1916 in rail transport

Events

April events

* April - Motor Rail deliver the first of over 900 petrol engined 60 cm narrow gauge railway locomotives for the British War Department Light Railways on the Western Front (World War I); substantially the same design is in production until the 1980s. [cite book|author=Davies, W.J.K.|title=Light Railways of the First World War|publisher=David & Charles|location=Newton Abbot|date=1967] [cite web|url=http://www.wdlr.org.uk|title=War Department Light Railways]
* April 13 - Oris Paxton Van Sweringen and his younger brother Mantis James Van Sweringen purchase a 75% controlling interest in the Nickel Plate Road from William Kissam Vanderbilt for $8.5 million.

May events

* May 6 - Rome and Fiuggi Rail Road opens for service.

July events

* July 16 - Much of the Southern Railway's mainline in North and South Carolina is damaged or destroyed by flooding. [cite web|author=Southern Railway Historical Association|url=http://www.srha.net/public/history/event_list.asp?D_ID=7-16|title=This Date in Southern Railway History|accessdate=2005-07-12]

August events

* August 24 - After a bankruptcy, the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad is reorganized as the St. Louis - San Francisco Railway (often called the "Frisco").
* August 24 - Due to several serious accidents caused by broken red lenses in its signals, the New York Central Railroad discontinues white lights as indications to proceed. The new color is green.

eptember events

* September 30 - Construction is completed on the Hell Gate Bridge in New York City.

November events

* November 16 - The two-story station opened by the California Southern Railroad in San Bernardino, California, is destroyed by fire. [cite web| url=http://www.sanbag.ca.gov/about/santa-fe_history.html|author=San Bernardino Associated Governments|title=A Brief History of the Santa Fe Depot|year=2004|accessdate=2006-07-17]
* November 24 - German sleeping and dining car operator Mitropa is founded.

Unknown date events

* The Pennsylvania Railroad adopts the motto "the Standard Railroad of the World".
* The first I1s 2-10-0 "Decapod" locomotive is completed.
* The Pennsylvania Railroad's first A5s 0-4-0 and B6sb switching locomotives enter service.
* Joel Coffin purchases Lima Locomotive Corporation; the company is renamed Lima Locomotive Works.
* The first all-steel fish car is built for use on American railroads. [cite web|author=U.S. Government Printing Office|date=1979|url=http://www.catskillarchive.com/rrextra/fishcar.Html|title=The Fish Car Era of the National Fish Hatchery System|accessdate=2005-03-28]
* The Fairbourne Railway, in Wales, is converted from a horse-drawn tramway into a RailGauge|15 gauge steam railway.

Births

Unknown date births

* Benjamin F. Biaggini, president of the Southern Pacific Company 1964–1976 (d. 2005).

Deaths

April deaths

* April 19 - Ephraim Shay, inventor of the Shay locomotive (b. 1839).

May deaths

* May 12 - Fred T. Perris, Chief Engineer of the California Southern Railroad, dies (b. 1836). [cite book|author=Serpico, Philip C.|title=Santa Fé Route to the Pacific|year=1988|publisher=Omni Publications|Location=Palmdale, California|id=ISBN 0-88418-000-X|pages=pp 18-24] [cite web|author=City of Perris, California| url=http://www.cityofperris.org/history.asp|title=A Brief History of the Perris Valley| accessdate=2006-07-09]
* May 29 - James J. Hill, American financier who gained control of the Great Northern Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway (b. 1838).

References

*