service; the trainset will soon be scrapped. August 22 – Canada's railroad workers go on strike, crippling operations across the country. August 27 – United States President Harry Truman orders the Army to take control of U.S. railroads to prevent a strike. September September 15 – The first diesel locomotives produced at General Motors Electro-Motive Division's London, Ontario, works are delivered to the Canadian Pacific Railway. September 17 – The first of the 6000-series rapid transit cars (6001–6720), are placed in service on the Chicago "L" system. built by the St. Louis Car Company of St. Louis, Missouri, the number of these cars would eventually reach 720, dominating the CTA's fleet for decades. The first batch is placed in service on the Logan Square route. September 30 – Tasmanian Government Railways introduces X class into service, the first mainline diesel-electric locomotives purchased by an Australian government railway system. October October 1 – First section of Stockholm Metro (Stockholms T-bana, Sweden) opened by conversion of the underground tram line from Slussen to Hökarängen. October 15 – Pacific Electric ceases operations on the El Monte–Baldwin Park Line. October 16 – The East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (ET&WNC) officially ceases operation on the narrow gauge. November November 21 – Canoe River train crash: A Canadian National Railway train carrying Korea-bound troops is given incorrect orders and collides with a passenger train at Canoe River (British Columbia), killing 21, including 17 soldiers. November 22 – Kew Gardens train crash A collision in rear between two Long Island Rail Road evening commuter trains between Kew Gardens and Jamaica stations in the Kew Gardens/Richmond Hill neighborhood of Queens, New York City, kills 78 and injures 363, the worst in the road's history. November 30 – Baldwin Locomotive Works becomes Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporation. Unknown date Ferrovie dello Stato, Italy, opens new Roma Termini railway station. Work on electrification of Saint Petersburg Railway Division of the Oktyabrskaya Railway, Russia begins. Accidents Births July 18 - Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Rail Group. Deaths February 11 - Victor V. Boatner, president of Peoria and Pekin Union Railway 1921-, Chicago Great Western Railway 1929–1931, dies (born 1884). References MichiganRailroads.com (2005), Railroad History Timeline - 1950. Retrieved June 13, 2005. (August 16, 2005), Significant dates in Canadian railway history. Retrieved August 22, 2005.