1897 in rail transport

Events

March events

* March 24 - Construction begins on the Sierra Railway of California, now known as the Sierra Railroad, between Oakdale and Jamestown, California. [California State Railroad Museum Foundation (2001), " [http://www.csrmf.org/railtown/doc.asp?id=311 A brief history of the Sierra Railway and Railroad] ". Retrieved March 24 2006.]

May events

* May 4 - The Rio Grande Junction Railway sells the Colorado Midland out of bankruptcy to private investors.

July events

* July - "The Railway Magazine" is first published, in London.
* July 1 - The Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railroad is reorganized as the Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway Company (later to become the Monon Railroad).
* July 12 - The Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway, a predecessor of the St. Louis - San Francisco Railway, is incorporated in the Oklahoma Territory. [cite web|author=Good, Mike|date=May 9 1999|url=http://tacnet.missouri.org/~mgood/clintonrr/ch_slsf.html|title=Corporate History: St. Louis - San Francisco Railway Company|accessdate=2005-07-10]
* July 22 - At the railroad's first stockholder meeting, the Toledo and Milwaukee Railroad. a predecessor of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, officially changes its name to Detroit, Toledo and Milwaukee Railroad. [cite web|author=New York Central Railroad|date=1913|url=http://www.s363.com/dkny/lsms.html|title=History of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway Company|accessdate=2005-07-18]

August events

* August 17 - W. B. Purvis is awarded a patent for an electric railroad switch.cite web|author=Ali-Dinar, Ali B., Ph.D. (ed.)|url=http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/K-12/Today_B_History.html|title=Today in Black History|accessdate=2005-08-16]
* August 23 - Groundbreaking ceremonies are held for the construction of the Ottawa and New York Railway. [cite web| url=http://www.railways.incanada.net/candate/ottawa.htm| title=Significant dates in Ottawa railway history|work=Colin Churcher's Railway Pages|date=2006-07-30|accessdate=2006-08-23]
* August 28 - Construction begins on the Chinese Eastern and South Manchurian lines of the Trans-Siberian Railway. [cite web|author=Trans-Siberian Web Encyclopedia|date=2004|url=http://www.transsib.ru/Eng/history-phases.htm|title=Stages of Great Siberian Way construction|accessdate=2005-08-28]
* August 31 - Charles Sanger Mellen succeeds Edwin Winter as president of Northern Pacific Railway. [cite book|author=Busbey, T. Addison (ed.)|title=The Biographical Directory of the Railway Officials of America, Edition of 1906|location=Chicago, Illinois|publisher=Railway Age|year=1906|pages=p. 666]

September events

* September 1 - The Tremont Street Subway tunnel in Boston, the oldest subway tunnel in North America, opens.

October events

* October 3 - The world famous Union Loop Elevated (2.0 miles/3.2 km) in downtown Chicago is opened for traffic. Lake Street Elevated trains are routed around the circuit initially, Metropolitan West Side Elevated trains began using the Loop on October 11, and South Side Elevated trains began using the Loop on October 18. [cite web|author=Chicago "L".org|url=http://www.chicago-l.org/history/chron_metro.html|title=Metropolitan West Side Elevated|accessdate=2005-10-11]

November events

* November 2 - The Highland Railway's Kyle of Lochalsh Line is completed throughout to the west coast of Scotland. [cite book|author=Vallance, H. A.|title=The Highland Railway|date=1963|publisher=David & Charles|location=Dawlish]
* November 23 - Andrew J. Beard invents the "jerry coupler".

December events

* December 27 - The first train is operated on the Randsburg Railway between Kramer and Johannesburg, California. [http://www.randsburg-railway.com/history.htm Randsburg Railway - History] . Retrieved December 27 2005.]

Unknown date events

* E. H. Harriman becomes a director of the Union Pacific Railroad.
* Several smaller railroads in South Carolina are merged to form the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company of South Carolina, a predecessor of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad.
* The Ottawa, Arnprior & Parry Sound Railway begins full service between Ottawa, Ontario and Parry Sound, Ontario.

Births

February births

* February 14 - Robert R. Young, chairman of Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and New York Central (d. 1958).

November births

* November 16 - Harold W. Burtness, president of Chicago Great Western Railway 1946-1948, is born (d. 1978).

Unknown date births

* Wayne A. Johnston, president of Illinois Central Railroad 1945-1966 (d. 1967). [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Archives, " [http://web.library.uiuc.edu/ahx/uaccard/UAControlCard.asp?RG=1&SG=20&RS=3 Wayne A. Johnston Papers, 1945-1967] ". Retrieved February 9 2006.]

Deaths

May deaths

* May 20 - John Ramsbottom, superintendent of the Manchester and Birmingham Railway (b. 1814).

October deaths

* October 19 - George Pullman, American inventor and industrialist, founder of the Pullman Company (b. 1831).

December deaths

* December 1 - William Dudley Chipley, president of Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 1873-1876 (b. 1840).

Unknown date deaths

* Aretas Blood, second superintendent of American steam locomotive builder Manchester Locomotive Works (b. 1816).

References

* Rivanna Chapter National Railway Historical Society (2005), " [http://avenue.org/nrhs/histaug.htm This Month in Railroad History: August] ". Retrieved August 16 2005.