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 created 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.
- Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Historical Society
- Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society
- Louisville & Nashville Railroad Historical Society
- Norfolk & Western Historical Society
- 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
- 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 – 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
- Magazines/Online: ‘Trains‘, ‘Classic Trains‘
- Carolana.com – North Carolina Railroads, South Carolina Railroads
- HawkinsRails.net
- StateOfFranklin.net which hosts Johnson’s Depot
- RailFanGuides.us for Johnson City and for Erwin
- SteamLocomotive.com
- WvncRails.org – North Carolina and West Virginia Railroads
- Online Videos: Ken Marsh on Kingsport area railroads and region’s history Video #1 | Video #2:
- Online Article: Flanary: ‘The Quick Service Route, The Clinchfield Railroad‘
- Numerous Newspaper Articles: Newspapers.com
- Article: Scientific American: ‘The Costliest Railroad in America‘
- Personal Maps & Memorabilia: Documents, maps, timetables, 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.