- 1981 in rail transport
Events
February events
* February -
Amtrak debuts the "Desert Wind "passenger train betweenLos Angeles, California , andOgden, Utah .
*February 21 - MBTA discontinuespassenger train service toRhode Island .May events
* May - General Motors Electro-Motive Division introduces the
EMD SD50 .
*May 29 -Karasuma Line open, for first time ofKyoto Municipal Subway , Kyoto, Japan.July events
*
July 17 - The Manchester–Sheffield–WathWoodhead Line , carrying electric-hauled freight traffic through thePennines inEngland , is closed and allBritish Rail Class 76 locomotives used on it are stored at Guide Bridge and Reddish before being scrapped.
*July 26 -Fukuoka Airport Line (Kuko Line ) open, for first time ofFukuoka City Subway ,Kyūshū ,Japan .eptember events
*
September 1 -Illinois Terminal Railroad is purchased byNorfolk and Western Railroad .
*September 15 - the "John Bull" becomes the oldest operablesteam locomotive in the world when it is run under its own power by theSmithsonian Institution .December events
*
December 3 - The first of the 2600-Seriesrapid transit cars (2601-3200), built by theBudd Company ofPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania , are placed in service on theChicago 'L' system. After this order was completed in1987 , Budd (later TransitAmerica) retired from railroad manufacturing.Unknown date events
*
Burlington Northern Railroad corporate headquarters are moved fromSt. Paul, Minnesota , toSeattle, Washington .
*Union Pacific 3985 is restored to operating condition, making it the largest operablesteam locomotive in the world.
*William Stinson succeedsFred Burbidge as president ofCanadian Pacific Railway .
*VIA Rail Canada suspends operation of the "Super Continental "passenger train .
* TheNew York City Subway discontinues use of itsR8A revenue car.Births
Deaths
References
* (February
2005 ) Trains Timeline, "Trains Magazine", p. 9
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