1905 in rail transport

This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in 1905.

Events

Victoria Falls Bridge nears completion

January events

• January 30 - The Halifax and South Western Railway opens, connecting Halifax to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.^[1]
• January 31 - New York Central and Hudson River Railway officially takes control of Ottawa and New York Railway.^[2]

March events

• March 21 - Construction begins on the Apalachicola Northern Railroad in Florida.

April events

• April - Ralph Peters becomes president of the Long Island Rail Road
• April 26 - The San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad (which later became part of Union Pacific Railroad) signs an agreement to operate over the California Southern Railroad's track through Cajon Pass via trackage rights.^[3]

June events

• June 11 - The Pennsylvania Railroad inaugurates the fastest freight train schedule in the world, operating between Chicago, Illinois, and New York City in 18 hours.
• June 12 - Pennsylvania Railroad's passenger train Pennsylvania Special (which would later become the Broadway Limited) sets a speed record between Chicago, Illinois, and New York City, travelling at 127.2 mph (204.7 km/h).

July events

• July 1 - The three principal railway companies in Italy are brought together with a number of private operators into the nationalised Ferrovie dello Stato.
• July 8 - Death Valley Scotty pays US$5,500 in cash to Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway general passenger agent J. J. Byrne to charter the Scott Special.^[4][5]
• July 9 - The Scott Special, an Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway passenger train chartered by Death Valley Scotty for US$5,500, departs Los Angeles, California, on its record breaking run to Chicago, Illinois, in just under 45 hours.^[4][5]
• July 11 - The Scott Special arrives at Dearborn Station in Chicago, Illinois, 44 hours and 54 minutes after departing Los Angeles, California.^[4][5]
• July 27 - The Hall Road rail accident near Liverpool in England kills 21 people.

August events

• August 22 - The Portland and Seattle Railway is incorporated.

September events

• September 1 - The Witham rail crash in England kills 11.
• September 9 - Construction begins on the Nevada Northern Railway in Ely, Nevada.^[6]
• September 12 - Opening of the Victoria Falls Bridge across the Zambezi River as part of the projected Cape-Cairo railway.^[7][8]

October events

• October 29 (October 16 Old Style) - Circum-Baikal Railway brought into permanent operation in the Russian Empire, completing through rail communication on the Trans-Siberian Railway.
• October 31 - Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway property purchased by Government of India.^[9]

November events

• November 3 - The Englewood branch of the old South Side Elevated system of the Chicago 'L' opens between 59th Street junction and State Street.

Unknown date events

• Construction begins on the Tidewater Railway in Virginia.
• Indian Railways Board set up.^[9]
• ALCO purchases rival steam locomotive manufacturer Rogers Locomotive Works.
• American Car and Foundry acquires Indianapolis Car and Foundry and Indianapolis Car Company.

Births

January births

• January 21 - O. S. Nock, English railway author and signalling engineer (died 1994).^[10]

Deaths

February deaths

• February 8 - Jay Cooke, American financier who built the Northern Pacific Railway (born 1821).

September deaths

• September 4 - William Dean, Chief Mechanical Engineer of Great Western Railway of England 1877-1902 (born 1840).

Charles Tyson Yerkes

December deaths

• December 14 - Herman Haupt, American railroad civil engineer (born 1817).
• December 29 - Charles Tyson Yerkes, American financier of rapid transit systems in Chicago and London (born 1837).^[11]

References

• 1942 Quiz Book on Railroads and Railroading. Retrieved July 7, 2005.
• Rivanna Chapter, National Railway Historical Society, (2005), This Month in Railroad History - August. Retrieved August 22, 2005.
• Rivanna Chapter, National Railway Historical Society, (2005), This Month in Railroad History - June. Retrieved June 10, 2005

1. ↑ Smith, Ivan (1998), Significant Dates in Nova Scotia's Railway History (1900 - 1949). Retrieved January 30, 2006.
2. ↑ Colin Churcher's Railway Pages, (January 8, 2006), Significant dates in Ottawa railway history. Retrieved January 30, 2006.
3. ↑ Signor, John R. (1988). The Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad Company; Union Pacific's Historic Salt Lake Route. San Marino, California: Golden West Books. p. 37. ISBN 0-87095-101-7. 
4. 1 2 3 . Compiled by Signor, John R.. "Death Valley Scotty's "Coyote" Special". The Warbonnet. 12 (1): 17–29. Jan–Mar 2006.  (The Warbonnet is the official journal of the Santa Fe Railway Historical and Modeling Society)
5. 1 2 3 Waters, Leslie L. (1950). Steel Trails to Santa Fe. Lawrence, Kansas: University of Kansas Press. pp. 389–392. 
6. ↑ "A Nevada Northern Railway History". Archived from the original on 2005-04-24. Retrieved 2005-09-08. 
7. ↑ American Society of Civil Engineers. "Victoria Falls Bridge". Retrieved 2007-08-01. 
8. ↑ "The Victoria Falls Bridge". Geoff's Trains. Retrieved 2007-08-01. 
9. 1 2 Saxena, R. P. (2008). "Indian Railway History Time Line". Retrieved 2009-12-23. 
10. ↑ Vanns, M. A. (May 2006). "Nock, Oswald Stevens (1905-1994)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/55169. Retrieved 2010-01-28. 
11. ↑ "Robber Baron: the life of Charles Tyson Yerkes". Archived from the original on 17 August 2007. Retrieved 12 August 2007.