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This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in 1944.

Events

January events

• January 16 - A train crashes in Torro Tunnel in Leon Province, Spain. More than 500 are killed.

March events

• March 3 - Balvano, Italy: A double-headed mixed train stalls in a tunnel. Five people survive, 521 are killed by carbon monoxide poisoning. One Hundred ninety-three of the dead who carried no identification, most of them Black Marketeers, are buried in a mass grave at the site (see Balvano train disaster).
• March 19 - The last steam locomotive purchased new by Southern Pacific Railroad, cab forward class AC-12 4-8-8-2 number 4294, enters service.^[1]

April events

• April 1 - Government of India takes over the Madras & Southern Mahratta and South Indian Railways.^[2]

July events

• July 6 - Troop train crash near Jellico, Tennessee, United States: Passenger train derails due to excessive speed on defective track. 35 killed, 99 injured; all soldiers in U.S. Army en route to deployment.

September events

• September 8 - Nickel Plate 765 is built by the Lima Locomotive Works.

October events

• October 1 - Government of India takes over the Bengal Nagpur Railway.^[2]
• October 16 - The Baltimore & Ohio's last new steam locomotive #5594, Class T-3C rolls out of Mount Clare erecting shop in Baltimore.

December events

• December - The Union Pacific Railroad takes delivery from Alco of Class FEF-3 4-8-4 #844, the road’s last new steam locomotive.^[3]

Unknown date events

• Charles Fairburn succeeds William Stanier as Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway upon Stanier's retirement.
• Fred Gurley succeeds Edward Engel as president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.

Births

June births

• June 11 - Michael R. Haverty, president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway 1989–1995, president of the Kansas City Southern Railway 1995–present.^[4]

Unknown date births

• E. Hunter Harrison, president of Illinois Central Railroad 1993-1998, Railroader of the Year 2002, president of Canadian National Railway 2003-present.

Deaths

January deaths

• January 8 - William Kissam Vanderbilt II, heir to Cornelius Vanderbilt and president of the New York Central system (b. 1878).

March deaths

• March 7 - Richard Edward Lloyd Maunsell, Chief mechanical engineer of the Southern Railway (UK) 1923-1937 (b. 1868).^[5][6]

June deaths

• June 19 - Richard Deeley, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Midland Railway 1909-1923 (b. 1855).

References

1. ^ Diebert, Timothy S. and Strapac, Joseph A. (1987). Southern Pacific Company Steam Locomotive Conpendium. Shade Tree Books. ISBN 0-930742-12-5.  
2. ^ ^{a b} Saxena, R. P. (2008). "Indian Railway History Time Line". http://irse.bravehost.com/IRHTML.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-23.  
3. ^ "Steam Locomotive No. 844". Union Pacific. http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/excurs/up844.shtml. Retrieved 2010-01-14.  
4. ^ Vantuono, William C. (January 2001). "Mike Haverty, Railroader of the Year". http://www.railwayage.com/jan01/railroader_2000.html. Retrieved 2005-03-25.  
5. ^ "Railway engineers - Richard Edward Lloyd Maunsell". February 26, 1999. http://www.hmilburn.easynet.co.uk/enthuse/engineers/southern/maunsell.htm. Retrieved 2005-02-10.  
6. ^ Marshall, John (2003). Biographical Dictionary of Railway Engineers. Oxford: Railway and Canal Historical Society. ISBN 0-901461-22-9.