1961 in rail transport explained

Events

January events

• January – The American Car and Foundry Company delivers the last passenger car it will build, an R28 (New York City Subway car).^{[1] [2]}
• January 4 – Lokomotivbau Elektrotechnische Werke delivers the first electric locomotives built in the German Democratic Republic to Deutsche Reichsbahn.
• January 16 – Eastern Region of British Railways takes delivery of D9001, the first production "Deltic" class diesel locomotive.

February events

• February 4 – Lehigh Valley Railroad discontinues its Black Diamond passenger train service.
• February 6 – The first automatic level crossing on British Railways is installed at Spath, Staffordshire.

March events

• March 27 – Black demonstrators stage a "ride-in" on Charleston, South Carolina, streetcars.
• March 28 – Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line opens between Minami-senju and Naka-okachimachi.^[3] The first railway line in the world without any lineside signals.

April events

• April – D5151, the first Sulzer Type 2 diesel locomotive, later British Rail Class 25, is completed at B.R. Darlington Works.
• April 9  - The Long Beach Line, the last operating service of the former Pacific Electric Railway, is replaced by buses.^[4]
• April 25  - Osaka Loop Line, circular line system start operation in Japan.

May events

• May 24 – The Milwaukee Road's Olympian Hiawatha passenger train makes its final run between Chicago, Illinois, and Seattle, Washington.
• May 28 – The Orient Express makes its last run between Paris, France, and Bucharest, Romania.

June events

• June – The last of the Bradshaw railway timetables, first published by George Bradshaw in 1839, is published in Britain.
• June 1 – Dr Richard Beeching takes office as chairman of the British Transport Commission and British Railways Board.
• June 17 – A Paris–Strasbourg train derails near Vitry-le-François; 24 are killed, 109 injured.

August events

• August 31 – Portland, Maine's Union Station is demolished to make room for a shopping plaza.^[5]

September events

• September 23 – Maritime, Coal Railway and Power Company, in Nova Scotia, ceases operations.^[6]
• September 30 – Southern Pacific Railroad closes the Centerville (SP station).

October events

• October 18 – General Motors Electro-Motive Division completes construction of the first GP30 diesel locomotive.
• October 26 – Two cars of a commuter train operated by Oita Traffic Company are involved in a mudslide during a massive rainstorm at Ōita, eastern Kyūshū, Japan, 31 killed, 36 injured. Most of the passengers are senior high school students.
• October 28 – Bangor and Aroostook Railroad ends passenger service.^[5]
• October – Work starts on demolition of Euston Arch in London.^[7]

November events

• November 20 – Union Pacific 844 makes its first excursion run following retirement from regular revenue service on the Union Pacific Railroad.

Unknown date events

• Atlantic Coast Line's headquarters are moved from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Jacksonville, Florida.
• Construction is completed on Mexico's Chihuahua al Pacífico which linked the city of Chihuahua, Chihuahua, to the town of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, near the Pacific coast.
• Nationalization of rail transport in Paraguay.
• The first eight DC powered VL10 (i.e. Vladimir Lenin class) freight locomotives built at Tbilisi.
• The introduction in Sweden of the first SJ T43 locomotives opens the way for the phasing out of steam power on Swedish railways.
• The world's last Mallet locomotive is built in Japan, BB84 for the Indonesian State Railway Corporation's gauge Atjeh Tramway on Sumatra.^[8]

References

• Rivanna Chapter, National Railway Historical Society (2005), This Month in Railroad History: October. Retrieved October 18, 2005.
• Rivanna Chapter, National Railway Historical Society (2005), This month in railroad history – November. Retrieved November 20, 2005.

Notes and References

1. Web site: IRT SMEE delivery dates. R36 Preservation, Inc.. 2020-03-28.
2. Web site: R26/R28/R29. NYCSubway.org. 2005. 2007-12-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20071202191504/http://www.nycsubway.org/cars/r262829.html. 2007-12-02. live.
3. Web site: History . https://web.archive.org/web/20230605063443/https://www.tokyometro.jp/lang_en/corporate/profile/history/index.html . 2023-06-05 . 2024-07-13 . tokyometro.jp.
4. News: Blue Line At 20: Looking Back At Early Service Between Los Angeles And Long Beach (1902-1961) . 11 October 2020 . LACMTA . July 8, 2010.
5. Book: The Best of Maine Railroads . Johnson, Ron . Portland Litho . 1985 . 112.
6. Web site: Smith, Ivan. March 29, 2005. History of Railway Companies in Nova Scotia. September 23, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050912094008/http://www.littletechshoppe.com/ns1625/railways.html. September 12, 2005. dead. mdy-all.
7. Book: Hillier, Bevis. Betjeman: the bonus of laughter. John Murray. London. 2004. 0-7195-6495-6.
8. Book: Joy, David. Engines that Bend: narrow gauge articulated locomotives. Southend. Atlantic Publishers. 2012. 978-1-902827-23-0. 52.