1956 in rail transport

none February 2012 1955 1956 1957 1950 Events January events January 5 – The General Motors Electro-Motive Division "Aerotrain" makes its initial Chicago to Detroit test run. January 11 – The Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway officially adopts its longtime nickname, Monon Railroad, as corporate title. January 20 – Circular Quay railway station opens in Sydney, completing the City Circle. January 22 – Redondo Junction train wreck, Santa Fe Railway's San Diegan passenger train derails just outside Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal. The accident is announced over the radio and so many doctors, nurses and sightseers drive to the scene that it causes one of the first Sig Alerts. February events February 11 – Rock Island's Aerotrain, "Jet Rocket" begins service between Chicago and Peoria, Illinois. February 28 – Swampscott train wreck, a southbound Danvers–Boston commuter train crashed into the rear of a stopped Portsmouth–Boston local train just north of Swampscott station during a snowstorm. The collision, blamed on the engineer operating at unsafe speeds for the conditions, killed 13 people and injured 283.317https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71695137/the-boston-globe/ Train Crashed at 50 M.P.H., Three Say Boston Globe March 9, 1956 1, 13 Newspapers.com February 28 – A collision in Revere, Massachusetts injured 143 people – some of whom had already been in the Swampscott wreck.https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71696061/the-boston-globe/ B. & M. Sure Signals O.K. Boston Globe March 9, 1956 1 Newspapers.comhttps://www.newspapers.com/clip/71696574/the-boston-globe/ Two Railroad Wrecks in One Day Enough for Seven B&M Riders Boston Globe February 28, 1956 10 Newspapers.com March events March 5 – The last steam locomotive purchased new by Southern Pacific Railroad, cab forward class AC-12 4-8-8-2 number 4294, is retired from revenue service.Diebert, Timothy S. Strapac, Joseph A. Southern Pacific Company Steam Locomotive Conpendium Shade Tree Books 1987 978-0-930742-12-6 March 15 – In Tokyo, Japan, the Marunouchi Line begins service between Kasumigaseki and Shinjuku.History https://www.tokyometro.jp/lang_en/corporate/profile/history/index.html https://web.archive.org/web/20230605063443/https://www.tokyometro.jp/lang_en/corporate/profile/history/index.html 2023-06-05 2024-07-13 tokyometro.jp March 17 – Trailer Train Corporation begins operations. Stockholders include the Pennsylvania Railroad, Norfolk and Western Railroad, Frisco and Missouri Pacific Railroad. March 24 – Kansas City Southern Railway officially dedicates Deramus Yards in Shreveport, Louisiana, named in honor of William N. Deramus, Jr., the company's current president.Kansas City Southern Historical Society, Saga of Kansas City Southern Lines https://web.archive.org/web/20050828172330/http://www.kcshs.org/schedule/subs/images/history/kcs_hist.htm August 28, 2005 . Retrieved March 24, 2006. March – Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan construct the first batch of 2-10-2 steam locomotives for the isolated Ramal Ferro Industrial Río Turbio (RFIRP) 750 mm gauge railway in the southern Patagonian Desert of Argentina to haul coal from Río Turbio for shipping from Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz.90 tonne engines on 75cm gauge http://www.railwaysofthefarsouth.co.uk/09erfirtlocos.html Railways of the Far South 2015-11-13 April events April 6 – The East Broad Top Railroad, a 3 ft (914 mm) gauge carrier in Pennsylvania, ceases operations. April 28 – Canadian Pacific Railway discontinues the former Imperial Limited passenger train schedule. May events May 22 – The last Chicago and North Western Railway steam locomotive-powered Chicago commuter train drops its fires. June events June 3 – Remaining Second class accommodation on British Railways trains (by now surviving only on Southern Region boat trains) is abolished and Third class redesignated Second class. June 30 - The Rochester Subway (Rochester Industrial and Rapid Transit Railway) ceases operation after 29 years.Abandoned Subway, Retrieved April 6, 2012 July events July 8 – The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway equips its El Capitan with new Hi-Level cars from Budd. July 27 – The last two Chesapeake and Ohio Railway 2-6-6-6 "Alleghenies" are taken off standby status. The last revenue run had been made about a month earlier. July 31 – Great Northern Railway runs its last electric locomotive over Stevens Pass. August events August 6 – The last big diesel locomotive constructed by Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton at Eddystone, Pennsylvania, is shipped: Columbus Geneva Steel #35. August 12 – The Manila Railroad Company commences the dieselization of its entire fleet. August 27 – Pacific Great Eastern Railway, in British Columbia, holds official opening ceremonies to celebrate the beginning of service over its line (which occurred on June 11, 1956).Significant dates in Canadian railway history http://www.railways.incanada.net/candate/candate.htm Colin Churcher's Railway Pages August 22, 2006 August 25, 2006 https://web.archive.org/web/20060829044454/http://www.railways.incanada.net/candate/candate.htm August 29, 2006 dead mdy September events September 1 – Last day of steam locomotive operations on the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad. September 13 – Last day of steam locomotive power for the New York Central Railroad trains in New York City suburban service. September 16 – Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad begins operating over a relocated alignment through East Chicago, Indiana, reducing travel time on the railroad between Gary, Indiana, and Chicago by ten minutes.http://www.post-trib.com/news/1026442,SSHISTORY629.article South Shore Railroad history June 29, 2008 Chicago Post-Tribune June 30, 2008September 2016 medicmedic October events October General Motors Electro-Motive Division introduces the EMD FL9. Harry W. Von Willer succeeds Paul W. Johnston as president of the Erie Railroad.http://erierr.railfan.net/eriepres.html Erie Railroad presidents March 15, 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20050318171642/http://erierr.railfan.net/eriepres.html March 18, 2005 dead October 18 – Head-on collision between two Atlantic Coast Line Railroad freight trains at Pineola, Florida in Citrus County kills five crewmen.File:WST Great Train Wreck of 1956(Pineola, Florida) – Wikimedia Commons image October 30 – Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton ships its last common carrier sized diesel locomotive from Eddystone, Pennsylvania: Erie Mining S12 #403. The locomotive had been built in 1955. October 31 – The last surface streetcars operate in Brooklyn, New York. November events November – British Railways agrees specification and plan for national installation of the Automatic Warning System (its version of Automatic Train Control).Hall, Stanley 2000 The History and Development of Railway Signalling in the British Isles, vol. 1: Broad Survey Friends of the National Railway Museum York 978-1-872826-12-7Simmons, Jack Biddle, Gordon 1997 The Oxford Companion to British Railway History Oxford University Press 978-0-19-211697-0Vanns, Michael A. 1997 An Illustrated History of Signalling Ian Allan Shepperton 978-0-7110-2551-6 November 8 – Paris Métro introduces pneumatic tires on some trains. Bindi, A. Lefeuvre, D. Le Métro de Paris: histoire d'hier à demain Rennes Ouest-France 1990 978-2-7373-0204-6 December events December 30 – Last day of operation on Liverpool Overhead Railway (England).http://www.timbosliverpool.co.uk/lor Timbo's Liverpool Liverpool Overhead Railway August 1, 2007 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20020802225216/http://www.timbosliverpool.co.uk/lor/ August 2, 2002 mdy-all Unknown date events Last steam locomotive built for Soviet Railways, express passenger class P36 4-8-4 No. 251, from Kolomna Locomotive Works. First China Railways QJ 2-10-2 built: the class will eventually exceed 4,000 in number.http://www.railography.co.uk/info/cn_steam/profiles/qj.htm QJ Class 2-10-2 Railography: Chinese Steam Profiles 2010 June 6, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20090721035254/http://www.railography.co.uk/info/cn_steam/profiles/qj.htm July 21, 2009 live mdy Richard Balkwill Marshall, John John Marshall (railway historian) The Guinness Book of Railway Facts and Feats 6th Enfield Guinness Publishing 1993 978-0-85112-707-1 Benjamin W. Heineman becomes president of the Chicago and North Western Railway. The Pullman-Standard "Sun Lounges" debut on the Seaboard Air Line Railroad Silver Meteor.The Cars of Pullman Welsh Joe Bill Howes Kevin J. Holland 2010 Voyageur Press 978-0760335871 401715735 https://books.google.com/books?id=GhEwO0dn__AC 159 The Pullman-Standard "Placid series" sleeping cars enter service with the Union Pacific Railroad.120-121 Accidents uncollapsed References Chicago and Northwestern Historical Society, Chicago & North Western – A Capsule History https://web.archive.org/web/20160522052119/http://www.cnwhs.org/ch_cnw.htm May 22, 2016 . Retrieved March 15, 2005. Rivanna Chapter, National Railway Historical Society (2005), This month in railroad history – October. Retrieved October 31, 2005.