Chessie System Railroad
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Page Contents
Chessie System Railroad
The Chessie System was the combination of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and the Western Maryland Railway.
As a prelude to the Chessie System, the C&O purchased majority stock in the B&O Railroad in 1962. Five years later the C&O and B&O jointly gained control of the Western Maryland.
Some consolidation occurred after the three railroads merged to create the Chessie System, especially the abandonment of portions of the Western Maryland mainline across the Appalachians.
The Chessie System was merged with the Seaboard System to create CSX transportation in 1987.
Photo by Roger Puta: Chessie System train at Fort Springs Tunnel in WV, 1981
Chessie System Stats
- Began Operation: 1973, by merging the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) and Baltimore & Ohio (B&O)
- Predecessors: C&O, B&O, and the Western Maryland (WM) which was controlled by the B&O.
- Reporting Marks: Remained BO, CO, and WM
- Years of Operation: 1973 to 1987
- Mainline: Newport News VA to Chicago IL, Baltimore MD/Washington DC to Chicago IL and St. Louis MO, Buffalo NY to Chicago IL, Philadelphia PA to Washington DC to Newport News VA
- Primary Cities: Richmond VA, Huntington WV, Newport News VA, Washington DC, Baltimore MD, Pittsburgh PA, Philadelphia PA, Cincinnati OH, Columbus OH, Chicago IL, St Louis IL, Detroit MI, Buffalo NY
- Length: 10,000+ to 11,000+ miles during its years of operation
- Primary Freight: Coal, Minerals and Natural Resources, Export Goods, Automotive, Agricultural Goods, Chemicals
- Headquarters: Cleveland OH
- Chessie System Today: Part of CSX Transportation
- Connection with the Clinchfield: Elkhorn City KY
Chessie System Map 1978
For More Information – Sources and Resources
The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the history and operation of the Appalachian Railroads. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Appalachian-Railroads.org. Much of the content on the website is verified across multiple sources.
- Association: Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Historical Society
- Association: Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society
- Association: Carolina Clinchfield Chapter National Railway Historical Society
- Association: ET&WNC Railroad Historical Society and their Facebook Page
- Association: George L. Carter Railroad Historical Society
- Association: Louisville & Nashville Railroad Historical Society
- Association: Norfolk & Western Historical Society
- Association: Southern Railway Historical Association
- Association: Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society
- Personal Maps & Memorabilia: Documents, maps, timetables, and track charts
- Archives of Appalachia: ETSU, Johnson City TN
- Book – Castner, Flanary & Dorin: Louisville & Nashville Railroad, The Old Reliable
- Book – Drury. The Historical Guide to North American Railroads
- Book – Flanary: The Louisville & Nashville Cumberland Valley Division
- Book – Flanary, Lindsey & Oroszi. The Southern Railway
- Book – Flanary, Oroszi & McKee: ‘The Louisville & Nashville in the Appalachians’
- Books – 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 – Lindsey: ‘Norfolk Southern 1995 Review’
- Book – King: ‘Clinchfield Country‘
- Book – Marsh: ‘Clinchfield in Color‘
- Book – Oroszi & Flanary: ‘Dixie Lines, The Louisville & Nashville Railroad’
- 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 – Webb: ‘The Southern Railway System: An Illustrated History’
- Book – Wolfe: Southern Railway Appalachia Division
- Magazines/Online: ‘Trains‘, ‘Classic Trains‘
- Newspaper Articles: Newspapers.com
- Online Article: Flanary: ‘The Quick Service Route, The Clinchfield Railroad‘; Scientific American: ‘The Costliest Railroad in America‘
- Online Videos: Ken Marsh on Kingsport area railroads and region’s history Video #1 | Video #2:
- 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: VirginiaPlaces.org – Railroad History of Virginia
- Website: WvncRails.org – North Carolina and West Virginia Railroads
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
