Portal:Trains/Did you know/January 2019

January 2019

An East Midlands Trains Class 222 Meridian on a London to Nottingham service in 2009

• ...that the railway system in Great Britain is the oldest in the world with the first locomotive-hauled public railway, the Stockton and Darlington Railway, opening in 1825?

An X'Trapolis 100 train in the Metro Trains Melbourne livery in 2009

• ...that the Rail Safety Act 2006 was the State of Victoria's first dedicated statute regulating the safety of rail operations in Victoria?

Queensland Rail EMU at Ferny Grove station in 1979 for the opening of the first stage of the rail electrification in Queensland

• ...that although no plan was implemented until the late 1970s, the first proposal for rail electrification in Queensland was made in 1897 when the Chief Engineer of the Queensland Railways was sent to study electrified railways in Europe and America?

A portion of the cab interior of a Class 37 locomotive at Carlisle showing the Cab Display Radio (combined RETB Token Instrument, Radio and Control Head)

• ...that Solid State Interlocking controlling a Radio Electronic Token Block system prevents the issue of any token permitting conflicting movements?

Engineer John Souter and Caledonian Railway locomotive 17, which he drove for the 1895 Race to the North

• ...that in the 19th century, Great Northern Railway and North Eastern Railway on the East Coast and London and North Western Railway and Caledonian Railway on the West Coast participated in speed contests between London and Edinburgh that have come to be known as the "Race to the North"?

Preserved R10 car number 3184 at at 96th Street station in 2017

• ...that New York City Subway's R10 cars, the first new cars built for the system after World War II, introduced dynamic braking, roller bearings, and replaced the air whistles used by earlier rolling stock with air horns?

An R8 train at Mollet-Sant Fost railway station in 2013

• ...that line R8 of Rodalies de Catalunya's Barcelona commuter rail service entirely bypasses Barcelona?

A train at Fitzsimons Station on the R line in 2017

• ...that the R Line is the only line in Denver's RTD rail system not serving downtown?

An MBTA train at Quincy Center station with the parking structure and vehicle access ramps above it in 2015

• ...that the now closed and soon to be replaced parking garage above Quincy Center station in Massachusetts is the oldest anywhere on the MBTA system?

Preserved Great Western Railway autocoach number 190 in 2005

• ...that Great Western Railway became the first railway company to employ push-pull operation when in 1904 they equipped carriages and 0-6-0 locomotives for the Brentford Branch Line as an experimental substitute for steam railcars?

A Purple Line train at Union Station in 2013

• ...that Los Angeles Metro Rail's Purple Line was originally branded as a branch of the Red Line?

The skew bridge at Norden in 2017

• ...that the Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum hopes to expand their 2 ft (610 mm) gauge railway by restoring operations over a skew bridge crossing the Swanage Railway?

The Blue Pullman recreated by Hertfordshire Rail Tours in 2006

• ...that stewards on Pullman trains in the United Kingdom were provided by the British Pullman Car Company?

Preserved Prussian G8 locomotive number 4981 in 2005

• ...that the Prussian state railways Class G 8 0-8-0 steam locomotive was the first superheated goods train locomotive type in Prussia?

One of the platforms at Promenade station in 2014

• ...that Promenade is the only station on Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit system to have four separated stacked side platforms on their own levels?

Illustration of President Street Station from 1856

• ...that the building that houses the Baltimore Civil War Museum was built in 1849 as the head house of President Street Station, and is now the oldest surviving big-city railroad terminal in the United States?

A Metro-North train at Poughkeepsie station in 2006

• ...that the 8.5-mile (13.7 km) distance between Poughkeepsie station and the next nearest station on Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line is the longest distance between any two adjacent stations on any Metro-North main line?

A Metrolink locomotive with a decal indicating the presence of positive train control systems

• ...that positive train control systems can help trains operate safely in dark territory, as well as help to improve fuel efficiency or locomotive diagnostics?

Portishead station in 1960

• ...that as part of the MetroWest proposals, the Portishead Railway in Bristol, England, may be rebuilt and reopened as soon as 2020?

A train at Port Perry station in 1912

• ...that the last service to run on the Port Whitby and Port Perry Railway in Ontario was a special passenger-only service to Toronto to bring well-wishers to the Royal Tour of 1939 by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth?

Side view of Pennsylvania Railroad class P5a (modified) locomotive number 4780

• ...that following a fatal grade crossing accident, 28 of Pennsylvania Railroad's class P5 electric locomotives were modified with a body design similar to that of the GG1?