This Day in Railroad History

Reno Gang's First Train Robbery

Ohio and Mississippi Railway

Seymour

The Reno Gang's robbery on February 18, 1870, was a violent heist that resulted in no immediate fatalities but marked the beginning of train banditry in the US.

Up to 295 people, 182 of which being rescue workers, die near Nishapur, Iran,...

Up to 295 people, 182 of which being rescue workers, die near Nishapur, Iran, when a runaway freight train carrying sulfur, petrol and fertilizer catches fire and explodes.

192 people die when an arsonist sets fire to a subway train in Daegu, South Korea

192 people die when an arsonist sets fire to a subway train in Daegu, South Korea.

First Peacetime Train Robbery in the United States

Ohio and Mississippi Railway

Seymour

On February 18, 1870, the Reno Gang executed the first peacetime train robbery in the US, targeting an Ohio and Mississippi Railway train and sparking widespread fear of rail bandits in the expanding American West.

Last Steam-Hauled Passenger Train on British Rail

British Rail

Manchester

On February 18, 1969, British Rail operated its final steam-hauled passenger service, marking the end of an era as diesel and electric trains took over, symbolizing the modernization of Britain's rail network.