Portal:Trains/Did you know/December 2013

December 2013

 * ...that the overall styling of the E6 Series Shinkansen operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) on Super Komachi services between Tokyo and Akita was overseen by Japanese industrial designer Ken Okuyama and is intended to evoke images of the Namahage demons and kantō festival lanterns for which Akita Prefecture is famous?


 * ...that ten years after Donnybrook railway station opened as a single-platform station in Donnybrook, Victoria, Australia, a second platform was added in 1882 but track duplication in both directions was not completed for a few more years?


 * ...that Hans Jørgen Darre-Jenssen, who oversaw the latter part of the Drammen Line's reconstruction and later served as technical director for Norwegian State Railways, was a great-grandson of Jacob Hersleb Darre, a founding father of the Norwegian Constitution?


 * ...that the almost-continuous gradients of the Craigieburn railway line in northern Melbourne, Australia, were a factor when, in 2003, an unmanned suburban train rolled the entire length of the line from Broadmeadows to the city, and crashed into a stationary but loaded passenger train waiting to depart Southern Cross Station (then Spencer Street Station)?


 * ...that the Cisco Bridges, one carrying the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and the other the Canadian National Railway (CNR) across the Fraser River near Lytton, British Columbia, Canada, are popular with railfans to the area due to the proximity of the two bridges, which allows both bridges to be taken in one photograph, sometimes with a CPR and CNR train on each bridge simultaneously?


 * ...that when Cape Government Railways' 2nd Class 2-6-2TT locomotives were delivered in 1875, as tank engines with additional 4-wheel tenders for longer-distance services, they became the first locomotives to enter service on the new mainlines?


 * ...that while the California Car, a type of bilevel rail car operated by Amtrak under the Amtrak California brand, was based on Amtrak's long-distance Superliner cars, the cars include several changes for commuter services such as more and larger doors and stairways and a control cab to allow for push-pull operation?


 * ...that in 1950 when Wabash Railroad relaunched the Blue Bird passenger train service between Chicago and St. Louis with new dome cars, it became the first dome train in regular operation between those two cities?


 * ...that the Bar Harbor Express passenger train was involved in a fatal collision on September 2, 1913, the first full day of Howard Elliott's term as president of New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad?


 * ...that Ashtown railway station, on the Dublin Connolly to Maynooth and Docklands to M3 Parkway lines in Fingal, Ireland, was originally opened by the Midland Great Western Railway in 1847 for race specials at the now demolished Phoenix Park Racecourse?


 * ...that JR West's Amagasaki Station, which originally opened in 1874 and is now referred to as "JR Amagasaki" to distinguish it from Hanshin Electric Railway's Amagasaki Station, served only as a local stop until 1997 when it became the official terminus of the Fukuchiyama and Tozai lines?


 * ...that Yoshioka-Kaitei Station, which now serves as an emergency escape point within the Seikan Tunnel in Japan, is located 149.5 m below sea level, making it the deepest underground station in the world?


 * ...that the former Yokokawa Station locomotive depot for bank engines used on the Usui Pass in Japan was transformed into the Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park, which exhibits the bank engines (JNR Class EF63 electric locomotives) and other rolling stock?


 * ...that although the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway in England originally opened in 1854, Thomas Whitelegg became the railway's first locomotive superintendent in 1875 because the line was worked by their contractors Peto, Brassey and Betts?


 * ...that Wandong railway station, on the North East railway line in Victoria, Australia, was originally a siding named Morphett's that was installed in 1876, and it was soon after that platforms were added and the station was named Wandong?


 * ...that Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich in Switzerland owns and operates trams, trolleybuses, buses, and a funicular and also operates, but does not own, a further funicular, a rack railway, and the Stadtbahn Glattal light rail system?


 * ...that a major part of the Ueno-Tokyo Line construction is to restore about 2.5 km of tracks that linked Ueno Station and Tokyo Station until they were separated near Kanda Station to make room for the Tōhoku Shinkansen extension to Tokyo in 1991?


 * ...that Tubize 2179, a preserved Belgian gauge steam locomotive built by Ateliers de Tubize, originally for use at the Colonial Exhibition in Brussels, was seized by Germany during World War II and then used for military and construction railways?


 * ...that the Tramway Historical Society, which operates the heritage tram line in Ferrymead Heritage Park in Christchurch, New Zealand, was originally formed in 1960 as the Tramway Preservation Association to preserve trams formerly used by the Christchurch Transport Board, beginning with 1887-built horse tram 50 and 1881 Kitson steam-tram engine 7?


 * ...that Tokyo Freight Terminal, which principally handles freight traffic to and from western Japan via the Tōkaidō Main Line, is the largest rail freight terminal in Japan?


 * ...that when trains, such as the Eastern and Oriental Express, cross the Mekong river between Thailand and Laos over the Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge using the metre gauge track in the bridge's median, all highway traffic over the bridge is stopped?


 * ...that the name Tamba, which was used as the name for limited express service on JR West's San'in Main Line until 2011, comes from the feudal-era Tamba Province, which was situated in what is now northern Kyōto Prefecture and northeastern Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan?


 * ...that as one of his last statements before his death in 1914, Darius Miller was reported to have asked Louis W. Hill to recommend Hale Holden to James J. Hill as Miller's selection for his successor as president of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad?