1939 In Rail Transport

EVENTS

January events

January - General Motors Electro-Motive Division introduces the EMD SW1 .

February events

February - General Motors Electro-Motive Division introduces the EMD NW2 .

March events

March - General Motors Electro-Motive Division introduces the EMD E3 .

April events

April 27 - Cecil B. DeMille ’s Movie “Union Pacific”, the story of the building of the transcontinental railroad, premieres in Union Pacific 's home town of Omaha, Nebraska . During production of the movie, the studio used so many trains a railroad operating permit was required from the Interstate Commerce Commission . After the premiere, a 15-car train of period equipment will tour the country promoting the movie.

April 30 - The first Passenger Train to be equipped with Fluorescent lighting throughout, the "General Pershing" of the Chicago Burlington & Quincy , is placed in scheduled service between St. Louis and Kansas City .

May events

May - Union Pacific , Southern Pacific and Santa Fe Passenger Train s in Los Angeles, California , are united into a single terminal as Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal is opened.

May 23 - Harvey C. Couch succeeds Charles E. Johnston as president of Kansas City Southern Railway .

June events

June 1 - Mount McKinley Hotel opens, bringing tourists via the Alaska Railroad to the Denali area.

June - Union Pacific Railroad retires the M-10001 Streamliner trainset from '' City Of Portland '' service, replacing it with the M-10002 trainset from the '' City Of Los Angeles '' service.

July events

July 16 - The world's first diesel-powered rack locomotive enters service on the Manitou And Pike's Peak Railway .

August events

August 11 - C. P. Couch succeeds his brother Harvey C. Couch as president of Kansas City Southern Railway .

October events

October - Charles E. Denny steps down from the presidency of the Erie Railroad .

November events

November 25 - General Motors Electro-Motive Division 's EMD FT 103, “The Diesel That Did It” according to David P. Morgan, begins an 83,764 mile barnstorming tour.

November - General Motors Electro-Motive Division introduces the EMD E6 .

November - General Motors Electro-Motive Division introduces the EMD NW3 .

December events

December 1 - The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad inaugurates the '' Champion '' Passenger Train between New York, New York , and Miami, Florida .

to Cologne . 278 killed, 453 injured. Represents one of the largest train accidents in Germany.

December 29 - The '' Pioneer Zephyr '' Streamliner trainset crosses the one million Mile (1.6 million Km ) mark in revenue service near Council Bluffs, Iowa .

Unknown date events

Hale Holden steps down as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Southern Pacific Company, the parent company of the Southern Pacific Railroad . After Holden's departure, the position is nonexistent until 1964

Union Pacific Railroad 's M-10003-6 Streamliner power cars are upgraded from two-car, 2,400 hp sets to three three-car, 3,600 hp sets.

The '' General Pershing Zephyr '' debuts on the Chicago, Burlington And Quincy Railroad between Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri .

American Car And Foundry 's Berwick, Pennsylvania , plant switches to construction of military tanks.

BIRTHS

August births

August 2 - John W. Snow , Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CSX Transportation , then United States Secretary Of The Treasury .

Unknown date births

Philip Anschutz , Colorado financier who orchestrated the purchase of the Southern Pacific Railroad by the Denver And Rio Grande Western Railroad .

Paul Tellier , president of Canadian National Railway 1992-2002, is born.

DEATHS

Unknown date deaths

Carl R. Gray , President of Union Pacific Railroad 1920–1937 (b. 1867)

REFERENCES

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (''.

'' Erie Railroad presidents ''. Retrieved March 15 2005 .

Kansas City Southern Historical Society, '' The Kansas City Southern Lines ''. Retrieved August 15 2005 .

Rivanna Chapter, National Railway Historical Society ( 2005 .

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Information About

1939 In Rail Transport