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ON THIS DAY: RAILFREIGHT
AUGUST 22
1998 NORFOLK Southern and CSX purchase 58% and 42% of Conrail stock, respectively, dividing the railroad between them.
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AUGUST 23
2010 AT 16:30 17 cars (16 loads and one empty) from five-locomotive, 95-car Canadian National train #M-365-21-23 derail at Mile 165.80 of the Saint-Maurice Subdivision, near Clova, QC. Approximately 1300 feet (400 m) of track was destroyed. There were no injuries and no permanent damage to the environment.
AUGUST 25
2015 THE United States and Mexico open their first new rail link in more than a century as part of plans to update infrastructure carrying nearly $600 billion a year in bilateral trade, officials said. The West Rail Bypass International Bridge connecting Brownsville, Texas with the city of Matamoros across the border will largely carry freight, the US Commerce Department said. Since the North American Free Trade Agreement was implemented over 20 years ago, trade with Mexico has increased sixfold and Mexico has become one of the biggest trading partners with the United States, US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker said.
AUGUST 27
1999 AT approximately 10:40 a Canadian National (CN) crew was performing switching operations in the west end of yard CB at Cornwall, Ontario, on the Wesco spur, at Mile 69.4 of the CN
Kingston Subdivision, when six tank cars ran away on track CB17. The cars rolled eastward for 475 feet (145 m) and struck the stop block at the end of the track. At the time of impact, one car derailed and its tank was punctured. Approximately 5000 gallons (27,200 liters) of product, a class 3 combustible liquid, NA 1993, was released but was almost all recovered. There were no injuries.
August 28
1829 HORSE beats horsepower! Tom Thumb, the first American-built steam locomotive used on a common carrier railroad, is pitted against a horsecar in a race on a bright summer’s day. After taking syndicate members and friends in an open car at the then un-heard speed of 18 mph (29 km/h), a challenge is issued on the return journey for an impromptu race with a horse-drawn car. The grey horse won.
