March 29 in rail transport

Events

19th century

* 1839 – Railway Express Agency is founded as the American Railway Express Agency. [cite web| author=Rivanna Chapter National Railway Historical Society| url=http://avenue.org/nrhs/histmar.htm| title=This month in railroad history: March| accessdate=March 28| accessyear=2006| ]
* 1869 – Central Pacific Railroad's Truckee, California, roundhouse is destroyed by fire; crews and bystanders are able to get eleven of the twelve locomotives out of the roundhouse and to safety before the roof collapses. [cite journal| url=http://www.sierrasun.com/article/20050408/LIFE/50407003| title=Battling blazes on the Central Pacific Railroad| author=Richards, Gordon| journal=Sierra Sun| date=April 8 2005| URL accessed on March 28 2006.]

20th century

* 1946 – The north end of Ottawa's Interprovincial Bridge is destroyed by fire, severing Château Laurier from Hull Electric Railway passenger service. [cite web| url=http://www.railways.incanada.net/candate/ottawa.htm| work=Colin Churcher's Railway Pages| title=Significant dates in Ottawa railway history| accessdate=March 28| accessyear=2006| ]

21st century

* 2005 – BNSF Railway announces that it will add a fuel surcharge based on mileage to all shipments made as of January 1 2006, making BNSF the first railway to do so.

Births

Deaths

* 1878 – Mark Hopkins, a member of The Big Four group of financiers in California, dies (b. 1813).
* 1903 – Gustavus Franklin Swift, founder of Swift and Company which pioneered the use of refrigerator cars in late 19th century America, dies (b. 1839)

References