MAY 13 1829
The Stounebridge Lion arrived in New York from England for the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company.
MAY 13 1933
Oregon Electric Ry. (OE) Passenger service discontinued
MAY 13 1968
Santa Fe Chief makes last run.
Anyone have anything else to add for today?
MAY 14 1851
President Millard Fillmore is present for the opening of the first direct rail route from the Hudson River to Lake Erie on the New York & Erie RR connecting Piermont, NY, with Dunkirk, NY (on Lake Erie). It was built at 6-foot gauge, making it the both the broadest gauge in the US, and the longest mainline in the world.
MAY 14 1906
Oregon Electric Railway (OE) incorporated
MAY 14 1909
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad completes line to Seattle.
MAY 14 1945
First Alco road switcher, RS-1 #52 received (SP&S Ry.)
MAY 15 1907
Service over the entire length of the Yosemite Valley Railroad begins.
MAY 15 1907
Yosemite Valley Railroad begins service from Merced to El Portal.
MAY 15 1952
Scribner Turn initiated, ending 10 year alternating switching between Hillyard and Yardley (SP&S Ry.)
MAY 15 1974
Amtrak’s Texas Chief is renamed to the Lone Star.
MAY 18 1896
In Plessy v. Ferguson, the U.S. Supreme Court upholds Louisiana’s Jim Crow Law which required railroads to provide equal but separate accommodations for the white and colored races. This separate, but equal doctrine remained in place for 58 years until reversed by the Court in Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka.
MAY 18 1901
Striking railroad workers in Albany, New York are forced back on the job by state militia.
Anyone have anything else to add?
FROM RAILWAY STATION.COM:
MAY 19 1851
First train on the Erie Railroad to reach the railroad’s terminus, Dunkirk, New York, at Lake Erie.
MAY 19 1909
Puget Sound extension of Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific completed.
MAY 19 1918
Government provides $1 billion to U.S. railroads for upkeep.
MAY 19 1955
Noting that there were still 6500 coal burning steam locomotives in service, the National Coal Association protests that a planned ceremony by the Interstate Commerce Commission to commemorate the passing of steam locomotives from America’s transportation scene is premature.
MAY 19 1974
Amtrak’s Super Chief is renamed to the Southwest Limited.
MAY 19 1990
Alaska Railroad passenger service begins using new passenger equipment for daily express service between Anchorage and Fairbanks.
Interesting to note that Brown v. Board of Education was handed down on May 17, 1954, just one day short of the original Plessy v. Ferguson date.
MAY 21 1852
First train to enter Chicago from the east (Northern Indiana Railroad).
MAY 21 1877
At Altoona, Pennsylvania, Alexander Graham Bell’s assistants begin tests which result in the permanent installation of telephones in the Pennsylvania Railroad shops.
MAY 21 1927
The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific’s Pioneer Limited becomes the first Pullman train to be completely equipped with roller bearings.
MAY 21 1932
To promote ticket sales, the Missouri Pacific Railroad runs the first Mystery Excursion from St. Louis. Passengers purchased tickets without knowing their destination until they arrived, which turned out to be Arcadia, MO.
MAY 22 1868
The Great Train Robbery. Seven members of the Reno gang hold up an Indianapolis bound Jefferson, Madison & Indianapolis train at Marshfield, Indiana. The gang makes off with $98,000 from a safe in the express car.
MAY 22 1909
Georgia railroad workers strike against employment of Negroes.
Unless otherwise noted, these reportings are from Railwaystation.com:
MAY 23 1870
First train to go coast to coast, the Pullman Hotel Express departs Boston.
MAY 23 1887
Canada’s first transcontinental train arrives in Vancouver, BC.
MAY 23 1891
First chapel car, the Evangel is dedicated in Cincinnati, Ohio. The car was fitted for religious services and used on the Northern Pacific Railroad.
MAY 23 1946
Rail unions go on strike despite government seizure of the railroads.
MAY 23 1952
Truman orders railroads returned back to owners after 21 months of control by the army.
MAY 23 1989
Amtrak begins Atlantic City service.
From Arcamax History & Quotes:
In 2010, a train derailment in East China killed 19 people and injured 71 others.
Let me add a thank you for your posts, Cherokee Woman. They are quite informational and interesting.
FROM WHAT11.COM NEWSLETTER:
May 24, 1830
The first passenger railroad in the United States began service between Baltimore and Ellicott Mills, MD.
FROM RAILWAYSTATION.COM:
MAY 24 1830
Passenger and freight service opens on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad between Baltimore and Endicott’s Mills, Maryland (13 miles).
MAY 24 1844
Telegraph introduced on Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
MAY 24 1931
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad introduces first all air-conditioned passenger train, the Columbian, between New York and Washington, D.C.
MAY 24 1961
Last run for the Milwaukee Road’s Olympian Hiawatha.
From Arcamax History & Quotes:
Financier and railroad developer Jay Gould in 1836Financier and railroad developer Jay Gould in 1836
From Railway Station.com:
MAY 27 1794
Cornelius Vanderbilt born.
MAY 27 1836
Jay Gould, US railroad executive, financier born.
MAY 27 1895
Supreme Court upholds the federal government’s 1894 injunction against Eugene Debs.
MAY 31 1947
The Gulf, Mobile & Ohio stretches from the Gulf of Mexico to Chicago after it merges with the Alton lines.
MAY 31 1950
Service ends on the Virginia & Trukee Railway.
MAY 31 1969
Dallas becomes the largest U.S. city without Passenger Service with the last run of the Texas & Pacific Texas Eagle.
JUNE 02 1873
Construction begins on San Francisco’s Clay Street for world’s First cable railroad.
JUNE 02 1982
Soo Line takes control of Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern.
JUNE 05 1919
Canadian National Railways incorporated.
JUNE 05 1947
Chesapeake & Ohio acquire Pere Marquette.
JUNE 05 1950
U.S. Supreme Court rules that segregation policies in Southern railroad dining cars are invalid.
JUNE 05 1979
A Long Island Railroad train becomes the first to be operated exclusively by women.
JUNE 05 1982
Seattle’s Waterfront streetcar begins operation.
JUNE 07 1860
Trackwork begins on San Francisco’s Market Street Railroad.
JUNE 07 1870
The first patent for an automatic electric block signal system is issued to Thomas S. Hall of Stamford, CT.
JUNE 07 1905
The first steel mail car is placed into service on the New York, Salamanca & Chicago, Railroad.
JUNE 08 1889
Cable Car service begins for Los Angeles.
JUNE 08 1900
White Pass & Yukon opens service from Skagway to Whitehorse.
JUNE 08 1905
The Pennsylvania Railroad announces 18-hour train service between New York and Chicago.
JUNE 08 1953
Union Pacific Railroad puts first propane gas turbine locomotive in service.
JUNE 09 1883
First commercial electric railway, the Chicago El, line begins operation.
JUNE 09 1959
Operations cease on the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin Railroad.
Now the Lakeshore scheduled takes 19:00 west bound and 20:05 eastbound. Pennsylvanian - Capitol combination 23:15 west and 21:38 east. NYP - Wash -Capitol 23:10 west 22:11 east. Cardinal 28:20 west 27:12 east… Ain’t progress grand?