Since the chartering of the country's first railroad in 1827, the industry has transformed American society, culture, and the economy.
The nation’s first common carrier-railroad, the Baltimore and Ohio, is chartered by Baltimore merchants to carry goods from the Baltimore Harbor to the Ohio River.
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Some African Americans on the Underground Railroad find freedom by riding trains or by following the tracks North.
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By an Act of Congress, all railroads are designated postal routes. Railroad post offices carry mail across the United States.
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The world’s first telegram is sent by Morse from the Capitol Building in DC to B&O Railroad’s Mt Clare Station in Baltimore, MD.
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Some African Americans on the Underground Railroad find freedom by riding trains or by following the tracks North.
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The first railroad surgeons pioneered the treatment of catastrophic injuries in the field of medicine. In the 1900s, those same doctors establish the field of trauma medicine.
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Refrigerated rail cars carry perishable produce over great distances. Tropical bananas, for example, become common.
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Railroads offer connecting passenger and freight services between the East Coast and the American interior.
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For the first time in world history, warring armies rely on the railroad to carry troops and supplies to the front lines.
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The Black Middle Class expands as emancipated African Americans are hired as Pullman Porters after the Civil War.
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The nation is united by rail with 1,912 miles of continuous track offering the first coast-to-coast service.
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The American Railway Union is the first labor organization for all railroad employees and has a great impact on labor rights.
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The B&O’s Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore, MD, becomes the first electric-powered mainline track in the world.
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For rapid troop and supply movement, railroads are nationalized and controlled by the US Railroad Administration for WWI.
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Following an Act of Congress, Railroad Standard Time is adopted across the US to form the time zones we know today.
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The CNJ No. 1000 is the world’s first commercially available diesel-electric locomotive. The shift away from steam begins.
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The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters is the first African American labor organization to receive a charter from the AFL.
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Over 1 million Americans travel to Halethorpe, MD, for the Fair of the Iron Horse. The 2nd century of American rail begins.
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As male railroaders are called to fight overseas, women fill in as engine scrubbers, track maintenance workers, and more.
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Measuring a whopping 133′ and weighing 1.2 million lbs, the Union Pacific “Big Boy” becomes the largest steam engine in history.
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At a time of dieselization, the N&W No. 244 is the last steam engine produced for a Class 1 railroad in the United States.
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As planes and cars take business away from private railroads, the public Amtrak company takes control of passenger services.
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Since opening in the early 1970s, Norfolk Southern Training Center (NSTC) has been considered the “front door” for people entering the railroad industry.
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Amtrak’s BWI Rail Station services trains, planes, and buses. It is the nation’s first intercity depot to connect all three forms of transportation.
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The government sells its 85% stake in Conrail to private investors. At the time, it is the largest initial public offering (IPO) in American history.
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Amtrak opens the Acela Express passenger train. Reaching top speeds of around 150 mph, it is the first high-speed passenger service in the United States.
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Union Pacific Railway successfully tests Railpower Technologies’ “Green Goat” engine. It is the time a first hybrid locomotive is used in America.
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Congress directs the FRA to improve safety regulations throughout the American railroad. Railroad accidents decline as more funding is given to safety programs.
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The high-speed Brightline train currently runs between Miami and Orlando, FL. With top speeds of around 125 mph, it is one of the fastest trains in the country.
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As CEO of the Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway, Katheryn Farmers sets a new precedent for women in the railroad industry.
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Joe Hinrichs, after decades in the automotive, manufacturing, and energy sectors, becomes President and CEO of CSX Transportation, one of the nation’s largest railroad companies.
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The Canadian Pacific Kansas City railway network spans the United States, Canada, and Mexico to improve trade and commerce between the three nations.
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Make history and celebrate your way!
Post an event… Let the country make the railroads and the railroads will make the country.
– Wilbert Awdry, creator of Thomas the Tank Engine™.
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