Events

April events

• April 1 - Conrail is formed by an act of Congress that merges the Central Railroad of New Jersey, Erie Lackawanna Railroad, Lehigh and Hudson River Railroad , Lehigh Valley Railroad, Penn Central and Reading Railroad.

June events

• June 15 - Amtrak introduces the Palmetto .

December events

• December 26 - The second American Freedom Train tour ends in Miami, Florida. See also American Freedom Train - 1975-76 station stops.

Unknown date events

• Many of the major American railroads paint some of their diesel locomotives in red, white and blue paint schemes in celebration of the United States Bicentennial
• Former Southern Pacific Railroad GS-4 class 4-8-4 number 4449 is painted in a special red, white and blue paint scheme and tours the United States as the power for the American Freedom Train.
• Denman McNear succeeds Benjamin Biaggini as president of the Southern Pacific Company, parent company of the Southern Pacific Railroad.
• Benjamin Biaggini assumes the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Southern Pacific Company, a position that has been vacant since Donald Russell 's departure in 1972.
• General Motors Electro-Motive Division introduces the EMD F40PH.
• Washington, DC's elevated, ground, and subway system, the Washington Metro, one of the largest systems in America, opens for service.

Births

Deaths

October deaths

• October 4 - Henry G. Ivatt, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (b. 1886).

Unknown date deaths

• John W. Barriger III , president of the Monon railroad 1946–1953, Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad 1954–1964, Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad 1965–1970 and the Boston and Maine Railroad 1973–1974 (b. 1899).

References

• John W. Barriger; Rail historian and railfan. Retrieved February 22 2005.
• White, John H., Jr. (Spring 1986), America's most noteworthy railroaders, Railroad History, Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, 154, p. 9-15.