Another "On this Date in Railroad History"

This is From ArcaMax History and Quotes:

1. On September 27, 1825, the Stockton and Darlington Railway opened,
becoming the first permanent steam locomotive railway.

2. Also on September 27, 1825, in England, George Stephenson operated
the first locomotive to pull a passenger train.

Can anyone else find any railroad trivia facts for this date in history?

While I am not sure how to go about finding significant items for this particular date in history, I remember a time when a lot of people were playing the game “Trivial Pursuit”. I have often thought that it would be fun to create a game like this just for us railroad enthusiasts. Has anyone else out there had basically the same thought??

CANADIANPACIFIC2816

Cherokee Woman, I did some digging into today’s date in railroad history and I have come up with a few more entries.

September 27, 1835

Phineas Davis, inventor of the first practical coal burning locomotive, is killed when his invention, the York, derails.

September 27, 1864

Jesse James gang surprise attack train: 150 killed.

September 27, 1890

Farmers Transportation Company is renamed the Columbia Railway & Navigation Company (CR&N).

September 27, 1923

37 killed in train accident in Casper, Wyoming.*

*I am guessing this happened on the CB&Q, although I could be wrong.

CANADIANPACIFIC2816

I believe it was on the CB&Q.

September 28, 1956

C&O completes dieselization.

September 28, 1981

Illinois Central becomes first RoadRailer operator.

CANADIANPACIFIC2816

Jesse James killed 150 people in a train robbery??? [:O] I had no idea

I was thinking about this, this morning. I think that more than likely this is a typo on the part of the person who authored the web site where I had gotten the information from. Add a 0 to 15 and presto! You have 150.

CANADIANPACIFIC2816

I beleive in there attempt to stop the train they caused a catastrophic train wreck that resulted in a huge loss of life. Not hard to do with wooden coaches, telescoping and the ensuing fires.

I am glad you brought this up, it is a possibility that I didn’t even think of. And it certainly is plausible, considering that it would have happened during the Civil War era or shortly thereafter.

CANADIANPACIFIC2816

150 Killed ! That has to be a misprint …I dont hink the James Gang killed that many people in their whole carrer! I could be wrong tho…Danny

Someone should do some research into this subject, because I too doubt that the James Gang would have killed even a third of that number.

CANADIANPACIFIC2816

Here is a link that staes on September 27th, 1864 " The James Gang suprise attack a train. 150 killed." From the NHRS i.e. National Railway Historical Society. This act and the national attention it drew was the begining of the end for whatever pouplar support the James Gang enjoyed. http://avenue.org/nrhs/histsep.htm

September 29, 1849

New Haven Railroad provides first passenger train service to Peekskill, NY.

September 29, 1890

Railroads forfeit unused land grants, which had been granted as inducement for constructing new lines.

September 29th 1913

Rudolph C.K. Diesel, inventor of the diesel engine, dies at 55.

September 29, 1957

0-3 #539 moved to Ester Short Park, in Vancouver, Wa (SP&S Ry).

September 29, 1962

Last steam-powered run on the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range.

September 29, 1967

Last RPO run on the Southern Pacific.

September 29, 1967

Monon becomes freight only.

September 29, 1978

VIA Rail Canada takes over Canadian Pacific passenger operations.

September 29, 1988

Washington, D.C.'s Union Station returns to service as passenger terminal.

CANADIANPACIFIC2816

I, too, am doubtful about this information, no matter where it’s posted. First off, at that point in time there wasn’t any “James” gang. I believe Jesse was serving with Quantrill, and Frank may not have been active in the partisan forces, by then. Secondly, I could understand Quantrill attacking a Union army train but I would assume his tactic would be “wrecking” it, rather than engaging in a firefight with the occupants(they could have too much cover from the cars). I find it difficult to believe that at the speeds involved you would have that many casualties, umless if fell off a mountainside that would be difficult to find in Missouri or Kansas.

Somebody obviously forgot about the C&O’s use of RoadRailers in the late 1950s and early 1960s!

Where do you think these Johnny-come-latelies got the idea?

My source of information is www.Railwaystation.com . I suspect that a lot of the information in this web site is wrong. And I wish I knew of another online source that I could use to verify a lot of what I am coming up with. If anyone has any suggestions, I will certainly try them.

CANADIANPACIFIC2816

Don’t worry, Ray, we’re not blaming you.

As for a source, you’ve got the best possible source right here, with a lot of well-informed correspondents, experienced railroaders, and historians. No malice in corrections–just a desire to set the records straight whenever possible.

Actually, Quantrill’s Raiders, the renegade Confederate gang that Jesse James rode with during the Civil War, ransacked Lawrence, Kansas, killing 150 people. I don’t think a train was involved.

On September 30, 1981, Amtrak’s Chicago Dubuque, Iowa Black Hawk is
discontinued.

September 30, 1877

The Southern Pacific enters Arizona at Yuma, becoming the first railroad in the Territory.

September 30, 1914

Great Northern Pacific Steamship Co. (GNPSS) incorporated.

And Cherokee Woman already covered the the detail of Amtrak discontinuing the Chicago to Dubuque, Iowa Black Hawk run, so I will not list that.

CANADIANPACIFIC2816