August 8, 1829 Honesdale, Pennsylvania: The "Stourbridge Lion" becomes the first steam locomotive to operate in the United States. December 25, 1830 Charleston, South Carolina: The first scheduled passenger train operates on the South Carolina Railroad. June 6, 1833 Ellicott's Mills, Maryland: Andrew Jackson becomes the first President of the United States to ride a train. November 24, 1842 Boston, Massachusetts: A rail route to Buffalo, New York, opens to connect the east coast with the Great Lakes. January 23, 1853 Chicago, Illinois: A all-rail route to several eastern cities connects the east coast with this important mid-western rail center. April 21, 1856 Davenport, Iowa: The first railroad bridge to span the Mississippi River opens to connect the east coast with the west bank of the Mississippi. September 1, 1859 Bloomington, Illinois: The first Pullman sleeping car makes an overnight trip to Chicago. April, 1868 Aurora, Illinois: The first dining car, the Delmonico, is placed in service by the Pullman Company. May 10, 1869 Promontory, Utah: The driving of a Golden Spike marks the completion of the United States' first transcontinental railroad. May 26, 1934 Denver, Colorado: The first Diesel-electric powered streamlined train, the Zephyr, arrives non-stop from Chicago, traveling a distance of 1015 miles at an average speed of 77.6 miles-per-hour. May 1, 1971 Washington, DC: The National Rail Passenger Corporation, better known as Amtrak, begins operation. |
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