Union Depot as its St. Paul MN station. This follows a refurbishment program of the station that was completed last year. Mark Tomlonson

May 6, 1856 The Ohio & Pennsylvania Railroad, the Ohio & Indiana Railroad and the Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad sign articles of merger to form the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad. The new road will in time become the Pennsylvania Railroad's main line from Pittsburgh to Chicago. The merger will become effective in Ohio on July 26. May 6, 1862 The bill authorizing the transcontinental railroad passes the House of Representatives. May 6, 1863 The Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad (later B&O, CSX) acquires control of the Dayton & Michigan Railroad. (some sources say May 1) May 6, 1876 The Pennsylvania Railroad takes delivery from its Altoona shops of 42 new coaches designed to bring celebrants to the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. May 6, 1878 The Springfield & Northeastern (later B&A) is incorporated to buy the foreclosed Springfield, Athol & Northeastern. May 6, 1902 The Akron & Barberton Belt Railroad is created by the merger of three companies: the Barberton Belt Line, the Barberton, Akron & Eastern Belt Line and the Cleveland, Barberton & Western. May 6, 1903 The Saginaw, Tuscola & Huron, Bay City Belt Line, and Sanilac Railroads are merged into the Pere Marquette. May 6, 1904 The Pere Marquette is granted the use of Englewood Station in Chicago. May 6, 1907 A Lake Shore & Michigan Southern train hits a street sweeper at Kalamazoo's Portage St. crossing and derails. The first 19 cars of a 53-car train are smashed into a pile 25 feet tall. In the pile: a boxcar of dynamite, intact. May 6, 1910 The Accident Report Act requires railroads to file a report of all accidents in the U.S. with the Interstate Commerce Commission. May 6, 1911 The Morgantown & Dunkard Valley (interurban) opens between Randall and Barker WV. May 6, 1917 The "Havana Special" is established as a year-round train between New York City and Key West. May 6, 1923 The Pennsylvania Railroad takes through cars bound for Washington DC out of the "Broadway Limited" consist and forms a new train, the "Washington Broadway Limited", to compete with the Baltimore & Ohio`s upcoming "Capitol Limited". Amenities and equipment on the new train are identical to its parent. May 6, 1928 The Great Northern gives its signature passenger train, the “Oriental Limited” a new, faster schedule. May 6, 1948 The Pennsylvania Railroad opens a new passenger station at Youngstown OH. May 6, 1950 Pacific Electric quits the Los Angeles to San Bernardino RPO, the last interurban Railway Post Office in the U.S. May 6, 1960 Last revenue run for steam on the Norfolk & Western. May 6, 1982 The last Morse code train order issued in the U.S. or Canada is sent to the operator at Whitehall, MT on the Burlington Northern. May 6, 1982 After Conrail’s announcement that it plans to abandon the line by July 5, one of the last revenue trains runs between Mendon and Wasepi MI on the former Grand Rapids & Indiana. May 6, 1983 The Georgia Railroad runs its last mixed train. May 6, 1994 Queen Elizabeth II and French President Francois Mitterand formally open the Chunnel. May 6, 1995 Canadian National and the Grand Trunk Western conduct opening ceremonies for the new St. Clair Tunnel. Mark Tomlonson

May 5, 1827 The Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company opens a nine-mile railroad operated by horses and gravity between Summit Hill mines and Mauch Chunk PA. It is the first permanent railroad in Pennsylvania and second of consequence in the U.S. May 5, 1835 The first railroad in continental Europe opens, running between Brussels and Mechelen. May 5, 1836 The Castleton & West Stockbridge is issued a new charter as it reorganizes as the Albany & West Stockridge. (later B&A) May 5, 1852 The Pennsylvania Railroad authorizes spending $300 (2024: $12,077) to produce a tourist guidebook to the line, providing pictures are used. May 5, 1860 A steam-powered "dummy" railcar, the "Novelty" makes a test run in Philadelphia. The 25-foot body built by Kimball & Gorton and power plant by Baldwin seats 38. This summer it will serve on the Pennsylvania Railroad for picnic excursions. May 5, 1865 A locomotive is overturned and robbed in North Bend, OH, in America's first recorded train robbery. May 5, 1891 A carbarn fire destroys 36 open cars owned by the Street Railway of Grand Rapids (MI). May 5, 1900 The Pennsylvania Railroad Board approves the purchase of the Long Island Railroad. May 5, 1905 The Pennsylvania Railroad's Train Number 52 hits the wreckage of a derailed freight train at speed. In the consist of Train 52 is an RPO car built to the standards of the Railway Mail Service, put in place the year before. It is the first car built to the standards to be in a wreck. It is not crushed, and all the postal employees in the car survive, a rarity before the standard was issued. May 5, 1906 The first train runs on the Kalamazoo, Lake Shore & Chicago, using the former Michigan Central line between Kalamazoo and Lawton. It had been sold to the KLS&C after the opening of MC's "Miller Cut-off" (the present Amtrak line). The new owner has hopes of turning the line into an interurban, but it will never run under wire. May 5, 1920 The Pennsylvania Railroad begins running solid express trains between Chicago and Pittsburgh without intermediate yard switching. Experience with reduced crews during a recent strike has shown the yarding to be unnecessary. May 5, 1943 Pullman launches its first ship built for the Navy, a PCE (patrol craft). May 5, 1947 Detroit’s Grand River streetcar line is converted to buses. While several smaller lines had been converted earlier, this is the first major Detroit line to lose its streetcars. May 5, 1949 The Baltimore & Ohio launches its streamlined all-coach "Columbian". Running from Baltimore to Chicago, the train features the first Pullman-Standard domes sold to a railroad. May 5, 1950 The last steam locomotive runs on the Chicago & Eastern Illinois. May 5, 1962 The New York Central donates 4-8-2 #2933 to the National Museum of Transport in St. Louis. May 5, 1989 The former Chicago, Kalamazoo & Saginaw freight house in Kalamazoo MI is torn down. The site is now (2025) occupied by the Sergeant Fuel Company May 5, 2004 CNNA announces the closing of Nichols Yard in Battle Creek MI and Hawthorne and Centralia Yards in Illinois. Hawthorne Yard, however, will remain open. May 5, 2018 Amtrak adds Marks MS to the list of stations served by “The City of New Orleans”. Mark Tomlonson