Orient Express
On June 5, 1883, the Orient Express made its first trip from Paris to Vienna. It quickly earned a reputation as the world’s most luxurious train.
Trains
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Arming Postal Clerks
On April 9, 1921, Postmaster General Will H. Hays took an extraordinary step: he ordered the arming of postal workers who handled the nation’s most valuable mail. The order came after a sharp rise in armed robberies, when trains, mail cars, and postal employees had become targets for thieves looking for cash, securities, and registered mail.
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First Run of the Best Friend of Charleston
On December 25, 1830, the Best Friend of Charleston completed its first run. It was the first American-built steam locomotive to haul a train of passenger cars on a public railroad.
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John Bull Takes Its First Ride
On September 15, 1831, the John Bull steam locomotive made its inaugural trip on New Jersey’s first railroad. It became a symbol of early railroad innovation and the beginning of a new era of transportation, marking a turning point that demonstrated the promise of steam power to move goods and passengers faster than ever before.
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Tom Thumb Proves the Power of Steam
On August 28, 1830, the Tom Thumb steam locomotive raced against a horse-drawn car near Baltimore, Maryland. Though the contest ended unexpectedly, it proved to railroad executives and the public that steam power would revolutionize transportation.
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Bicycle Mail
On July 6, 1894, a San Francisco businessman operated a short-lived bicycle mail route in San Francisco, complete with his own stamps.
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First Electric Passenger Train
On June 27, 1895, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad’s Royal Blue became the first US passenger service to use electric locomotives, signaling a new era of modern rail travel. Running from Washington, DC, to New York City, the train combined speed, comfort, and cutting-edge technology.
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Birth of Casey Jones
Train engineer Jonathon Luther Jones was born on March 14, 1863, in Missouri. He later became an American folk hero after sacrificing his own life to save his passengers.
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Operation Cornflakes
On February 5, 1945, the US began a secret operation to overthrow Hitler with postage stamps.
