20th century AD

Railway Age, Dec, 1999 by Frank N. Wilner

1923 First Regional Shippers Advisory Board is created in Minneapolis. GE, ALCO, and ingersoll Rand build a 60-ton, 300-hp demonstrator diesel-electric locomotive. It is tested on 14 railroads. In 1924, the Central Railroad of New Jersey acquires the unit and places it in service as No. 1000. It becomes the world's first commercially-successful locomotive of its type. A 100-ton version later makes the first road freight run of a diesel, on the LIRR, hauling 379 tons for 537 miles.

1926

1926 The Railway Labor Act is signed into law. The first commercial installation of all-electric car retarders takes place on the Illinois Central Railroad, in East St. Louis. GRS is the supplier.

1927 On July 25, the New York Central activates the world's first centralized traffic control system; GRS is the supplier. GE demonstrates the first caboose-to-locomotive radio communication.

1928 Sperry Rail Service operates the first rail detector car on the Wabash Railroad at Monticello, Ohio. New York Central operates the first technically-successful diesel-electric road locomotive built in the U.S., No. 1550, a 2-D-2 boxcab from ALCO.

1929 The Timken Co. commissions ALCO to build No. 1111, the "Four Aces," the first steam locomotive equipped with tapered roller bearings on all axles. Timken's self-contained, sealed [AP.sup.TM] roller bearing, developed in 1954, becomes the basis for standardization on freight cars in 1956. Friction ("plain") bearings are not allowed in interchange service after Jan. 1, 1994. Today, such companies as Timken, Brenco, Hyatt, and RBI continue to refine roller bearing technology.

1929 The nation's three million highway trucks carry less than 4% of total intercity freight. B&O introduces the first air-conditioned passenger car, and in 1931 the first fully air-conditioned train. The number of passenger trains peaks at 22,000.

1930

1930 General Motors buys Electro-Motive Co. Thomas Edison opens the throttle on Delaware, Lackawanna & Western's first electric commuter-train.

1933 The Pennsylvania Railroad's electrification between Philadelphia and New York opens. The Great Depression sends employment tumbling to 991,000. Much of the industry is forced into bankruptcy during the Depression years.

1933 Westinghouse Air Brake Company conducts a test of "AB" freight brake equipment on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Russell, Ky. A 170 empty-car test is made July 11-13 and a 150 loaded-car test is made July 24-28. On Aug. 16, the A.R.A. issues the result of ballot D.V. 803, which would adopt the "AB" freight brake equipment as standard on all new freight cars. The affirmative vote was 88.36%.

1934

1934 Congress passes the first Railroad Retirement Act, which is declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. A revised act is signed into law by President Roosevelt in 1937. Its constitutionality has never been challenged.

1934 The Association of American Railroads is created by the merger of the American Railway Association and three other organizations. GE begins delivery of 139 GG1 100-mph, 4,600-hp electric locomotives to the Pennsylvania Railroad. Raymond Loewy streamlines the GG1.