1954 in rail transport

Events

January events

* 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.
* January 24 - Cleveland, Ohio, streetcars make their last revenue run.
* January - General Motors Electro-Motive Division introduces the EMD F9.

February events

* 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 events

* March 30 - The first segment of the Toronto Subway begins operation. [

cite web
url=http://www.railways.incanada.net/candate/candate.htm
work=Colin Churcher's Railway Pages
date=17 March 2006
title=Significant dates in Canadian railway history
accessmonthday=29 March
accessyear=2006

] [

cite web
author=City of Toronto
url=http://www.toronto.ca/ttc/history.htm
title=Toronto Transit Commission - History
year=2006
accessmonthday=29 March
accessyear=2006

]

April events

* April 30 - Last day of steam locomotive operations and passenger train service on the Clinchfield Railroad.

May events

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

June events

* June 13 - Last day of steam locomotive operation on the Maine Central Railroad.
* June 14 - New York Central management loses a proxy fight for control of the railroad to Robert Ralph Young and his Alleghany Corporation.

August events

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

October events

* 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 events

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

December events

* December - Louisville and Nashville Railroad and Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railroad 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 events

* General Motors Electro-Motive Division introduces the EMD GP9.
* American Car and Foundry officially changes its name to ACF Industries, Inc.
* 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.

Births

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 (b. 1872).

December deaths

* December 15 - Ernest Lemon, Chief Mechanical Engineer (1931–1932) and later Vice President of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (b. 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", " [http://www.trainweb.org/horseshoecurve-nrhs/History-1.htm The Altoona and Logan Valley Electric Railway: 1891-1954] ". Retrieved August 7 2005.
* Rivanna Chapter, National Railway Historical Society (2005), " [http://avenue.org/nrhs/histnov.htm This month in railroad history - November] ". Retrieved November 28 2005.