1976 In Rail Transport

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1976 In

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1976

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1976 In Rail Transport

EVENTS

March events

March 27 - The first section, 4.6 Mile s (7.4 Km ), of the Washington Metro in Washington, D.C. , opens.¹

April events

April 1 - Conrail is formed by an act of Congress that merges the Central Railroad Of New Jersey , Erie Lackawanna Railroad , Lehigh And Hudson River Railway , Lehigh Valley Railroad , Penn Central and Reading Company .

May events

May 4 - An international train collides with a local train near Schiedam , the Netherlands , killing 24 and injuring 11.

June events

June 15 - Amtrak introduces the '' Palmetto ''.

October events

October 31 - Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway issue the first joint VIA Rail Timetable .

December events

December 26 - The second American Freedom Train tour ends in Miami, Florida . See also American Freedom Train - 1975-76 Station Stops .

Unknown date events

Many of the major American railroads paint some of their Diesel Locomotives in red, white and blue paint schemes in celebration of the United States Bicentennial

Former Southern Pacific Railroad GS-4 class 4-8-4 number 4449 is painted in a special red, white and blue paint scheme and tours the United States as the power for the American Freedom Train .

Denman McNear succeeds Benjamin Biaggini as president of the Southern Pacific Company, parent company of the Southern Pacific Railroad .

Benjamin Biaggini assumes the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Southern Pacific Company, a position that has been vacant since Donald Russell 's departure in 1972 .

General Motors Electro-Motive Division introduces the EMD F40PH .

Washington, DC 's elevated, ground, and subway system, the Washington Metro , one of the largest systems in America , opens for service.

Work begins to restore Southern Pacific 4-6-2 number 2472 to operating condition after almost 20 years of static display.

BIRTHS

DEATHS

July deaths

July 4 - Fred Gurley , president of Atchison, Topeka And Santa Fe Railway 1944-1957 (b. 1889 ).²

July 15 - William C. Coleman , president of Monon Railroad , (b. 1901 ).³

October deaths

October 4 - Henry G. Ivatt , Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London, Midland And Scottish Railway (b. 1886 ).

Unknown date deaths

John W. Barriger III , president of the Monon Railroad 1946 – 1953 , Pittsburgh And Lake Erie Railroad 1954 – 1964 , Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad 1965 – 1970 and the Boston And Maine Railroad 1973 – 1974 (b. 1899 ).

REFERENCES

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