April 1, 1976 was the first day of operations at Conrail, the closest the US has come to a nationalized railroad system since World War I. Although it was broken up and sold off in 1999, many railfans fondly remember the Big Blue, and some view it as a model for nationalizing the major US railroads in the modern era.
So happy Conrail Day, y’all. Maybe we’ll see can-openers plying the rails again someday.
I can’t believe Cohost turned blue just to celebrate the anniversary of Conrail, that’s so cool