New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad
Nickel Plate Road
Reporting marks	NKP
Locale	New York to Chicago, IL and St. Louis, MO
Years of operation	1881 – 1964
Track gauge	4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm)
Headquarters	Cleveland, Ohio

The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (AAR reporting mark NKP), abbreviated NYC&St.L, was a railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. Commonly referred to as the Nickel Plate Road, the railroad served a large area, including trackage in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Its primary connections included Buffalo, New York, Chicago, Illinois, Cleveland, Ohio, Indianapolis, Indiana, St. Louis, Missouri and Toledo, Ohio. New York, Chicago & St. ... 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: 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. ... Chicago (officially named the City of Chicago) is the third largest city in the United States (after New York City and Los Angeles) and the largest inland city in the country, with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 census. ... The Gateway Arch, shown here behind the Old Courthouse, is the most recognizable part of the St. ... 1881 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Rail gauge is the distance between two rails of a railroad. ... A foot (plural: feet) is a non-SI unit of distance or length, measuring around a third of a metre. ... 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 within the state of Ohio County Cuyahoga Mayor Jane Campbell Area  - Land  - Water 213. ... Categories: Organization stubs | Rail transport | Industry trade groups ... 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: 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 Keystone State Other U.S. States Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell Official languages None Area 119,283 km² (33rd)  - Land 116,074 km²  - Water 3,208 km² (2. ... 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: 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: 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. ... Buffalo, also known as the Queen city, and the City of Good Neighbors, is an American city in western New York. ... Chicago (officially named the City of Chicago) is the third largest city in the United States (after New York City and Los Angeles) and the largest inland city in the country, with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 census. ... City nickname: The Forest City Location within the state of Ohio County Cuyahoga Mayor Jane Campbell Area  - Land  - Water 213. ... Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana. ... The Gateway Arch, shown here behind the Old Courthouse, is the most recognizable part of the St. ... Toledo, Ohio. ...

The Nickel Plate Railroad was constructed in 1881 along the South Shore of the Great Lakes connecting Buffalo, New York and Chicago, Illinois to compete with the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad. In 1964, the Nickel Plate Road and several other mid-western carriers were merged into Norfolk & Western (N&W) Railway and the Nickel Plate Road was no more. The N&W was formed to be a more competitive and successful system serving 14 states and the Canadian province of Ontario on more than 7,000 miles (11,000 km) of railroad. The profitable N&W was itself combined with the Southern Railway, another profitable carrier, to form Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS) in 1982. 1881 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. ... Buffalo, also known as the Queen city, and the City of Good Neighbors, is an American city in western New York. ... Chicago (officially named the City of Chicago) is the third largest city in the United States (after New York City and Los Angeles) and the largest inland city in the country, with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 census. ... The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, sometimes referred to as the Lake Shore, was a railroad that operated in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois primarily along the south shore of Lake Erie and across northern Indiana from Buffalo to Chicago. ... 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. ... 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 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. ...

History

Background

The 25 years after the Civil War more than doubled the existing American railroad track miles, changing the face of America forever. American railroads allowed products made in the East to be shipped to the expanding West less expensively than previously. This allowed for an economy of scale - larger, more efficient factories. The agricultural heartland of America was no longer confined to a market of single day's trip by wagon. Railroad and railroad construction became one of the largest industries during that era. By 1881, one out of 32 people in the United States was either employed by a railroad or engaged in railroad construction. A civil war is a war in which the competing parties are segments of the same country or empire. ... 1881 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Starting about 1877, two of the larger railroad robber barons, William H. Vanderbilt and Jay Gould, began a war for the railroad traffic along the south shore of the Great Lakes. By 1878 William Vanderbilt had a monopoly on rail traffic between Buffalo, New York; Cleveland, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; and Chicago, Illinois, because he owned the only railroad between those cities - the Lake Shore Railroad. In addition, he was the richest man in America at that time. By 1881 Jay Gould controlled about 15% of all U.S. railroad milage, most of it west of the Mississippi River and he was considered the most ruthless man in America. Gould's major railroad east of the Mississippi River was the 3350 mile (5400 km) Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific (Wabash). The Wabash mainline ran from St. Louis, Missouri to Toledo, Ohio where it was forced to deliver its railroad traffic to William H. Vanderbilt's Lake Shore Railroad for deliver to the eastern United States. 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see 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 who abused their position by stopping passing merchant ships and demanding tolls without being authorized to do so. ... William Henry Vanderbilt (May 8, 1821 – December 8, 1885) was a businessman and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family. ... Jay Gould Jay Gould (May 27, 1836 - December 2, 1892), American financier, was born in Roxbury, New York. ... The Great Lakes from space The Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes on or near the United States-Canadian border. ... 1878 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Buffalo, also known as the Queen city, and the City of Good Neighbors, is an American city in western New York. ... City nickname: The Forest City Location within the state of Ohio County Cuyahoga Mayor Jane Campbell Area  - Land  - Water 213. ... City motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) City nicknames: The Motor City and Motown Location in the state of Michigan Founded July 24, 1701 County Wayne County Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water 370. ... Chicago (officially named the City of Chicago) is the third largest city in the United States (after New York City and Los Angeles) and the largest inland city in the country, with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 census. ... The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, sometimes referred to as the Lake Shore, was a railroad that operated in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois primarily along the south shore of Lake Erie and across northern Indiana from Buffalo to Chicago. ... Length 6,270 km Elevation of the source 450 m Average discharge Saint Louis¹: 5,500 m³/s Vicksburg²: 16,800 m³/s Baton Rouge³: 12,800 m³/s Area watershed 2,980,000 km² Origin Lake Itasca Mouth Gulf of Mexico Basin countries United States (98. ... Categories: Rail stubs | Defunct railroad companies of the United States | Illinois railroads | Indiana railroads | Ohio railroads ... The Gateway Arch, shown here behind the Old Courthouse, is the most recognizable part of the St. ... Toledo, Ohio. ...

Jay Gould and William Vanderbilt had a monopoly on east-west rail traffic in the mid-west. The owners (the Seney Syndicate) of a 350-mile (560 km) railroad, the Lake Erie & Western, were interested in tapping new sources of revenue. The stage was set for the creation of the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad. During 1879 and 1880 the Seney Syndicate linked together several short railroads in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois to form the Lake Erie & Western Railroad. ... The Lake Erie & Western Railroad was a railroad that operated in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. ...

Early Years

The Seney Syndicate met at Seney's New York bank and organized the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railway Company (also known as the NYC&St.L) on 3 February 1881. The original proposal for the NYC&St.L was a 340-mile (550 km) railroad west from Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois with a 325-mile (525 km) branch to St. Louis, Missouri. During 1879 and 1880 the Seney Syndicate linked together several short railroads in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois to form the Lake Erie & Western Railroad. ... 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. ... February 3 is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1881 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Gateway Arch, shown here behind the Old Courthouse, is the most recognizable part of the St. ...

On 13 April 1881 the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railway Company bought the Buffalo, Cleveland & Chicago Railway, a railroad that been surveyed from the west side of Cleveland, Ohio to Buffalo, New York running parallel to Vanderbilt's Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad. April 13 is the 103rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (104th in leap years). ... 1881 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Buffalo, Cleveland and Chicago Railway (BC&C) was incorporated in the states of New York and Pennsylvania in October 1880 by the New York bankers Clark, Post, and Martin. ... William Henry Vanderbilt (May 8, 1821 – December 8, 1885) was a businessman and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family. ... The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, sometimes referred to as the Lake Shore, was a railroad that operated in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois primarily along the south shore of Lake Erie and across northern Indiana from Buffalo to Chicago. ...

The idea of an east-west railroad across northern Ohio was very popular with the people of Ohio. They wanted to break the high freight rates charged by Jay Gould and William Henry Vanderbilt. No one was less popular in Ohio than William Vanderbilt since the 29 December 1876 collapse of Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad's Ashtabula River trestle, where 64 people had been injured and 92 were killed or died later from injuries. 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. ... Jay Gould Jay Gould (May 27, 1836 - December 2, 1892), American financier, was born in Roxbury, New York. ... William Henry Vanderbilt (May 8, 1821 – December 8, 1885) was a businessman and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family. ... December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 2 days remaining. ... 1876 is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster, also called the Ashtabula Horror, was the worst train disaster in America up to that point occurred in Ohio on 29 December 1876, 7:28 p. ...

Another reason for the popularity of the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railway was the positive economic impact on cities that any new railroad when through at that time. During a newspaper war to attract the New York, Chicago & St. Louis the Norwalk, Ohio Chronicle Newspaper referred to the New York, Chicago & St. Louis as "... double-track nickel-plated railroad." The New York, Chicago & St. Louis adopted the nickname and it became better known as the Nickel Plate Road. Norwalk is a city located in Huron County, Ohio. ... Categories: Defunct railroad companies of the United States | Illinois railroads | Indiana railroads | Missouri railroads | New York railroads | Ohio railroads | Pennsylvania railroads ...

It was decided to start building along the surveyed route between Cleveland, Ohio and Buffalo, New York rather than build the branch to St. Louis, Missouri. Five hundred days later the Nickel Plate's 513-mile (825 km) single-track mainline from Buffalo, New York to Chicago, Illinois was complete. The railroad was estimated to require 90,000 long tons (80,000 metric tons) of steel rails, each weighing sixty pounds per yard (30 kg/m) and 1.5 million oak crossties. Additionally, the railroad required forty-nine major bridges. It was characterized by long sections of straight track, mild grades and impressive bridges. The Nickel Plate ran its first trains over the entire system on 16 October 1882. October 16 is the 289th day of the year (290th in Leap years). ... 1882 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

During construction, Vanderbilt and Gould had watched with great interest. If either of them could acquire the Nickel Plate, they could end the threat to their railroads. If the Nickel Plate remained independent it would be able to create a substantial dent in both entrepreneurs' railroad earnings.

Vanderbilt tried to lower the value of the Nickel Plate by organizing a campaign to smear its reputation before a train ever ran on its tracks. If Vanderbilt was successful he could scare the Seney Syndicate into selling to him or drive the railroad company into bankruptcy. However, Vanderbilt's plan came with two important risks. If he slandered the line he risked chasing the Seney Syndicate into an alliance with Gould. The other risk was that his plan to smear the Nickel Plate's reputation might fail and it could quickly grow. Vanderbilt claimed the road was being built with substandard materials and it would use unsafe practices once completed. He succeeded in creating long-standing rumors about the line, but failed to devalue the company or scare the investors. During 1879 and 1880 the Seney Syndicate linked together several short railroads in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois to form the Lake Erie & Western Railroad. ...

The cost of construction was higher that expected and the Seney Syndicate began to negotiate with Gould to purchase the railroad, but unlike Vanderbilt, Gould lacked the capital. Frustrated at the failing talks, Gould broke off negotiations and gave up on his attempt to break Vanderbilt.

The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Era

In early 1881, Vanderbilt could have had the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railway (or Nickel Plate) for one million dollars. He realized if he allowed Jay Gould to gain control of the Nickel Plate his monopoly on rail traffic from Toledo, Ohio - east would be broken. He decided he would do anything to keep the Nickel Plate out of Gould's hands. 1881 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... William Henry Vanderbilt (May 8, 1821 – December 8, 1885) was a businessman and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family. ... Jay Gould Jay Gould (May 27, 1836 - December 2, 1892), American financier, was born in Roxbury, New York. ... Toledo, Ohio. ...

On 25 October 1882 (a few days after the first trains ran) the Seney Syndicate sold the Nickel Plate to Vanderbilt for 7.2 million dollars. Vanderbilt transferred it to his Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad. However, Vanderbilt had a problem: he could not run the business into the ground or it would fall into receivership and someone else would buy it. He could not close the Nickel Plate either because it cost a fortune to buy. So, the Nickel Plate Road did business, but just enough to keep it solvent. By the advent of the 1920s the Nickel Plate was an obscure line that earned its keep through the transfer of freight from other rail connections. During the same period Vanderbilt's Lake Shore & Michigan Southern prospered and expanded. October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 67 days remaining. ... 1882 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... During 1879 and 1880 the Seney Syndicate linked together several short railroads in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois to form the Lake Erie & Western Railroad. ... The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, sometimes referred to as the Lake Shore, was a railroad that operated in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois primarily along the south shore of Lake Erie and across northern Indiana from Buffalo to Chicago. ...

Vanderbilt kept most of the rail traffic on his Lake Shore & Michigan Southern. Fewer trains on the Nickel Plate meant that they could move faster, so that is the railroad traffic they went after. By 1888 the Nickel Plate had been dubbed "The Meat Express Line." Observers at Fort Wayne, Indiana reported six long meat trains every night and a couple of fruit trains during the day. 1888 is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... City nickname: The Summit City Location in the state of Indiana County Allen County, Indiana Area  - Total  - Water 127 km^2 (78. ...

Vanderbilt consolidated many of his railroads into the New York Central Railroad. In 1915 Vanderbilt was found to be in violation of the federal antitrust laws because the New York Central had a controlling interest in the Nickel Plate. Over time the Nickel Plate had been reduced as a serious threat to competing lines and in return for operating concessions and access to certain stations, the New York Central sold the Nickel Plate to the Van Sweringen brothers of Cleveland, Ohio. 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. ... 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Orris Paxton (b. ... City nickname: The Forest City Location within the state of Ohio County Cuyahoga Mayor Jane Campbell Area  - Land  - Water 213. ...

The Van Sweringen era

Oris Paxton Van Sweringen and his younger brother Mantis James Van Sweringen were real estate developers who constructed a rapid transit from their development at Shaker Heights, Ohio to downtown Cleveland. As early as 1909 the Van Sweringen brothers proposed a stub-end terminal on Public Square in downtown Cleveland. The Cleveland interurbans and traction companies were in favor of the new terminal and right-of-ways leading to it. Oris Paxton (b. ... Mantis James Van Sweringen was born on July 8, 1881 near Wooster, Ohio. ... Shaker Heights is a city located in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. ... City nickname: The Forest City Location within the state of Ohio County Cuyahoga Mayor Jane Campbell Area  - Land  - Water 213. ... 1909 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Orris Paxton (b. ...

The Nickel Plate was the key. It transversed Cleveland from east to west, had a high level crossing of the Cuyahoga River Valley, and it was adjacent to the proposed terminal. The Nickel Plate also provided natural route to the proposed terminal for the Van Sweringen's rapid transit and the other traction lines. The Cuyahoga River is located in northeast Ohio. ...

Between 1890 and 1913 Cleveland had a four fold increase in population. Cleveland wanted to clean up the city and started many civic projects. Cleveland wanted to consolidate all of its railroad stations. The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, Pennsylvania Railroad, and Big Four Railroad shared a crowed lakefront Union Station. The Erie Railroad, Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Nickel Plate Road, and Lake Erie & Western Railroad all occupied separate stations on the north bluff of the Cuyahoga River, just south of downtown. The city also encouraged the railroads to build grade separation throughout the city. The Nickel Plate started a grade separation project on the East Side of Cleveland in 1909 and finished in 1913. Cleveland approved a bond issue in 1910 to "depress" the Nickel Plate through the most congested part of the West Side. 1890 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1913 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, sometimes referred to as the Lake Shore, was a railroad that operated in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois primarily along the south shore of Lake Erie and across northern Indiana from Buffalo to Chicago. ... The Pennsylvania Railroad (AAR reporting mark: PRR) was an American railroad existing 1846–1968, after which it merged into Penn Central Transportation. ... Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. ... 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. ... 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. ... The Lake Erie & Western Railroad was a railroad that operated in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. ... 1909 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1913 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern was controlled by the New York Central Railroad's Alfred H. Smith, a close friend of the Van Sweringens. He had guided the Van Sweringens and even financed their rapid transit to Shaker Heights. The Attorney General of the United States advised the New York Central that its control of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern and the Nickel Plate was in violation of the Federal antitrust laws in late 1915. Alfred Smith called his friends, the Van Sweringens on 1 February 1916 and offered them the Nickel Plate. They bought it for 8.5 million dollars on 13 April 1916. They only put up a little over half a million dollars but they controlled 75% of Nickel Plate's voting stock. The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, sometimes referred to as the Lake Shore, was a railroad that operated in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois primarily along the south shore of Lake Erie and across northern Indiana from Buffalo to Chicago. ... 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. ... 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. ... 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ... April 13 is the 103rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (104th in leap years). ... 1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ...

The Van Sweringens had no intention of running the Nickel Plate. Alfred Smith was happy to give the Van Sweringens a vice-president of the New York Central, John Bernet, and some of his top men. Smith wanted to show that the Van Sweringens were not New York Central puppets, and the Nickel Plate needed to earn money to retire the $6.5 million in notes owed to the New York Central.

NKP President John Bernet Era

The End of an Era: Merger with N & W, Norfolk Southern

As the financial situation of American railroading continued to decline after World War II, the Nickel Plate Road together with the Wabash and several smaller carriers merged with the profitable Norfolk & Western Railway (N&W) on October 16, 1964. Download high resolution version (547x717, 52 KB)Nickel Plate Railroad, 1957. ... Categories: Rail stubs | Defunct railroad companies of the United States | Illinois railroads | Indiana railroads | Ohio railroads ... 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. ... October 16 is the 289th day of the year (290th in Leap years). ... 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

N&W had merged with long-time rival Virginian Railway in the Pocahontas coal region in 1959, and grew through the mergers with other rail carriers including the Nickel Plate and Wabash railroads with operations in adjacent areas of the eastern United States to form a more competitive and successful system serving 14 states and a province of Canada on more than 7,000 miles of road. The Virginian Railway (AAR reporting mark VGN) was a Class 1 railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. ...

The profitable N&W was itself combined with the Southern Railway, another profitable carrier, to form Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS) in 1982. 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. ...

Origin of the Nickel Plate nickname

The following is an excerpt from the book The Nickel Plate Road, A Short History of the New York, Chicago & St. Louis R.R. printed in 1954. The book is a record of an address given by Lynne L. White (a former president of the Nickel Plate) to the Newcomen Society of the United States, held in the ballroom of the Hotel Lawrence, Erie, Pa., November 11, 1954. Mr. White was guest of honor at this "1954 Lake Erie Dinner". The Newcomen Society of the United States is a publicly-supported, tax-exempt, educational foundation for the study and recognition of achievement in American business and the society it serves. It was founded in New York City in 1923 by L. F. Loree, then dean of American railroad presidents, together...

Through northern Ohio, already served by four railroads, location of the line developed intense rivalries among cities. Three routes were surveyed and communities along each proposed route vied in the raising of public subscriptions to donate rights-of-way. The road's general offices at Cleveland frequently were besieged by delegations hoping to bring about the routing of the line through their communities. During these inter-city rivalries was born the nickname for the New York, Chicago and St. Louis - The Nickel Plate Road - which rapidly became the name most commonly used.

Numerous legends have grown about when and how the name "Nickel Plate" was first applied. The accepted version is that it appeared first in an article in the Norwalk, Ohio, Chronicle of March 10, 1881. On that date the Chronicle reported the arrival of a party of engineers to make a survey for the "great New York and St. Louis double track, nickel plated railroad."

Later, while attempting to induce the company to build the line through Norwalk instead of Bellevue, Ohio, the Chronicle again referred to the road as "nickel plated" - a term regarded as indicative of the project's glittering prospects and substantial financial backing.

In 1882, the Nickel Plate recognized F.R. Loomis, owner and editor of the Norwalk Chronicle, as originator of the term and issued him Complimentary Pass No. 1.

Thus Norwalk named the road - but Bellevue finally got it.

References

• Hampton, Taylor (2001). The Nickel Plate Road: The history of a great railroad. Circulation Publishing and Marketing. ISBN 1928551173.
• Holland, Kevin J. (1999). Berkshires of the Nickel Plate Road. TLC Publishing, Virginia. ISBN 1883089395.
• Rehor, John A. (1994). The Nickel Plate story. Kalmbach Publishing Co., Waukesha, WI. ASIN 0890240124.
• Lynne L. White (1954) The Nickel Plate Road, A Short History of the New York, Chicago & St. Louis R.R. Newcomen Publication: Exton, Pennsylvania

See also

• Norfolk and Western Railway
• Norfolk Southern

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. ... Norfolk Southern Corporation (AAR reporting mark NS) (NYSE: NSC) is a US publicly-traded stock corporation based in Norfolk, Virginia. ...

External link

• The Nickel Plate Road Historical & Technical Society (http://www.nkphts.org/)