1981 in rail transport

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1980, 1981, 1982

Years in rail transport

1980 in rail transport 1981 in rail transport 1982 in rail transport

This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in 1981.

Contents 1 Events 1.1 February events 1.2 May events 1.3 July events 1.4 September events 1.5 December events 1.6 Unknown date events 2 Births 3 Deaths 4 References

[edit] Events

[edit] February events

• February - Amtrak debuts the Desert Wind passenger train between Los Angeles, California, and Ogden, Utah.
• February 21 - MBTA discontinues passenger train service to Rhode Island.

[edit] May events

• May - General Motors Electro-Motive Division introduces the EMD SD50.
• May 29 - Karasuma Line open, for first time of Kyoto Municipal Subway, Kyoto, Japan.

[edit] July events

• July 26 - Fukuoka Airport Line (Kuko Line) open, for first time of Fukuoka City Subway, Kyūshū, Japan.

July - The Manchester - Sheffield - Wath electric freight line closed. All class 76 locomotives are stored at Guide Bridge and Reddish and later towed for scrap. A better plan would have been to mothball the line as there is a need for extra capacity on trans pennine routes. Another example of forward thinking from British Rail.

[edit] September events

• September 1 - Illinois Terminal Railroad is purchased by Norfolk and Western Railroad.
• September 15 - the John Bull becomes the oldest operable steam locomotive in the world when it is run under its own power by the Smithsonian Institution.

[edit] December events

• December 3 - The first of the 2600-Series rapid transit cars (2601-3200), built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, are placed in service on the Chicago 'L' system. After this order was completed in 1987, Budd (later TransitAmerica) retired from railroad manufacturing.

[edit] Unknown date events

• Burlington Northern Railroad corporate headquarters are moved from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Seattle, Washington.
• Union Pacific 3985 is restored to operating condition, making it the largest operable steam locomotive in the world.
• William Stinson succeeds Fred Burbidge as president of Canadian Pacific Railway.
• VIA Rail Canada suspends operation of the Super Continental passenger train.
• The New York City Subway discontinues use of its R8A revenue car.

[edit] Births

[edit] Deaths

[edit] References

• (February 2005) Trains Timeline, Trains Magazine, p. 9