Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad

Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Railroad
Predecessor	Chicago & Calumet Terminal Railway, Chicago Terminal Transfer Railroad
Founded	January 6, 1910; 116 years ago
Fate	Acquired by CSX Corporation
Headquarters	Chicago, United States
Area served	Chicago metropolitan area
Owner	CSX Corporation

The Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad functions as a terminal railroad within the Chicago metropolitan area, historically granting multiple railroads access to Grand Central Station. It played a crucial role in facilitating freight interchange among these railroads and is currently under the ownership of CSX Corporation, which succeeded the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

History

By 1886, the Chicago and Great Western Railroad (C&GW) was established by the Wisconsin Central Railroad to construct a line extending from Forest Park into Chicago, culminating in the development of Grand Central Station, which commenced operations in December 1890.

In June 1887, the Chicago & Calumet Terminal Railway (C&CT), a subsidiary of Northern Pacific, consolidated several terminal railroads around Chicago. This network connected the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway at McCook, Illinois, stretching southeast to Hammond, Indiana, where it linked with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O).

By March 1890, another Northern Pacific affiliate acquired C&GW along with other Wisconsin Central lines, merging them into the Chicago & Northern Pacific Railroad (C&NP). Shortly thereafter, Wisconsin Central leased its operations to Northern Pacific. The C&NP and C&CT were interconnected through newly constructed tracks and trackage rights. However, after the economic collapse known as the Panic of 1893, Wisconsin Central terminated its lease; C&NP reverted to Wisconsin Central control but declared bankruptcy by October 1893 due to financial distress.

In July 1897, ownership of C&NP transferred to the Chicago Terminal Transfer Railroad (CTT) from Wisconsin Central. Although Wisconsin Central—and later the Soo Line Railroad—lost direct access to downtown Chicago, it continued utilizing this route to reach Grand Central Station until 1899 and resumed usage from 1912 through 1965. In May 1897, CTT merged with the Chicago & Calumet Terminal. The B&O started operating into Grand Central Station in 1892 after establishing a connection with CTT at South Chicago. Additionally, following its extension to Porter, Indiana in 1903, the Pere Marquette Railroad gained access to Grand Central Station via CTT.

The Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad was officially created on January 6, 1910, through foreclosure acquisition of CTT, consolidating B&O’s control over both the terminal railroad network and Grand Central Station.

At its height in the 1920s, this railroad encompassed 78 miles of routes and maintained 365 miles of track.

Operations

Located strategically within Chicago, this railroad linked at Forest Park and provided access via trackage rights for the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway ("Soo Line")—which had leased Wisconsin Central since 1909—and for the Chicago Great Western Railway, enabling them to reach Grand Central Station.

Satellite stations

Prior to trains arriving at Grand Central Station, the Baltimore and Ohio operated two significant long-distance stations situated on Chicago’s periphery. These terminals were stops for premier services such as the Capitol Limited along with other trains bound for Chicago.

One terminal was the South Chicago Station, located near 94th Street and Commercial Avenue adjacent to the Calumet River. This station also served as a stop for the Pere Marquette Railway’s Night Express traveling toward Muskegon and Grand Rapids, Michigan, as well as its Resort Special heading to Bay View, Michigan; both routes utilized these stations en route to Grand Central. The second facility was the 63rd Street Station positioned in Chicago's South Lynne district.

Following the acquisition of Pere Marquette by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway in 1947, passenger services to southwest Michigan continued through these stations until Amtrak took over passenger operations in 1971. The B&O discontinued service at South Chicago station between 1968 and 1970.

External links

Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. IL-1016, "Grand Central Station"
Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. IL-67, "Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Chicago Terminal Railroad, South Branch of the Chicago River Bridge"
PRR Chronology
Railroad History of Central Wisconsin – Chicago Terminal