Several railroads have been called the oldest in the United States. Those, as well as other railroads chartered or opened during that time period, are listed below. This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ...

• 1764: A gravity railroad (Montresor's Farmway) was built at the Niagara Portage in Lewiston, New York.
• 1795: A wooden railway on Beacon Hill in Boston carried excavations down the hill to clear the land for the State House in 1795. A similar line was built in 1807 for another hill-leveling project.
• 1810: The Leiper Railroad connecting Crum Creek to Ridley Creek, Pennsylvania opened in 1810. It closed in 1829 and was replaced by the Leiper Canal, but a railroad once again replaced the canal in 1852. This became the Crum Creek Branch of the Baltimore and Philadelphia Railroad (part of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad) in 1887. This was the first railroad meant to be permanent, and the first to evolve into a common carrier.
• 1826: The Granite Railway was incorporated March 4, 1826, by Gridley Bryant. Construction began on April 1, 1826, and operations began on October 7, 1826. It later became a branch of the Old Colony Railroad (which became part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad). This is often called the first railroad in the U.S., and may have been the first to evolve into a common carrier without an intervening closure. It also may have been the first to be chartered.
• 1829: The Delaware and Hudson Canal Company's gravity railroad in northeast Pennsylvania opened, with the Stourbridge Lion, the first locomotive to run on rails in the United States, first running on August 8.
• 1830: The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was chartered February 23, 1827, and construction began July 4, 1828. The first 1.5 mile section opened January 7, 1830; the line opened to Ellicott's Mills May 22, 1830, with regular passenger service beginning May 24.[1] This was the first railroad that evolved into a major system rather than being gobbled up by another, and was probably the first passenger railroad.
• 1830: The South Carolina Canal and Rail Road was chartered December 19, 1827, construction began January 9, 1830, and the first section opened December 25, 1830. This was the first railroad to use steam locomotives regularly.[2] It later became part of the Southern Railway, now part of Norfolk Southern.
• 1831: The New Castle and Frenchtown Turnpike and Rail Road opens in Delaware and Maryland, originally using horse power.
• 1831: The Chesterfield Railroad began operations by September 1831 in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
• 1831: The Mohawk and Hudson Railroad between Albany and Schenectady, New York was chartered in 1826. Construction began August 1830 and the railroad opened September 24, 1831. It later became part of the New York Central Railroad.
• 1832: The New York and Harlem Railroad was incorporated April 25, 1831, and the first section opened November 26, 1832. This was probably the first street railway in the U.S.
• 1835: The Boston and Lowell Railroad opens.
• 1836: The Lake Wimico and St. Joseph Canal and Railroad was the first steam railroad in Florida, opening on September 5.
• 1836: The Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad opens in Quebec, Canada.

1764 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... A gravity railroad is a railroad on a steep slope, usually serving a mine at the top. ... Lewiston is a village located in Niagara County, New York. ... 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Beacon Hill is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts covering approximately one square mile (2. ... Alternative meanings: Boston (disambiguation) The 18th-century Old State House in Boston is surrounded by tall buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries. ... 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1807 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1829 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Baltimore and Philadelphia Railroad was the Baltimore and Ohio Railroads line from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania southwest to Baltimore, Maryland, and is now used by CSX for freight. ... 1876 map The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) is one of the oldest railroads in the United States, with an original line from the port of Baltimore, Maryland west to the Ohio River at Wheeling, West Virginia and Parkersburg, West Virginia. ... 1887 is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ... A common carrier is an organization that transports a product or service using its facilities, or those of other carriers. ... 1826 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Incline section of the Granite Railway, photograph taken in 1934. ... March 4 is the 63rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (64th in leap years). ... 1826 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... 1826 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... October 7 is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years). ... 1826 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Old Colony Railroad connected the South Shore and Cape Cod with Boston, Massachusetts. ... The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (AAR reporting mark NH) was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States. ... A common carrier is an organization that transports a product or service using its facilities, or those of other carriers. ... 1829 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... A gravity railroad is a railroad on a steep slope, usually serving a mine at the top. ... State nickname: The Keystone State Other U.S. States Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell (D) Official languages None Area 119,283 km² (33rd)  - Land 116,074 km²  - Water 3,208 km² (2. ... The Stourbridge Lions first run, as depicted by Clyde Osmer DeLand c. ... A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train, and has no payload capacity of its own; its sole purpose is to move the train along the tracks. ... August 8 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (221st in leap years), with 145 days remaining. ... 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1876 map The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) is one of the oldest railroads in the United States, with an original line from the port of Baltimore, Maryland west to the Ohio River at Wheeling, West Virginia and Parkersburg, West Virginia. ... February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1827 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... July 4 is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 180 days remaining. ... 1828 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... January 7 is the 7th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... May 22 is the 142nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (143rd in leap years). ... 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... May 24 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (145th in leap years). ... 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... December 19 is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1827 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... January 9 is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 6 days remaining. ... 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Great Western Railway No. ... The Southern Railway (AAR designation SOU) was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined since the 1830s. ... Norfolk Southern Corporation (AAR reporting mark NS) (NYSE: NSC) is a US publicly-traded stock corporation based in Norfolk, Virginia. ... 1831 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The New Castle and Frenchtown Turnpike and Rail Road was the first railroad in Delaware and one of the first in the U.S., opening in 1831. ... State nickname: The First State Other U.S. States Capital Dover Largest city Wilmington Governor Ruth Ann Minner Official languages None Area 6,452 km² (49th)  - Land 5,068 km²  - Water 1,387 km² (21. ... State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Other U.S. States Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich (R) Official languages English Area 32,160 km² (42nd)  - Land 25,338 km²  - Water 6,968 km² (21%) Population (2000)  - Population 5,296,486 (19th)  - Density 165 /km² (5th) Admission... 1831 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1856 map The Chesterfield Railroad was located in Chesterfield County, Virginia. ... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... 1831 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Location in the state of Virginia Formed May 25, 1749 Seat Chesterfield Area  - Total  - Water 1,132 km² (437 mi²) 29 km² (11 mi²) 2. ... 1831 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Mohawk and Hudson Railroad was the first railroad built in the State of New York and one of the first railroads in the United States. ... New York State Capitol Building, completed in 1899 at a cost of $25 million was the most expensive government building of its time. ... Schenectady is a city located in Schenectady County, New York, of which it is the county seat. ... 1826 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Note: as an adjective (stressed on the second syllable instead of the first), august means honorable. ... 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years). ... 1831 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1918 map The New York Central Railroad (AAR reporting mark NYC), known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the North-Eastern United States. ... 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The New York and Harlem Railroad was incorporated in 1831, to link New York City with Harlem. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... 1831 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... November 26 is the 330th day (331st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1832 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... a historic postcard showing electric trolley-powered streetcars in Richmond, Virginia, where Frank J. Sprague successfully demonstrated his new system on the hills in 1888 A streetcar is a railway vehicle designed to carry passengers on tracks, usually laid in city streets. ... 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Lowell Line running from Boston, Massachusetts to Lowell, Massachusetts, originally the Boston and Lowell Railroad, is the oldest continually operated passenger train line in the western hemisphere. ... 1836 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Steam railroad is a term used in the United States to disambiguate conventional heavy railroads from street railways, interurbans, and other light railways usually dedicated primarily to passenger transport. ... State nickname: Sunshine State Other U.S. States Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Governor Jeb Bush (R) Official languages English Area 170,451 km² (22nd)  - Land 137,374 km²  - Water 30,486 km² (17. ... September 5 is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years). ... 1836 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Champlain & St. ... Beginning in 1963, a terrorist group that became known as the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) launched a decade of bombings, robberies and attacks on government offices and at least two murders by FLQ gunfire and three violent deaths by bombings. ...

Tunnels

• 1834: The Allegheny Portage Railroad opened in March 1834, including the Staple Bend Tunnel, the first railroad tunnel in the U.S., completed in June 1833. Trains stopped running through it in 1857, and it is now part of the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site.

The expanded Park Avenue Tunnel in 1941

• 1837: The New York and Harlem Railroad began running through the Yorkville Tunnel on October 26, 1837. It was absorbed in the 1870s by the longer and wider Park Avenue Tunnel, and is used by all Metro-North Railroad commuter trains. The old tunnel carries the two center tracks, and two new tunnels carry outer tracks.
• 1839: The Norwich and Worcester Railroad opened in 1839 or 1840 through Bundy Hill Tunnel north of Norwich, Connecticut. This is the oldest tunnel still in use in its original form in the U.S.

1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Allegheny Portage Railroad was the first railroad constructed through the Allegheny Mountains in central Pennsylvania in the United States. ... March is the third month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... 1833 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Profile of the original line The Allegheny Portage Railroad was the first railroad constructed through the Allegheny Mountains in central Pennsylvania, USA. It was a combination of a towpath canal and an inclined plane railroad, approximately 50 miles (80 km) long, and operated from 1834 to 1854. ... Image File history File links The Park Avenue railroad tunnel in Manhattan from 1941. ... Image File history File links The Park Avenue railroad tunnel in Manhattan from 1941. ... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1837 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The New York and Harlem Railroad was incorporated in 1831, to link New York City with Harlem. ... October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 66 days remaining. ... 1837 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Events and Trends Technology The invention of the telephone (1876) by Alexander Graham Bell. ... Marble Hill station Metro-North (officially MTA Metro-North Railroad) is a suburban commuter railroad running service from New York City to the northern suburbs in New York State and Connecticut. ... 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Norwich is a city located in New London County, Connecticut. ...

References

General information

• First Railroads in North America
• Library of Congress - History of Railroads and Maps
• Railroad History Database
• William D. Middleton, Where is America's oldest railroad tunnel?, Trains May 2002

Trains is a monthly magazine dedicated to trains and railroading and is the flagship publication of Kalmbach Publishing. ...

Specific railroads

• First Permanent Railroad In The U. S. And Its Connection To The University Of Pennsylvania (Leiper Railroad)
• The First Railroad in America 1826-1926: A History of the Origin and Development of the Granite Railway at Quincy, Massachusetts