Railroad Happenings
Happening
Dec. 13, 1979
Metuchen Station Reopens Following Major Renovation
After 15 months of planning, discussion and construction, officials dedicated the renovated Metuchen railroad station.
Happening
June 22, 1977
1977 Metuchen Derailment
On Wednesday, June 22, 1977, a Conrail freight train derailed in Metuchen, New Jersey, blocking all four main tracks of the Northeast Corridor.
Happening
Aug. 31, 1968
End of the Line for the Tennessee Central
The last Tennessee Central trains operate.
Happening
July 31, 1955
Tennessee Central Passenger Service Ends
The Tennessee Central ended its passenger service when the final run of train No. 2 departed Nashville at 8 a.m.
Happening
Nov. 15, 1950
1950 Cumberland River Bridge Malfunction
Rail traffic on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad was halted for approximately three hours when the motor used to operate the swing span of the…
Happening
June 5, 1948
Tennessee Central Clarksville Freight Depot Gutted by Fire
Fire gutted the Tennessee Central freight depot constructed in 1907 on the banks of the Cumberland River.
Happening
10:50 a.m., June 13, 1947
1947 Cumberland River Bridge Wreck
Louisville & Nashville engine No. 1208 and two freight cars plunged from the partially opened draw span of Clarksville's Cumberland River bridge after a switching…
Happening
Nov. 1946
The Atlanta Northern Railway is Sold
Suburban Coach Company, which was controlled by J.C. Steinmetz, owned various bus lines in the Atlanta area, purchased the railroad from Georgia Power for $52,000.
Happening
Jan. 2, 1928
Six Killed in Atlanta Northern Railway Jonesville Wreck
Six people were killed when two cars collided in the community of Jonesville between Marietta and Smyrna, Georgia. The motorman of the northbound car was…
Happening
6:00 p.m., Sept. 30, 1906
1906 Cumberland River Drawbridge Disaster
Louisville & Nashville passenger train No. 102 plunged through an open drawbridge into the Cumberland River near Clarksville.
Happening
July 17, 1905
Atlanta Northern Railway Service Begins
Atlanta Northern Railway operations began at 6 a.m. on Monday, July 17, 1905. In Atlanta, cars departed from in front of the Electric and Gas…
Happening
Dec. 1903
Tennessee Central Completed to Hopkinsville, Kentucky
The Tennessee Central completed its line to Hopkinsville, Ky., where the railroad began interchanging freight with the Illinois Central
Happening
April 5, 1903
Jere Baxter Announces Retirement
Colonel Jere Baxter announced his resignation from the Tennessee Central.
Happening
April 1903
Atlanta Interurban Railway Company Organized
The Georgia Railway and Power Company chartered the Atlanta Interurban Railway Company to build an 18-mile-long interurban line between Atlanta and Marietta.
Happening
1871
Louisville & Nashville Purchases the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville
The Louisville & Nashville Railroad purchased the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad.
Happening
Dec. 28, 1870
Georgia Awards First Lease of the Western & Atlantic Railroad
Following legislation authorizing the state to lease its railroad for twenty years, Georgia awarded the first lease of the Western & Atlantic Railroad on Dec.…
Happening
1:00 a.m., July 28, 1869
Budds Creek Disaster
The Louisville-bound No. 2 express train on the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad plunged through the Budds Creek bridge near Palmyra, Tennessee, after the span…
Happening
Sept. 14, 1863
Collision on the Etowah Grade
As Confederate forces moved toward north Georgia ahead of the Battle of Chickamauga, traffic on the Western & Atlantic Railroad increased. On September 14, 1863,…
Happening
July 6, 1862
Collision Near Johnson’s Station
A devastating collision on the Western & Atlantic Railroad near Johnson's Station claimed the lives of railroad workers, soldiers, and others during the Civil War.
Happening
6:00 a.m., April 12, 1862–1:00 a.m., April 12, 1862
Great Locomotive Chase
The Great Locomotive Chase was a Civil War raid carried out on April 12, 1862, when Union volunteers stole the locomotive General in an attempt…
Happening
Aug. 6, 1860
First Train Crosses the Cumberland River Bridge
The locomotive W.B. Munford became the first train to cross the new Cumberland River railroad bridge at Clarksville, Tennessee.
Happening
May 9, 1850
Tunnel Hill Tunnel Opens
The Western & Atlantic Railroad opened its tunnel through Chetoogeta Mountain on May 9, 1850, completing the final major obstacle on Georgia's state-owned rail line…
Happening
Dec. 24, 1842
First Locomotive Operates on the Western & Atlantic
The first locomotive intended for the Western & Atlantic Railroad arrived in Georgia in 1845 after being hauled by wagon approximately 60 miles from Madison.…
Happening
July 25, 1832
The First Railroad Accident
One person was killed and three others injured after a cable snapped on the incline Granite Railway near Quincy, Massachusetts. It is generally regarded as…