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
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
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
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
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…
Happening
June 17, 1831
Best Friend Boiler Explosion
On June 17, 1831, the locomotive Best Friend became the first locomotive in the United States known to suffer a boiler explosion.
Happening
May 22, 1830
Baltimore & Ohio Begins Scheduled Passenger Service
On May 22, 1830, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad inaugurated regularly scheduled passenger service over its first 13 miles of track between Baltimore and Ellicott’s…
Happening
July 26, 1803
Surrey Iron Railway Opens to Croydon
On July 26, 1803, the Surrey Iron Railway opened its first 8¼-mile section between Wandsworth and Croydon, passing through Mitcham, with a branch from Mitcham…