1940 in rail transport

This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in 1940.

Events

January events

• January 9 – The Østfold Line in Norway takes electric traction into use between Ås and Dilling.^[1]
• January 14 – Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway discontinues the San Francisco-Los Angeles-Chicago Navajo.
• January 27 – The Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad ceases operations in Massachusetts in preparation for abandonment.

February events

• February – Electro-Motive Corporation introduces the E5.

March events

• March 29 – Southern Pacific Railroad runs its last passenger train to Fremont-Centerville, California.

May events

• May 1 – The Østfold Line in Norway takes electric traction into use between Dilling and Fredrikstad.^[1]
• May 20 – Sixty-six railroads in the United States, in cooperation with the Travelers' Credit Corporation, begin selling railroad tickets, Pullman accommodations and all-expense tours on an installment basis, known as the Travel Credit Plan. Purchases over $50 can be charged.

June events

• June 21 – East Wind begins summer service over the Pennsylvania, New Haven, Boston & Maine and Maine Central railroads between Washington, D.C. and Maine.^[2]
• June 30 – Last day archbar freight trucks can legally operate in U.S. Interchange service (and then only on empty cars returning to their home roads).
• June – Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad takes delivery of the unique EMC AB6 locomotives.

July events

• July 15 – The Østfold Line in Norway takes electric traction into use between Fredrikstad and Sarpsborg.^[1]
• July 17 – The last section of the Baghdad Railway's mainline linking Istanbul and Baghdad is completed between El Yaroubieh and Baiji.^[3]
• July 29 – Rail traffic is suspended in France between French-retained and German-occupied territories.
• July 30 – The Pennsylvania Railroad orders its first 4-4-4-4 T1 duplex-drive steam locomotives. They are expected to be serious competition for diesel power.

August events

• August 1 – Norwegian State Railways runs first through train on the Flåm Line.^[4]

September events

• September 2 – Kansas City Southern Railway inaugurates the Southern Belle passenger train service between Kansas City, Missouri, and New Orleans, Louisiana.^[5]
• September 13 – The Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad is formed by the merger of the Gulf, Mobile and Northern and Mobile and Ohio Railroads.

October events

• October 1 – The Pennsylvania Turnpike opens, constructed using tunnels and grades originally built for the never-completed West Penn Railroad.

November events

• November 4 – Norton Fitzwarren, England: a train driver on the Great Western Railway misreads the signals on a four track line, and drives his train off the end of the track.
• November 11 – The Østfold Line in Norway takes electric traction into use between Sarpsborg and Halden.^[1]
• November 22 – The Newark City Subway in New Jersey opens an extension from Heller Parkway to Grove Street.^[6]

Deaths

October deaths

• October 24 – William Benson Storey, president of Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway 1920-1933 (born 1857).^[7]

Unknown date deaths

• Leonor F. Loree, president of Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 1901-1903, Delaware and Hudson Railway 1907-1938 and Kansas City Southern Railway 1918-1920 (born 1858).

References

• Wayner, Robert J., ed. (1972). Car Names, Numbers and Consists. New York: Wayner Publications. 

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "Railway Statistics 2008" (pdf). Norwegian National Rail Administration. 2009. p. 34. http://www.jernbaneverket.no/no/dokumenter/Om-oss/Jernbanestatistikk/Jernbanestatistikk-2008/. Retrieved 28 April 2010. 
2. ^ Johnson, Ron (1985). The Best of Maine Railroads. Portland Litho. p. 112. 
3. ^ Trains of Turkey (December 1, 2004), Baghdad Railway. Retrieved July 12, 2005.
4. ^ "Flåmsbana Museet". Archived from the original on 2009-06-08. http://www.flamsbana-museet.no/visartikkel.asp?art=296. Retrieved 2009-06-06. 
5. '^ Trains News Wire (April 27, 2005), Miss Southern Belle' dies. Retrieved May 4, 2005.
6. ^ "Newark Subway, PATH and Light Rail". UrbanRail.net. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-11-18. http://web.archive.org/web/20071118151708/http://www.urbanrail.net/am/nark/newark.htm. Retrieved 2007-11-22. 
7. ^ New York Times (October 30, 1940), W. B. Storey Dies. Retrieved August 19, 2005.