1908 in rail transport

Events

February events

* February 25 - The Hudson and Manhattan Railroad starts revenue service between Hoboken, New Jersey and 19th Street, Manhattan. [cite book|author=Cudahy, Brian J.|date=2002|title=Rails Under the Mighty Hudson|publisher=Fordham University Press|location=New York|isbn=0-8232-2189-X]

March events

* March 25 - The Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railroad extends passenger service from its existing Washington-Annapolis route to Baltimore, Maryland. [cite web|author=Washington D.C. Chapter National Railway Historical Society|url=http://www.dcnrhs.org/dc_rail_history.htm|title=Washington, D.C. Railroad History|accessdate=2006-03-24]
* March 30 - Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway purchases the Columbia Railway and Navigation Company. [cite web|author=Rivanna Chapter National Railway Historical Society|url=http://avenue.org/nrhs/histmar.htm|title=This month in railroad history: March| accessmonthday=29 March|accessyear=2006]

April events

* April 20 - A rear-end collision in Melbourne, Australia, called the Sunshine train disaster, kills 44 and injures around 400.

May events

* May 17 - Trains operating through the St. Clair Tunnel under the St. Clair River between Sarnia, Ontario, and Port Huron, Michigan, begin using electric locomotives instead of steam locomotives.cite web| url=http://www.railways.incanada.net/candate/candate.htm|title=Significant dates in Canadian railway history|work=Colin Churcher's Railway Pages|year=2006-03-17|accessdate=2006-05-17]

June events

* June 23 The Denver & Interurban begins operations using some electrified lines of the Union Pacific, Denver & Gulf. The UPD&G and the D&I are both owned by the Colorado and Southern Railway. [cite book|author=Jones, William C.|coauthors=Holley, Noel T.|title=The Kite Route: story of the Denver & Interurban Railroad|date=1986|publisher=Pruett|location=Boulder, Co.|isbn=0871087219]
* June 30 Last day steam trains can operate south of the Harlem River in New York City.

July events

* July 1 - Public inauguration of Midland Railway Lancaster–Morecambe–Heysham electrification system (6.6 kV A.C. at 25 Hz), the first overhead wire scheme on a passenger railway in England.
* July 8 - Construction begins on the Belt Line Railway of Toronto in Hull, Ontario. [cite web|url=http://www.railways.incanada.net/candate/street.htm|title=Significant dates in Ottawa/Hull street and light railway history|accessdate=2005-07-07]
* July 10 - Thamshavnbanen in Norway opened. This is the first electrified railway in the country. [cite book |author=Norsk Jernbaneklubb |title=Banedata '94 |isbn=8290286155 |date=1994 |language=Norwegian]
* July 14 - Shinpei Goto steps down as president of the South Manchuria Railway.

eptember events

* September 1 - Hejaz Railway opened from Damascus, Syria to Medina, Saudi Arabia on the Arabian Peninsula. [cite book|title=Hedjaz Railway|author=Tourret, R.|publisher=Tourret Publishing|location=Abingdon|date=1989|isbn=0-905878-05-1]

November events

* November 1 - The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway introduces the "Southern Belle" passenger train between London and Brighton. [cite journal|author=Hill, Keith|month=February|year=2005|title=Brighton's Belle Époque|journal=BackTrack|volume=19|issue=2|pages=p 70–79] [cite book|author=Winkworth, D. W.|title=Southern Titled Trains|date=1988|publisher=David & Charles|location=Newton Abbot|isbn=0-7153-9179-8]
* November - Following experiments, the Great Western Railway of England begins to introduce Automatic Train Control on its main lines. [cite book|author=MacDermot, E. T.|title=History of the Great Western Railway, vol. II, 1863-1921|date=1964|publisher=Ian Allan|location=London]

December events

* December 18 - Great Northern Railway (U.S.) completes construction of the line between Great Falls and Billings, Montana. [cite book|url=http://www.railroads-of-montana.com/lewistown_newspaper_index_greatnorthernrailway.htm|title=Railroads of Montana - Lewiston newspaper index - Great Northern Railway|accessdate=2005-12-18]
* December 19 - Korekimi Nakamura begins his term as the second president of South Manchuria Railway.

Unknown date events

* The Soo Line acquires a majority interest in the Wisconsin Central Railway.

Births

Unknown date births

* John Francis Nash, vice president of operations for New York Central and president of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad and Lehigh Valley Railroad (d. 2004).

Deaths

January deaths

* January 14 - Matthias N. Forney, American steam locomotive manufacturer (b. 1835). [cite web|url=http://www.steamindex.com/people/engrs.htm|title=Brief biographies of mechanical engineers|accessdate=2004-02-09] [White - History of the American locomotive]

June deaths

* June 3 - Robert Gillespie Reid, builder of many Canadian railway bridges as well as the Newfoundland Railway (d. 1842).

References