Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad
C&O
Reporting marks	CO
Locale	District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin
Years of operation	1869 – 1972
Track gauge	4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm)
Headquarters	Cleveland, Ohio

The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from many smaller railroads begun in the 19th century. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, in 1972, it became part of the Chessie System, which was the creation of Hays T. Watkins, Jr., then president and chief executive officer of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, along with the Baltimore and Ohio and Western Maryland Railroad. In 1980, the Chessie system combined with Seaboard Coast Line Industries to form CSX Corporation, which by 1987 had merged all its railroad subsidiaries into CSX Transportation, one of seven Class I railroads operating in North America at the beginning of the 21st century. The following are reporting marks assigned by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) to rail carriers operating in North America and the companies (railroads and rail equipment owners/operators) to which they were assigned. ... ... State nickname: Land of Lincoln, The Prairie State Other U.S. States Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Governor Rod Blagojevich Official languages English Area 149,998 km² (25th)  - Land 143,968 km²  - Water 6,030 km² (4. ... State nickname: The Hoosier State Other U.S. States Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Governor Mitch Daniels Official languages English Area 94,321 km² (38th)  - Land 92,897 km²  - Water 1,424 km² (1. ... State nickname: Bluegrass State Other U.S. States Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Governor Ernie Fletcher Official languages English Area 104,749 km² (37th)  - Land 102,989 km²  - Water 1,760 km² (1. ... State nickname: Wolverine State or Great Lakes State Other U.S. States Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Governor Jennifer Granholm Official languages English Area 250,941 km² (11th)  - Land 147,255 km²  - Water 103,687 km² (41. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... State nickname: The Buckeye State Other U.S. States Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Governor Bob Taft Official languages None Area 116,096 km² (34th)  - Land 106,154 km²  - Water 10,044 km² (8. ... State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner Official languages English Area 110,862 km² (35th)  - Land 102,642 km²  - Water 8,220 km² (7. ... State nickname: Mountain State Other U.S. States Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Governor Joe Manchin Official languages None Area 62,809 km² (41st)  - Land 62,436 km²  - Water 376 km² (0. ... One of the periods of glaciation was also termed the Wisconsin glaciation. ... 1869 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... Rail gauge is the distance between two rails of a railroad. ... This article is about a foot as a unit of length. ... Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial unit of length. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter), symbol mm is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... City nickname: The Forest City Location in the state of Ohio Founded 1796 Incorporated 1836 County Cuyahoga County Mayor Jane Campbell (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water 213. ... Freight railroads in the United States are classified by the Association of American Railroads as Class I, Class II and Class III (also called Classes 1, 2 and 3) in terms of size. ... 1869 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... City nickname: The Forest City Location in the state of Ohio Founded 1796 Incorporated 1836 County Cuyahoga County Mayor Jane Campbell (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water 213. ... The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America, the States, or (archaically) Columbia—is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... The Chessie System was a holding company that operated three American railroads, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O), the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O), and the Western Maryland Railway (WM), from 1972 until 1987, when the B&O and C&O were merged into CSX Transportation. ... The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad or B&O was a 19th century railroad which operated in the east coast of the United States and was the first railroad to offer commercial transportation of both people and freight. ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Seaboard Coast Line Industries,incorporated in 1969, was a railroad holding company that owned the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad and the Louisville & Nashville Railroad (acquired 1971) as well as several smaller routes. ... CSX Corporation was formed in 1980 by the merger of Chessie System and Seaboard Coast Line Industries and eventually merged the various railroads owned by those predecessors into a single line that became known as CSX Transportation. ... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Categories: Companies traded on NYSE | Railway companies of the United States | Alabama railroads | Connecticut railroads | Delaware railroads | Florida current railroads | Georgia railroads | Illinois railroads | Indiana railroads | Kentucky railroads | Louisiana railroads | Maryland railroads | Massachusetts railroads | Michigan railroads | Mississippi railroads | New Jersey railroads | New York railroads | North Carolina railroads | Ohio railroads | Pennsylvania... World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is the third largest continent in area and in population after Eurasia and Africa. ... (20th century - 21st century - 22nd century - other centuries) Definition In calendars based on the Christian Era or Common Era, such as the Gregorian calendar, the 21st century is the current century, as of this writing, lasting from 2000-2099. ...

Early history, Crozet, & crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains

The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway traces its origin to the Louisa Railroad of Louisa County, Virginia, begun in 1836, and the James River & Kanawha Canal Company, also begun in Virginia in 1785. The C&O of the 1950s and 1960s at its peak before the first modern merger, was the product of about 150 smaller lines that had been incorporated into the system over time. Louisa County is a county located in the state of Virginia. ... 1836 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Events January 1st The first issue of the Daily Universal Register, later known as The Times, is published in London. ... Millennia: 1st millennium - 2nd millennium - 3rd millennium Events and trends Technology United States tests the first fusion bomb. ... Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around the world. ...

By 1850 the Louisa Railroad had been built east to Richmond and west to Charlottesville, and in keeping with its new and larger vision, was renamed the Virginia Central Railroad. The Commonwealth of Virginia, always keen to help with "internal improvements" not only owned a portion of Virginia Central stock, but incorporated and financed the Blue Ridge Railroad to accomplish the hard and expensive task of crossing the first mountain barrier to the west. Under the leadership of the great early civil engineer Claudius Crozet, the Blue Ridge RR built over the mountains, using four tunnels, including the 4,263-foot Blue Ridge Tunnel at the top of the pass, then one of the longest tunnels in the world. 1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Richmond is the capital of Virginia, a state (officially the Commonwealth of Virginia) of the United States of America. ... Charlottesville is an independent city located within the confines of Albemarle County in the state of Virginia. ... Virginia Central Railroad was chartered as the Louisa Railroad in 1836 by the Virginia Board of Public Works and had its name changed to Virginia Central Railroad in 1850. ... The term civil engineer refers to an individual who practices civil engineering. ... Benoit Claudius Crozet (December 31, 1789_January 29, 1864) was an educator and civil engineer. ...

While the Blue Ridge was being breached, Virginia Central was building westward from the west foot of the mountains, across the Great Valley of Virginia (The Shenandoah Valley), and the Shenandoah range (Great North Mountain), reaching a point known as Jackson's River Station, at the foot of the Alleghany Mountains (note that in Virginia Alleghany is spelled with an "a"), in 1856. This is the site that would be called Clifton Forge later. Canoeing on the Shenandoah River near Winchester, Virginia. ... The Allegheny Mountains are a part of the Appalachian mountain range located in the eastern United States. ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Clifton Forge is a town in Alleghany County in the state of Virginia. ...

To finish its line across the mountainous territory of the Alleghany Plateau (known in old Virginia as the "Transmountaine"), the Commonwealth again chartered a state-subsidized railroad called the Covington and Ohio Railroad. This company completed important grading work on the Alleghany grade and did considerable work on numerous tunnels over the mountains and in the west. It also did a good deal of roadway work around Charleston on the Kanawha River. Then the American Civil War intervened, and work was stopped on the westward expansion. The Kanawha River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 miles (156 km) long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. ... The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the United States – forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union – and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ...

C & O predecessors during the Civil War

During the Civil War the Virginia Central Railroad was one of the Confederacy's most important lines, carrying food from the Shenandoah region to Richmond, and ferrying troops and supplies back and forth as the campaigns surrounded its tracks frequently. It had an important connection with the Orange and Alexandria Railroad at Gordonsville, Virginia. On more than one occasion, the Virginia Central was used in actual tactical operations, transporting troops directly to the battlefield. But, it was a prime target for Federal armies, and by the end of the war had only about five miles of track still in operation, and $40 in gold in its treasury. The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the United States – forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union – and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ... Virginia Central Railroad was chartered as the Louisa Railroad in 1836 by the Virginia Board of Public Works and had its name changed to Virginia Central Railroad in 1850. ... The Orange and Alexandria Railroad in Virginia was strategically important during the American Civil War (1861-1865). ... Gordonsville is a town located in Virginia. ...

Collis P. Huntington links the tidewater of Virginia with the Ohio Valley

Following the war, Virginia Central officials realized that they would have to get capital to rebuild from outside the economically devastated South, and attempted to attract British interests, without success. Finally, they succeeded in getting Collis P. Huntington of New York, interested in the line. He is, of course, the same Huntington that was one of the "Big Four" involved in building the Central Pacific portion of the Transcontinental Railroad, which was at this time just reaching completion. Huntington had a vision of a true transcontinental that would go from sea to sea under one operating management, and decided that the Virginia Central might be the eastern link to this system. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent... Collis Potter Huntington (October 22, 1821 – August 13, 1900) was one of the Big Four of western railroading (along with Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins and Charles Crocker) who built the Southern Pacific Railroad and other major interstate train lines. ... Alternate meaning: The Big Four (novel) The Big Four were the chief entrepreneurs in the building of the Central Pacific Railroad, the western portion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in the United States. ... External link Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum Categories: Corporation stubs | Historical stubs | Defunct railroad companies of the United States | California railroads | Nevada railroads | Utah railroads | Historic civil engineering landmarks ... Poster announcing railroads opening The First Transcontinental Railroad was a transcontinental railroad in North America that was finished in 1869. ...

Huntington supplied the Virginians with the money needed to complete the line to the Ohio River, through what was now the new state of West Virginia. The old Covington & Ohio's properties were conveyed to them [Note: the name was Railroad at this time ... it will be changed later to Railway] in keeping with its new mission of linking the Tidewater coast of Virginia with the "Western Waters." this was the old dream of the "Great Connection" which had been current in Virginia since Colonial times. The Ohio River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, 981 mi (1,579 km) long in the eastern United States. ... State nickname: Mountain State Other U.S. States Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Governor Joe Manchin Official languages None Area 62,809 km² (41st)  - Land 62,436 km²  - Water 376 km² (0. ...

On July 1, 1867 the C&O was completed nine miles from Jackson's River Station to the town of Covington, seat of Alleghany County, Virginia. By 1869, it had crossed Alleghany Mountain, using much of the tunneling and roadway work done by the Covington & Ohio before the war, and was running to the great mineral springs resort at White Sulphur Springs, now in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. Here, stagecoach connections were made for Charleston and the navigation on the Kanawha River (and thus water transportation on the whole Ohio/Mississippi system). July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 1867 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Alleghany County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. ... White Sulphur Springs is a city located in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States. ... Greenbrier County is a county located in the state of West Virginia. ... A stagecoach is a type of four-wheeled enclosed passenger and/or mail coach, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, widely used before the introduction of railway transport. ...

During 1869-1873 the hard work of building through West Virginia was done with large crews working from the new city of Huntington on the Ohio River and White Sulphur (much as the UP and CP had done in the transcontinental work), and the line was completed at Hawk's Nest, West Virginia on January 28, 1873. Huntington is a city located in West Virginia. ... A scenic view of the New River Valley from Lovers Leap, in Hawks Nest State Park, Ansted, West Virginia Hawks Nest is a mountain peak on Gauley Mountain located within the town limits of Ansted, West Virginia. ... January 28 is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Typical of the men who built the C & O during this period was William N. Page, a civil engineer who had attended special courses in engineering at the University of Virginia before he went to work on the railroad. Page directed the location and construction of the New River Canyon Bridge in 1871 and 1872, and of the Mill Creek Canyon bridge in 1874. In 1875 and 1876, he led the surveying party charged with mapping out the route of the double-track railway to extend between Hampton Roads and the Ohio River via the New River and Kanawha Valleys of West Virginia. Like many men who came to West Virginia with the railroad, Page was struck with both the beauty and potential of the natural resources and is considered one of the more energetic and successful men who helped develop West Virginia's rich bituminous coal fields in the late 19th and early 20th century. Page settled in the tiny mountain hamlet of Ansted, West Virginia, a town located in Fayette County near Hawk's Nest, on high bluffs overlooking the New River far below, where the C&O occupied both sides of the narrow valley. William Nelson Page (January 6, 1854–March 7, 1932), was a United States civil engineer, entrepreneur, capitalist, businessman, and industrialist. ... The term civil engineer refers to an individual who practices civil engineering. ... The University of Virginia (also called UVa) is a research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. ... The New River is a tributary of the Kanawha River, approximately 320 mi (515 km) long, in the U.S. states of North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia in the United States. ... 1871 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1872 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Events January - April January 1 - New York City annexes The Bronx January 23 - Marriage of the Duke of Edinburgh, second son of Queen Victoria, to Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia, only daughter of Emperor Alexander III of Russia. ... 1875 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1876 is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Hampton Roads, Virginia 1858 Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia in the United States. ... The Ohio River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, 981 mi (1,579 km) long in the eastern United States. ... Bituminous coal Bituminous coal is a soft coal containing a tar-like substance called bitumen. ... A scenic view of the New River Valley from Hawks Nest State park, Ansted, West Virginia Ansted is a town located in Fayette County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. ... Fayette County is a county located in the state of West Virginia. ...

Collis Huntington intended to connect the C&O with his western and mid-western holdings, but had much other railroad construction to finance and he stopped the line at the Ohio and over the next few years did little to improve its rough construction or develop traffic. The only connection to the West was by packet boats operating on the Ohio River. Because the great mineral resources of the region hadn't been fully realized yet, the C&O suffered through the bad times brought on by the financial panic (Depression) of 1873, and went into receivership in 1878. When reorganized it was renamed The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Company. 1878 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

West Virginia coal development and Newport News piers

Shortly after the end of the Civil War, Collis P. Huntington and his associates began buying up land in Warwick County, Virginia. During the ten years from 1878 to 1888, C&O's coal resources began to be developed and shipped eastward. In 1881 the Peninsula Subdivision was completed from Richmond to the new city of Newport News, located on Hampton Roads, the East's largest ice-free port. Transportation of coal to Newport News where it was loaded on coast-wise shipping and transported to the Northeast became a staple of the C&O's business at this time. Warwick County was originally one of the eight shires created in colonial Virginia in 1634. ... 1878 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1888 is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... Events January - April January 16-24 ? Siege of Geok Tepe ? Russian troops under general Skobeleff defeat Turkomans January 25 - Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell form the Oriental Telephone Company February 5 - Phoenix, Arizona is incorporated. ... Richmond is the capital of Virginia, a state (officially the Commonwealth of Virginia) of the United States of America. ... Newport News is an independent city located in Virginia. ... Hampton Roads, Virginia 1858 Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia in the United States. ...

Robber barons take control

In 1888 Huntington lost control of the C&O in a reorganization without foreclosure that saw his majority interest lost to the interests of robber barons J.P. Morgan and William K. Vanderbilt. In those days before US anti-trust laws were created, both many smaller railroads which appeared to be in competition with each other were essentially under common control. Even the leaders of Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and New York Central Railroad (NYC) had secretly entered into a "community of interests" pact. 1888 is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... The term robber baron dates back to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and originally referred to feudal lords of land through which the Rhine River in Europe passed who abused their position to stop passing merchant ships and demand tolls without being authorized to do so. ... John Pierpont Morgan (April 17, 1837 – March 31, 1913), American financier and banker, was born in Hartford, Connecticut, a son of Junius Spencer Morgan (1813–1890), who was a partner of George Peabody and the founder of the house of J. S. Morgan & Co. ... William Kissam Vanderbilt (December 12, 1849 – July 22, 1920) was a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family. ... The Pennsylvania Railroad (AAR reporting mark: PRR) was an American railroad existing 1846–1968, after which it merged into Penn Central Transportation. ... The New York Central Railroad, known simply as the New York Central in its publicity and with the AAR reporting mark of NYC, was a railroad operating in the North-Eastern United States. ...

Morgan and Vanderbilt had Melville E. Ingalls installed as President. Ingalls was, at the time, also President of the Vanderbilt's Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (The "Big Four System"), and held both presidencies concurrently for the next decade. Ingalls installed George W. Stevens as general manager and effective head of the C&O. Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. ...

The C&O gains a water level route along the James River across Virginia

In 1889 the Richmond and Alleghany Railroad, which had been built along the tow-path of the defunct James River and Kanawha Canal, was merged into the C&O, giving it a down grade "water level" line from Clifton Forge to Richmond, avoiding the heavy grades of North Mountain and the Blue Ridge on the original Virginia Central route. This "James River Line" would be the principal artery of eastbound coal transportation down to the present day. 1889 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Clifton Forge is a town in Alleghany County in the state of Virginia. ... The James River is the name of several rivers in the United States. ...

Ingalls and Stevens completely rebuilt the C&O to "modern" standards with ballasted roadbed, enlarged and lined tunnels, steel bridges, and heavier steel rails, as well as new, larger, cars and locomotives.

In 1888, the C&O built the Cincinnati Division, from Huntington, West Virginia down the south bank of the Ohio River and across the river at Cincinnati, connecting with the "Big Four" and other Midwestern Railroads. Huntington is a city located in West Virginia. ...

From 1900 to 1920 most of the C&O's lines tapping the rich bituminous coal fields of southern West Virginia and eastern Kentucky were built, and the C&O as it was known throughout the rest of the 20th Century was essentially in place. 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ... 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... Bituminous coal Bituminous coal is a soft coal containing a tar-like substance called bitumen. ... State nickname: Mountain State Other U.S. States Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Governor Joe Manchin Official languages None Area 62,809 km² (41st)  - Land 62,436 km²  - Water 376 km² (0. ... State nickname: Bluegrass State Other U.S. States Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Governor Ernie Fletcher Official languages English Area 104,749 km² (37th)  - Land 102,989 km²  - Water 1,760 km² (1. ...

In 1910 C&O merged the Chicago, Cincinnati & Louisville Railroad into its system. This line had been built diagonally across the state of Indiana from Cincinnati to Hammond in the preceding decade. This gave the C&O a direct line from Cincinnati to the great railroad hub of Chicago. 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... State nickname: The Hoosier State Other U.S. States Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Governor Mitch Daniels Official languages English Area 94,321 km² (38th)  - Land 92,897 km²  - Water 1,424 km² (1. ... Cincinnati, Ohio viewed from the SW, across the Ohio River in Kentucky. ... Hammond is a city located in Lake County, Indiana. ... Chicago (officially named the City of Chicago) is the third largest city in the United States (after New York City and Los Angeles), with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 census. ...

Also in 1910, C&O interests bought control of the Kanawha and Michigan and (K&M) Hocking Valley (HV) lines in Ohio, with a view to connecting with the Great Lakes through Columbus. Eventually anti-trust laws forced C&O to abandon its K&M interests, but it was allowed to retain the Hocking Valley, which operated about 350 miles in Ohio, including a direct line from Columbus to the port of Toledo, and numerous branches southeast of Columbus in the Hocking Coal Fields. But there was no direct connection with the C&O's mainline, now hauling previously undreamed-of quantities of coal. To get its coal up to Toledo and into Great Lakes shipping, C&O contracted with its rival Norfolk & Western to carry trains from Kenova,. W. Va. to Columbus. N&W, however, limited this business and the arrangement was never satisfactory. 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Great Lakes from space The Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes on or near the United States-Canadian border. ... Skyline of downtown Columbus, Ohio, viewed across the Scioto River. ... State nickname: The Buckeye State Other U.S. States Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Governor Bob Taft Official languages None Area 116,096 km² (34th)  - Land 106,154 km²  - Water 10,044 km² (8. ... Toledo, Ohio. ... Norfolk and Western Railway (AAR reporting mark: NW), a US class 1 railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. ... Kenova is a city located in Wayne County, West Virginia. ...

C&O gained access to the Hocking Valley by building a new line directly from a point a few miles from its huge and growing terminal at Russell, Ky., to Columbus between 1917 and 1926. It crossed the Ohio River at Limeville, Ky. (Sciotoville, Ohio), on the great Limeville or Sciotoville bridge which remains today the mightiest bridge every built from point of view of its load capacity. It was truly a monument to engineering, but seldom commented on outside engineering circles because of its relatively remote location. Russell is a city located in Greenup County, Kentucky. ... 1917 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1926 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Ohio River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, 981 mi (1,579 km) long in the eastern United States. ...

With the connection at Columbus complete, C&O soon was sending more of its high quality metallurgical and steam coal west than east, and in 1930 it merged the Hocking Valley into its system 1930 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

Van Sweringen era - Pere Marquette Railroad

The next great change for C&O came in 1923 when the great Cleveland financiers, the Van Sweringen brothers (O. P. and M. J. Van Sweringen), bought a controlling interest in the line as part of their expansion of the Nickel Plate Road (NKP) system. Eventually they controlled the NKP, C&O, Pere Marquette Railroad (in Michigan and Ontario), and Erie railroads. They managed to control this huge (for the time) system by a maze of holding companies and interlocking directorships. This house of cards tumbled when the Great Depression began and the Van Sweringen companies collapsed. But the C&O was a strong line and despite the fact that in the early 1930s over 50% of American railroads went into receivership, it not only avoided bankruptcy, but took the occasion of cheap labor and materials to again completely rebuild itself. 1923 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Orris Paxton (b. ... Categories: Defunct railroad companies of the United States | Illinois railroads | Indiana railroads | Missouri railroads | New York railroads | Ohio railroads | Pennsylvania railroads ... The Pere Marquette Railroad (AAR reporting mark: PM) was a railroad that operated in the Great Lakes region of the United States. ... State nickname: Wolverine State or Great Lakes State Other U.S. States Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Governor Jennifer Granholm Official languages English Area 250,941 km² (11th)  - Land 147,255 km²  - Water 103,687 km² (41. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Area 1,076,395 km² (4th)  - Land 917,741 km²  - Water 158,654 km² (14. ... The Erie Railroad (AAR reporting mark ERIE) was a railroad that operated in New York State, connecting New York City with Lake Erie and several cities in upstate New York, including Binghamton, Buffalo and Dunkirk. ... --209. ... Events and trends Technology Jet engine invented Science Nuclear fission discovered by Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner and Fritz Strassmann Pluto, the ninth planet from the Sun, is discovered by Clyde Tombaugh British biologist Arthur Tansley coins term ecosystem War, peace and politics Socialists proclaim The death of Capitalism Rise to...

During the early 1930s when it seemed the whole country was retrenching, C&O was boring new tunnels, adding double track, rebuilding bridges, upgrading the weight of its rail, and rebuilding its roadbed, all with money from its principal commodity of haulage: Coal. Even in the hard years of the Great Depression, coal was something that had to be used everywhere, and C&O was sitting astride the best bituminous seams in the country. --209. ...

Because of this great upgrading and building program, C&O was in prime condition to carry the monumental loads needed during World War II. During the War it transported men and material in unimagined quantities as the U. S. used the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation as a principal departure point for the European Theater. The invasion of North Africa was loaded here. Of course coal was needed in ever increasing quantities by war industries, and C&O was ready with a powerful, well organized, well maintained railway powered by the largest and most modern locomotives. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Hampton Roads, Virginia 1858 Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia in the United States. ...

Post World War II - Robert R. Young

By the end of the World War II, C&O was poised to help America during its great growth during the decades following, and at mid-century was truly a line of national importance. It became more so, at least in the public eye through Robert Ralph Young, its mercurial Chairman, and his Alleghany Corporation. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Robert Ralph Young (February 14, 1897-January 25, 1958) was a United States financier and industrialist. ... Alleghany Corporation was incorporated by the railroad entrepreneurs Oris and Mantis Van Sweringen as a holding company for their interests. ...

Young got control of the C&O through the remnants of the Van Sweringen companies, in 1942, and for the next decade he became "the gadfly of the rails," as he challenged old methods of financing and operating railroads, and inaugurated many forward looking advances in technology that have ramifications to the present. He changed the C&O's herald (logo) to "C&O for Progress" to embody his ideas that C&O would lead the industry to a new day. He installed a well-staff research and development department that came up with ideas for passenger service that are thought to be futuristic even now, and for freight service that would challenge the growth of trucking. Young eventually gave up his C&O position to become Chairman of the New York Central before his suicide in 1958. 1942 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... The New York Central Railroad, known simply as the New York Central in its publicity and with the AAR reporting mark of NYC, was a railroad operating in the North-Eastern United States. ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

During the Young era and following, C&O was headed by Walter J. Tuohy, under whose control the "For Progress" theme continued, though in a more muted way after the departure of Young. During this time, C&O installed the first large computer system in railroading, developed larger and better freight cars of all types, switched (reluctantly) from steam to diesel motive power, and diversified its traffic, which had already occurred in 1947 when it merged into the system the old Pere Marquette Railroad (PM) of Michigan and Ontario, Canada, which had been controlled by the C&O since Van Sweringen days. The PM's huge automotive industry traffic, taking raw materials in and finished vehicle out, gave C&O some protection from the swings in the coal trade, putting merchandise traffic at 50% of the company's haulage. 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Pere Marquette Railroad (AAR reporting mark: PM) was a railroad that operated in the Great Lakes region of the United States. ...

Chessie System

C&O continued to be one of the more profitable and financially sound railways in the United States, and in 1963, under the guidance of Cyrus S. Eaton, helped start the modern merger era by "affiliating" with the ancient modern of railroads, the hoary Baltimore & Ohio. Avoiding a mistake that would become endemic to later mergers among other lines, a gradual amalgamation of the two lines' services, personnel, motive power and rolling stock, and facilities built a new and stronger system, which was ready for a new name in 1972. Under the leadership of the visionary Hays T. Watkins Jr., the C&O, B&O and Western Maryland became Chessie System, taking on the name officially that had been used colloquially for so long for the C&O, after the mascot kitten used in ads since 1934. Events January-February January 11 - The Whisky A Go-Go night club in Los Angeles, the first disco in the USA, is opened. ... Eaton on the cover of Time, 1930 Cyrus Stephen Eaton ( December 27, 1883– May 9, 1979) was a Canadian- American financier, industrialist and philanthropist. ... The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad or B&O was a 19th century railroad which operated in the east coast of the United States and was the first railroad to offer commercial transportation of both people and freight. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... Western Maryland is the portion of U.S. state of Maryland that consists of Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett counties. ... The Chessie System was a holding company that operated three American railroads, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O), the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O), and the Western Maryland Railway (WM), from 1972 until 1987, when the B&O and C&O were merged into CSX Transportation. ... 1934 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Under Watkins' careful and visionary leadership, Chessie System then merged with Seaboard System Railroad (itself a combination of great railroads of the Southeast including Seaboard Air Line, Atlantic Coast Line, Louisville & Nashville Railroad, Clinchfield Railroad and others), to form a new mega-railroad: CSX Transportation. Categories: Stub | Defunct railroad companies of the United States | Defunct companies | District of Columbia railroads | Florida railroads | Georgia railroads | North Carolina railroads | South Carolina railroads | Virginia railroads ... Categories: Stub | Defunct railroad companies of the United States | Defunct companies | Florida Seaboard Air Line Railroad precursors | Georgia railroads | North Carolina railroads | South Carolina railroads | Virginia railroads ... Categories: Defunct railroad companies of the United States | Defunct railroads | Defunct companies | Florida Atlantic Coast Line Railroad precursors ... Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business. ... Categories: Companies traded on NYSE | Railway companies of the United States | Alabama railroads | Connecticut railroads | Delaware railroads | Florida current railroads | Georgia railroads | Illinois railroads | Indiana railroads | Kentucky railroads | Louisiana railroads | Maryland railroads | Massachusetts railroads | Michigan railroads | Mississippi railroads | New Jersey railroads | New York railroads | North Carolina railroads | Ohio railroads | Pennsylvania...

Today, CSX, after acquiring 42% of Conrail in 1999, is one of four major railroad systems left in the country, and still an innovative leader, true to its roots in Robert Young at "For Progress," the Van Sweringens and their quest for efficiency and standardization, to George Stevens and his dedication to operation efficiency and safety awareness, back to Collis P. Huntington and his dreams of a transportation empire, and even back to those old, long forgotten Virginians who started it all to carry their farm produce to market in 1830. Conrail, officially known as the Consolidated Rail Corporation, is an American railroad company. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Collis Potter Huntington (October 22, 1821 – August 13, 1900) was one of the Big Four of western railroading (along with Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins and Charles Crocker) who built the Southern Pacific Railroad and other major interstate train lines. ... 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

External link

• Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Society (http://www.cohs.org/)