1976 in rail transport - Definition and Overview

This article will list events related to rail transport that occurred in 1976.

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.

Births

Deaths

October deaths

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