1976 in rail transport

Events

March events

* March 27 - The first section, 4.6 miles (7.4 km), of the Washington Metro, the elevated, ground, and subway system in Washington, D.C., opens. [cite web| author=Washington DC Chapter National Railway Historical Society| title=Washington, D.C. Railroad History| url=http://www.dcnrhs.org/dc_rail_history.htm| accessmonthday=27 March | accessyear=2006]

April events

* April 1 - Conrail is formed by an act of United States Congress merging the Central Railroad of New Jersey, Erie Lackawanna Railroad, Lehigh and Hudson River Railway, Lehigh Valley Railroad, Penn Central and Reading Company into the new Consolidated Railway Corporation.

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 6 - The 2400-Series rapid transit cars (2401-2600), built by the Boeing-Vertol Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, are placed in service on the Chicago 'L' system.
* 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.
* 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). [cite journal| journal=Railway Age| title=Short and Significant: Santa Fe's Fred Gurley dies at 87| month=July 26| year=1976| pages=p 8| volume=177| issue=13 ]
* July 15 - William C. Coleman, president of Monon Railroad, (b. 1901). [cite journal| journal=Railway Age| title=Obituary| pages=p 43| month=August 9| year=1976| publisher=Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation| volume=177| issue=14 ]

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). [cite web| url=http://www.rosshorwood.com/RailSiteLinksFiles/JohnBarriger.html|title=John W. Barriger; Rail historian and railfan|accessmonthday=22 February|accessyear=2005]

References

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