FROM ARCAMAX HISTORY & QUOTES:
February 28, 1872, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was chartered.
February 28, 1992, A bomb blamed on the IRA ripped through a London railway station, injuring at least 30 people and shutting down the British capital’s rail and subway system.
FROM ARCAMAX HISTORY & QUOTES:
March 3, 1831
George Pullman, inventor of the railway sleeping car, was born.
To Cherokee Woman! Thanks for your history postings! No one else seems to be thanking you for your efforts so I will. Keep up the good work!
Thanks, Firelock76. It is nice to hear a “Thank you” every once in awhile. If I don’t have anything to post, you can check out Ray’s What Happened today in Railroad History.
– Railroad engineer and hero of the ballad Casey Jones, whose real name was John Luther Jones, in 1864
APRIL 30 1900
Locomotive engineer John Luther Jones, known as Casey Jones, dies in train wreck while at the throttle of Illinois Central #382.
APRIL 30 1939
Chicago Burlington & Quincy’s General Pershing Zephyr becomes the first train with all fluorescent lighting.
APRIL 30 1981
Last departure by Auto-Train.
APRIL 30 1985
Conrail sells 237-mile Canada Southern to Canadian National and Canadian Pacific.
MAY 01 1888
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad completes route from Chicago to California.
MAY 01 1888
First trials for the first electric freight locomotive. It was build by the Pullman Car Company for the Ansonia, Derby & Birmingham Electric Line.
MAY 01 1890
DP&AN formed
MAY 01 1903
Columbia Railway & Navigation Co. (CR&N) begins daily freight service
MAY 01 1905
Regular service begins on the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake’s line from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City.
MAY 01 1908
Hepburn Law, which bars railroads from handling products in which they hold an interest, goes into effect.
MAY 01 1911
C.F. Gray becomes fourth President (SP&S Ry.)
MAY 01 1942
Last pre-war lightweight train, the Panama Limited, goes into service on the Illinois Central.
MAY 01 1960
Southern Pacific Railroad abandons the Keeler branch, its last narrow gauge operation.
MAY 01 1971
Amtrak takes over most passenger service in the U.S.
Thanks again for your history postings! Can’t imagine why no-one else says so.
Thanks, Firelock76. Decided I’d start back doing this, since Ray has been absent for so long. It is nice to be appreciated!
Another “Thank You!”
History can be such an important foundation to future decisions, and is so easily forgotten.
Thanks, Dragoman.
MAY 03 1865
President Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train arrives at its destination in Springfield IL.
MAY 03 1881
Patent #241,112 is issued to Leonides Woolley for the first electric locomotive headlight.
MAY 03 1909
Pasco, WA to Marshall, WA opened; through service begins Portland, OR to Spokane, WA (SP&S Ry.)
Does anyone have anything else in Railroad History to contribute for today?
MAY 04 1845
The first iron-truss bridge is completed on the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad.
MAY 04 1941
Last train operated on the narrow gauge Colorado Central Railroad.
MAY 04 1989
Canadian Pacific opens longest tunnel in Canada, the 9.1-mile Mt. McDonald Tunnel in Roger’s Pass.
[:)] Another thank you for much fact finding and page flipping in various books and papers .
Cannonball
MAY 05 1865
America’s first recorded train robbery occurs when a group of unidentified men loot an overturned Ohio & Mississippi train at North Bend, Ohio, between St. Louis and Cincinnati.
MAY 07 1964
Railroads begin eliminating fireman from locomotives.
MAY 07 1977
Chessie System Chessie Steam Special begins operation to celebrate Baltimore & Ohio sesquicentennial.
MAY 08 1837
First American type steam locomotive (4-4-0) completed in Philadelphia.
MAY 08 1863
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers founded.
MAY 08 1968
ICC decides to drop Santa Fe Chief in favor of keeping the Grand Canyon.
MAY 09 1850
The second rail connection to the Western Waters was made from Charleston to Chattanooga, on the Tennessee River.
MAY 09 1901
The panic of 1901 begins as a result of a fight for between J.J. Hill and Edward H. Harriman for control of the Northern Pacific Railroad.
May 10, 1869
Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. The Transcontinental Railroad “connected”
MAY 11 1892
The first locomotive to owned by an industrial company, the Whitin Machine Works in Whitinsville, MA, is placed in service.
MAY 11 1893
New York Central’s engine number 999 sets world speed record of 112.5 MPH near Batavia, NY. The record holds for over twelve years.
MAY 11 1894
Workers at the Pullman Palace Car Company go on strike to protest wage cuts.
MAY 11 1956
Chicago & Northwestern dieselize Chicago commuter trains.
MAY 12 1936
Maiden run of the Santa Fe Super Chief.
MAY 12 1955
A crowd of about 850 ride on the last run of New York’s longest operating elevated railroad, the 3rd Avenue El, which wad been in service for almost 80 years.
MAY 12 1989
Last graffiti covered New York City subway car is retired.