1954 in rail transport

Years in rail transport

1953 in rail transport 1954 in rail transport 1955 in rail transport

This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in 1954.

Events

January

• January 3 – The last steam locomotive powered passenger train departs Washington Union Station; Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad engine number 622 Carter Braxton pulls the train, leaving at approximately 1:40 PM bound for Richmond, Virginia.
• January 8 – Southern Pacific Railroad's Sunset Limited becomes the first train to use the new New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal.

Part of the opening ceremony for the Marunouchi Line at Ikebukuro Station.

• January 20 – The Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, the second line in the system and the first built after World War II, is opened between Ikebukuro and Ochanomizu stations.
• January 24 – Cleveland, Ohio, streetcars make their last revenue run.
• January – General Motors Electro-Motive Division introduces the EMD F9.

February

• February 21 – An SNCF electric train hits 151 mph (243 km/h) in tests, setting a world’s record.
• February – General Motors Electro-Motive Division introduces the EMD FP9.

March

• March 30 – The first segment of the Toronto Subway begins operation.^[1][2]

April

• April 20 – The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad ("Milwaukee Road") opens a new station in Tacoma, Washington.
• April 30 – Last day of steam locomotive operations and passenger train service on the Clinchfield Railroad.

May

• May – General Motors Electro-Motive Division introduces the EMD E9.

June

• June 6 – The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway introduces the San Francisco Chief passenger train between Chicago and San Francisco.
• June 13 – Last day of steam locomotive operation on the Maine Central Railroad.^[3]
• June 14 – New York Central management loses a proxy fight for control of the railroad to Robert Ralph Young and his Alleghany Corporation.

July

• July 2 – SNCF electrifies first section of Valenciennes–Thionville line, the first non-experimental 25 kV AC railway electrification.
• July 4 – Budd delivers the first Château series car, Château Bienville, to Canadian Pacific Railway in Montreal.

August

• August 7 – The last streetcars operate on the Altoona and Logan Valley Electric Railway in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

October

• October 16 – The Southern Pacific dieselizes its 3 foot (914 mm) gauge Keeler branch.
• October 20 – To commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Horseshoe Curve, the Sylvania Electric Products Corporation sponsors a night photograph of the Curve using more than 6500 flashbulbs.

November

• November 29 – The first dome cars built by Budd Company enter revenue service on Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway's North Coast Limited.

December

• December – Louisville and Nashville Railroad and Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway open the new Radnor Yard in Nashville, Tennessee.
• December – Pullman-Standard builds the first bilevel commuter coaches for the Southern Pacific Railroad to use in the south San Francisco Bay Area.

Unknown date

• Circular Koltsevaya Line of the Moscow Metro completed.
• General Motors Electro-Motive Division introduces the EMD GP9.
• General Electric delivers the first diesel-electric locomotives built for the narrow gauge White Pass and Yukon Route.^[4]
• American Car and Foundry officially changes its name to ACF Industries, Inc.
• New Zealand Railways Department introduces DF class (built by English Electric) into service, the country's first mainline diesel-electric locomotives.^[5]
• Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway divests itself of the Grand Canyon Hotel and other buildings at the north end of the Grand Canyon Railway.
• Dutch National Railway Museum moves to the former Maliebaan station.

Deaths

January deaths

• January 5 – Death Valley Scotty (born Walter Edward Scott; pictured), con man who chartered the Scott Special record-breaking run on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1905, dies (born 1872).

December deaths

• December 15 – Ernest Lemon, Chief Mechanical Engineer (1931–1932) and later Vice President of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (born 1884).

References

• Bianchi, Curt (May 1995), "By steam to the Grand Canyon", Trains Magazine, p. 38–45.
• Horseshoe Curve Chapter, National Railway Historical Society, "Under the Wire", The Altoona and Logan Valley Electric Railway: 1891–1954. Retrieved August 7, 2005.
• Rivanna Chapter, National Railway Historical Society (2005), This month in railroad history – November. Retrieved November 28, 2005.

1. "Significant dates in Canadian railway history". Colin Churcher's Railway Pages. 2006-03-17. Retrieved 2006-03-29.
2. City of Toronto (2006). "Toronto Transit Commission – History". Retrieved 2006-03-29.
3. Johnson, Ron (1985). The Best of Maine Railroads. Portland Litho. p. 112.
4. Martin, Cy (1974). Gold Rush Narrow Gauge (2nd ed.). Corona del Mar, California: Trans-Anglo Books. p. 64. ISBN 0-87046-026-9.
5. "DF 1501". Diesel Traction Group Inc. Retrieved 2010-01-15.