1863 in rail transport

Events

January events

* January 8 - Ground is broken by the Central Pacific Railroad in Sacramento, California, on the western half of the First Transcontinental Railroad in North America. [cite book|author=Ambrose, Stephen E.|title=Nothing Like It in the World|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=2000|location=New York, NY|pages=p 106|id=ISBN 0-7432-0317-8] [cite journal|journal=Sierra Foothill Magazine| url=http://www.sierrafoothillmagazine.com/train.html|title=California Choo-Choos| ccessdate=2005-12-02]
* January 10 - The Metropolitan Railway, first section of the London Underground, opens from Paddington to Farringdon Street. [cite news |last=Left|first=Sarah|title=Key dates in Britain's railway history|work=The Guardian Unlimited|date=2002-01-15|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/transport/Story/0,2763,633951,00.html]

February events

* February 20 - The Pneumatic Despatch Company inaugurates its pneumatic tube atmospheric railway for parcels between Euston station and the G.P.O. North Western District sorting office in London, England (mi to km|0.75|abbr=yes of 2 ft (60 cm) gauge). [cite book|last=Hadfield|first=Charles|title=Atmospheric Railways|date=1967|publisher=David & Charles|location=Newton Abbot|isbn=0-7153-4107-3]

March events

* March 16 - Berlin-Stettiner Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft in Germany opens its Szczecin–Pasewalk and Anklam–Pasewalk–Prenzlau–Angermünde lines.

May events

* May 3 - The Atchison and Topeka Railroad officially changes names to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad to more closely match the railroad's goal of reaching Santa Fe, New Mexico, by rail. [Baker Library Historical Collections, " [http://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/sfa/atchison,_topeka.htm Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Records, 1879-1896] ". Retrieved May 10 2005.]

eptember events

* September - The Kansas Pacific Railway begins construction in Kansas, building westward from Kansas City toward Colorado.

October events

*October 5 - The Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Rail Road starts operations in Brooklyn, New York; this is now the oldest right-of-way on the New York City Subway, the largest rapid transit system in the United States and one of the largest in the world.
* October 23 - Festiniog Railway in North Wales introduces steam locomotives into general service, the first time this has been done anywhere in the world on a public railway of such a narrow gauge (2 ft (60 cm)). [cite book|author=Ransom, P. J. G.|title=Narrow Gauge Steam: its origins and world-wide development|date=1996|publisher=Oxford Publishing Co|location=Sparkford|isbn=0-86093-533-7]
* October 26 - The first rails are laid for construction of the Central Pacific Railroad in California. [cite web|url=http://www.cprr.org/Museum/Encyclopedia.html|title=Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History|author=Robertson, Donald B.|coauthors=Cornell, Wayne; ed.|date=1998|accessdate=2006-10-26]

November events

* November 9 - "Gov. Stanford", Central Pacific Railroad's first locomotive, enters service in California. [cite book| author=Diebert, Timothy S. and Strapac, Joseph A.| title=Southern Pacific Company Steam Locomotive Conpendium| publisher=Shade Tree Books| year=1987| id=ISBN 0-930742-12-5]

December events

* December 1 - Opening of first steam-operated passenger railway in New Zealand, at Christchurch in South Island (5ft 3in (1600 mm) gauge). [cite book|last=Marshall|first=John|title=The Guinness Railway Book|year=1989|publisher=Guinness|location=Enfield|isbn=0-85112-359-7]
* December 2 - Union Pacific Railroad holds groundbreaking ceremonies in the construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad at Omaha, Nebraska, but the first rails aren't laid for another year.

Unknown date events

* Henry Farnam retires from the presidency of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad.
* Jackson and Sharp Company, later to become part of American Car and Foundry, is founded in Wilmington, Delaware.

Births

Deaths

November deaths

* November 2 - Theodore Judah, American engineer who argued the case for construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad (b. 1826).

References