Chesapeake & Ohio Railway
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Chesapeake & Ohio Railway – C&O
The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway was the first railroad to make it across the central mid-section of the Appalachian Mountain region, and truly tap into the financial rewards of carrying coal and manifest freight. This success by the C&O allowed it to prosper financially, and to eventually own and operate other railroads such as the B&O and the Western Maryland. By 1986, the C&O and its namesake successor the Chessie System, had both become the ‘C’ in CSX Transportation. The C&O/Chessie took the lead in a much larger railroad that covered much of the Eastern United States.
Photo: A loaded coal train heading east, and an empty coal train headed west on the C&O mainline near Moss Run VA in 1981. This double track C&O mainline always stayed busy through the decades with coal trains, manifest freight, and passenger trains. Photo by Roger Puta.
Ohio River to the Atlantic Ocean
The first C&O mainline took a more northern route from Richmond VA westward, crossing the Appalachian Mountains through Charlottesville and Stanton VA. The Ohio River was reached in 1873. A few years later in 1881, the C&O completed the connection to the Atlantic Ohio at Newport News VA.
Since the original mainline ascended the mountains via tunnels and grades, the C&O merged with the Richmond and Allegheny Railroad in 1889, providing a water level route along the Jackson and James Rivers. This line from Clifton Forge VA to Richmond VA made it much easier to carry coal to the ports at Newport News VA for export.
Coal Operations
C&O’s route ventured westward through extensive coal fields in West Virginia. Thurmond, was the primary yard and center for their coal operations, moving it both directions. But, the primary tonnage was eastward to the C&O’s coal piers at Newport News VA. During many of the prosperous coal years,
In the 1981 Roger Puta photo below, two engines take a breather at Thurmond, most likely between mine runs. You can see the coaling tower in the background used in the days of steam.
Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Stats
- Reporting Mark: C&O, CO
- Operated: 1869-1973
- Mainline Length: 5,067 miles
- Mainline: Newport News VA – Chicago IL, Washington DC – Charlottesville VA, Buffalo NY – Detroit MI – Chicago IL, Kenova WV – Toledo OH – Detroit MI, Kenova WV – Elkhorn City KY
- Primary Cities: Newport News VA, Richmond VA, Charlottesville VA, Washington DC, Ashland KY, Cincinnati OH, Chicago IL, Louisville KY, Detroit MI, Columbus OH, Toledo OH, Buffalo NY, Grand Rapids MI
- Headquarters: Cleveland OH
- Passenger Trains: George Washington, Fast Flying Virginian, Sportsman
- Successor: Chessie System
- C&O Today: Part of CSX Transportation
C&O Passenger Trains
Photo: C&O Sportsman at Alexandria VA in 1969 by Roger Puta
C&O Railway Map 1967
Links for Additional Information
For More Information – Sources and Resources
The following are wonderful resources for those interested in Appalachian Railroads. They also serve as sources of information for Appalachian-Railroads.org
- Association/Archives: Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Historical Society
- Association/Archives: Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society
- Association/Archives: Louisville & Nashville Railroad Historical Society
- Association/Archives: Norfolk & Western Historical Society
- Association/Archives: Southern Railway Historical Association
- Archives of Appalachia: ETSU, Johnson City TN
- Book: Drury: The Historical Guide to North American Railroads
- Book: Flanary, Lindsey & Oroszi: The Southern Railway
- Book: Goforth: ‘Building the Clinchfield’ and ‘When Steam Ran the Clinchfield’
- Book: Graybeal: ‘The Railroads of Johnson City’
- Book: Irwin & Stahl: ‘The Last Empire Builder: The Life of George L. Carter’
- Book: King: ‘Clinchfield Country’
- Book: Marsh: ‘Clinchfield in Color’
- Book: Poole: ‘A History of Railroading in Western North Carolina’
- Book: Poteat & Taylor: ‘The CSX Clinchfield Route in the 21st Century’
- Book: Stevens & Peoples: ‘The Clinchfield No. 1 – Tennessee’s Legendary Steam Engine’
- Book: Way: ‘The Clinchfield Railroad, the Story of a Trade Route Across the Blue Ridge Mountains’
- Book: Wolfe: Southern Railway Appalachia Division
- Magazine: ‘Trains‘
- Magazine: ‘Classic Trains‘
- Website: Carolana.com – North Carolina Railroads, South Carolina Railroads
- Website: HawkinsRails.net
- Website: StateOfFranklin.net which hosts Johnson’s Depot
- Website: RailFanGuides.us for Johnson City and for Erwin
- Website: SteamLocomotive.com
- Website: WvncRails.org – North Carolina and West Virginia Railroads
- Video: Ken Marsh on Kingsport area railroads and region’s history Video #1
- Video: Ken Marsh on railroads and region’s history Video #2:
- Article: Flanary: ‘The Quick Service Route, The Clinchfield Railroad‘
- Articles: ‘Johnson City Comet‘
- Article: Scientific American: ‘The Costliest Railroad in America‘
- Personal Maps & Memorabilia: Documents, maps and track charts
Contact Us
Would enjoy hearing from you if you have questions, suggestions, edits, or content that you are willing to share. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have similar interests in the railroads or model railroading.
3Cs Websites
Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org
Contact Us
Would enjoy hearing from you if you have questions, suggestions, edits, or content that you are willing to share. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have similar interests in the railroads or model railroading.