Presents...
Railroad Milestones Since 1945 - A Tool for Modelers.
We've all had timeline questions. "I model 1975, is it accurate to have Chessie cars in my fleet?"; "Were ice
reefers still used in 1968?"; "I model Wabash in the steam era, is this PRR boxcar with the 'shadow keystone' logo in my
era?" We have assembled this chronological list of important events in railroading to address questions such as these. The list
is split into three groups, Locomotives, Rolling Stock, and Flags. Locomotives includes dieselization and major changes
to paint schemes, locomotive introductions, and when electric operations ended on major lines. Rolling Stock includes changes in
standards, operations and designs, and major changes in painting styles. Flags addresses railroad company mergers, spinoffs,
abandonments, and major changes to company image that affect locomotives AND rolling stock. Generally only lines 100 miles and
longer are covered. While certainly not comprehensive, we have tried to include the most important events that would affect modeling
an accurate time frame. If you have an idea for something that you think should be included on this list, drop Craig a line at Craig@bluford-shops.com with
the event and the year that it occurred. We make additions to this routinely.
F2, PA's, FA's, RS-2, RSC-2, DS-4-4-10, GE 70-ton switcher, Little Joes introduced.
Central California Traction
dumps electrics for diesels.
Temiskaming & Northern Ontario becomes Ontario Northland.
Chicago Attica & Southern closes.
Pere Marquette merges into C&O.
Denver & Salt Lake merges into D&RGW.
Alton RR merges into GM&O.
3'
gauge Sumpter Valley shuts down.
Chicago Surface Lines acquired by Chicago Transit Authority.
Narrow gauge Newfoundland Railway is acquired by CN.
Nickel Plate Road leases Wheeling & Lake Erie.
Atlantic &
Danville regains independence.
RS-3, FA-2, Sharks, C-Liners, SW8, S-3, S-4, RSC-3, AS-16, AS-616, H-12-44, H-16-44 introduced.
Steam outnumbers diesels 2 to
1.
Average train length: 59 cars.
Bangor & Aroostook introduces "State of Maine" paint scheme.
ET&WNC "Tweetsie" narrow gauge line abandoned. Standard gauge continues.
Atlantic & Yadkin merges into Southern.
Rio Grande Southern shuts down.
Pacific Great Eastern reaches CN in Prince George, BC - 1st rail connection.
Southern Pacific
de Mexico sold to government, becoming F.C. Pacifico.
Pacific Fruit Express receives their first mechanical reefers.
"The Milwaukee Road" appears in rectangle logo instead of "Chicago
Milwaukee St.Paul & Pacific."
Northern Pacific adopts 48" logo for boxcars.
Large "B&O" appears on many hoppers
& gons.
Last year for cars with "K" brakes.
PS-2 Covered hoppers introduced.
Pacific Electric sells remaining passenger business to Metropolitan Coach.
McGinnis image hits the New Haven.
Quebec North Shore & Labrador completed.
PRR introduces Truc-Train (solid piggyback train.)
Airslide hoppers, 75' TOFC flats introduced.
ACL cars with large "COAST
LINE" in logo first appear.
Allied Full Cushion trucks are banned from interchange.
Average train length: 66 cars.
Big
B, little &, and big O appears on B&O.
McGinnis image hits the Boston & Maine.
Trailer-Train established.
Mexico North-Western and Ferocarrill Kansas City
Mexico & Orient merge to form Chihuahua-Pacific.
Omaha & Council Bluffs Street Rwy closes.
Chicago Indianapolis & Louisville makes Monon their official name. Reporting marks change from CIL to MON.
Last coal trains
run on the East Broad Top.
Wellsville Addison & Galeton appears.
Capital Transit becomes DC Transit.
Waterloo Cedar
Falls & Northern sold, becomes Waterloo RR.
Pacific Great Eastern finally makes a rail connection with CP and CN in North
Vancouver.
Streetcar service ends in Portland, OR.
Pere Marquette takes delivery of first post war streamliner.
Roller Bearing trucks begin to appear on freight cars but use spreads very slowly.
Plate B car height standard adopted.
Express
cars equipped for messengers must now be marked with a star.
Gothic lettering replaces Roman on Atlantic Coast Line.
Boxcars, reefers and stock cars must be reweighed 30 months after delivery,
then every 2 years after that.
PS-5 gons introduced.
Atlantic Coast Line adds Prismo reflector stripes to freight cars.
MStP&SSteM adopts billboard SOO LINE.
Pennsylvania replaces circle-keystone with shadow-keystone logo.
C&O pushes "For Progress" below the "O" and smoothes out
the smoke trail.
Mandatory re-weigh periods go from every 30 months to every 4 years.
Bluford Shops products are not intended for children under 14.
The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Transport becomes Milwaukee & Suburban Transport.
St. Johnsbury & Lake Champlain becomes St. Johnsbury & Lamoille County RR.
Frisco takes control of Alabama Tennessee
& Northern.
Public Service Rwy (New Jersey) ends trolley service.
Santa Fe, Great Northern, Louisville & Nashville, New York Central, Pennsylvania end steam operations.
Atlantic Coast Line
gives up on purple and silver and goes for black and yellow.
Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis merges with L&N.
New York Ontario & Western shuts down.
Atlantic & East
Carolina fully acquired by Southern.
B&O standard brown boxcars with "Time-Saver Service" and "Sentinal Service" logos appear.
Journal boxes must now be
cast into truck side frames for a car to be interchanged.
CB&Q adopts Chinese Red on diesels and freight cars.
UP acquires Spokane International.
Baltimore & Ohio, Northern Pacific end steam operations.
S-10, T-6, FPA-4, GMD-1, SD24 introduced.
SP replaces Black Widow with gray and bloody nose on diesels
Flexi-Van system introduced by NYC.
ACL stops adding Prismo stripes to new cars.
Santa Fe introduces Indian Red paint and "Shock Control" on freight cars.
Andrews trucks banned from interchange.
Transcontinental through sleeper service discontinued.
Last year for Allied Full Cushion trucks.
Macon Dublin & Savannah merges into Seaboard Air Line.
Metropolitan Coach Lines sells remaining Red Car routes to LA Metropolitan Transit Commission.
Streetcar service in Milwaukee ends.
Electric freight operations end on Pacific Electric.
Virginian merges into N&W.
NYC implements Century Green scheme and cigar band schemes.
Ladders up cab unit noses now mandatory.
Nickel Plate Road, Union Pacific end steam in regular service.
"Hydro-Cushion" Underframes introduced.
70-ton hoppers become the clear standard over 55-ton hoppers.
MILW adds "The Milwaukee Road" in gothic billboard style to freight cars.
Tri-Level Autoracks appear.
Santa Fe introduces "big circle" version of the logo.
Southern switches back to black for freight service diesels.
Atlantic Coast Line absorbs Charleston & Western Carolina.
Erie Lackawanna appears (Erie + DL&W.)
Minneapolis & St. Louis merges with C&NW.
Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, Norfolk & Western end steam operations.
Santa Fe drops zebra scheme for blue & yellow "book ends" on hood units.
Cotton Belt drops the cotton gin logo.
Southern adopts block style lettering on freight cars.
Average train length: 70 cars.
Cartier Railway completed.
SOO (MSt.P&SSM), DSS&A, WC merge to form the new Soo Line on Dec. 30.
ACL adds "Thanks For Using Coast Line" to boxcars.
CN, CV introduce noodle logos.
"The Western Way" slogan appears on WP boxcars.
Santa Fe adopts large circle/cross logo.
Atlanta Birmingham & Coast merges into Atlantic Coast Line on December 31, 1945.