1950 in rail transport

This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in 1950.

Events

January events

• January 26 - To provide an all-India rail route to Assam following the Partition of India, the Northeast Frontier Railway opens to passengers a new line between Kishanganj and Fakiragram (Template:Km to mi) on which construction commenced only on January 26, 1948; also, Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, India, commences steam locomotive production.

February events

• February 5 - The first diesel locomotive to pull a freight train on the San Diego and Arizona Railway begins its journey from El Centro, California, on a trial run.
• February 10 - Canadian National Railway gains control of Temiscouata Railway in the provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick.
• February 17 - A head-on collision between two Long Island Rail Road commuter trains in Rockville Centre, New York kills 32 and injures 158.

March events

• March 2 - The Nickel Plate Road runs its first mainline freight train powered by diesel locomotives, as two yard switchers are pressed into service to handle a train from Peru, Indiana, to Michigan City.

May events

• May 6 - Pacific Electric quits the Los Angeles to San Bernardino railway post office, the last interurban RPO in the United States.
• May 7-8 Long Island Rail Road's Jamaica Bay Trestle erupts in a major fire between The Raunt and Broad Channel stations, destroying the bridge over Jamaica Bay, and leading to the eventual decline of the Rockaway Beach Branch five years later.
• May - ALCO introduces the ALCO RS-3.

June events

• June 16 - Copper Range Railroad's coal unloading dock at Houghton, Michigan, is razed. [1]

July events

• July 13 - The East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC) officially ceases operations.

August events

• August 1 - Indian Railways takes over most remaining state railways.
• August 8 - Illinois Central retires the Green Diamond passenger trainset from active service; the trainset will soon be scrapped.
• August 22 - Canada's railroad workers go on strike, crippling operations across the country.
• August 27 - United States President Harry Truman orders the Army to take control of U.S. railroads to prevent a strike.

September events

• September 15 - The first diesel locomotives produced at General Motors Electro-Motive Division's London, Ontario, works are delivered to the Canadian Pacific Railway.

• September 17 - The first of the 6000-series rapid transit cars (cta 6001-6720), built by the St. Louis Car Company, are placed in service on the Chicago 'L' system.

• September 30 - Tasmanian Government Railways introduces X class into service, the first mainline diesel-electric locomotives purchased by an Australian government railway system.

November events

• November 21 – A Canadian National Railway train carrying Korea-bound troops is given incorrect orders and collides with a passenger train at Canoe River, British Columbia, killing 21, including 17 soldiers.
• November 22 – A collision between two Long Island Rail Road commuter trains near Richmond Hill, New York, kills 79, and injures hundreds more.
• November 30 – Baldwin Locomotive Works becomes Baldwin-Lima Hamilton Corporation.

Unknown date events

• Ferrovie dello Stato, Italy, opens new Roma Termini railway station.
• First section of Stockholm Metro (Stockholms T-bana, Sweden) opened by conversion of the underground tram line from Slussen to Hökarängen.
• Work on electrification of Saint Petersburg Railway Division of the Oktyabrskaya Railway, Russia begins.

Births

• July 18 - Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Trains.

Deaths

• February 11 - Victor V. Boatner, president of Peoria and Pekin Union Railway 1921-, Chicago Great Western Railway 1929-1931, dies (b. 1884).

References

• MichiganRailroads.com (2005), Railroad History Timeline - 1950. Retrieved June 13, 2005.
• (August 16, 2005), Significant dates in Canadian railway history. Retrieved August 22, 2005.