Belpre and Cincinnati Railroad

Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad

Company type	Railroad
Industry	Rail transport
Predecessor	Belpre and Cincinnati Railroad
Founded	1851
Defunct	1883
Fate	Renamed Cincinnati, Washington and Baltimore Railroad; later part of Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern Railroad
Headquarters	Marietta, Ohio , United States
Area served	Southern Ohio
Key people	William P. Cutler (General Manager and President)
Products	Rail transport services
Parent	Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (after integration)

The Marietta and Cincinnati (M&C) served as a significant east-west railway in southern Ohio before its integration into the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O). Its initial line linked Marietta to Loveland, traversing through towns such as Vincent, Athens, Hamden, Chillicothe, Greenfield, and Blanchester. The railroad featured two principal branches: one extending from Blanchester to Hillsboro (initially the Hillsboro and Cincinnati Railroad) and another running from Hamden to Portsmouth, Ohio (originally the Scioto and Hocking Valley Railroad).

History

Originally established in 1845 as the Belpre and Cincinnati Railroad (B&C), the company shifted its terminus from Belpre to Marietta, Ohio and adopted the name Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad in 1851. By 1857, the M&C had reached Loveland. Following a bankruptcy in 1858, it reorganized and resumed operations in 1860. The inaugural through-train from Cincinnati utilized Little Miami Railroad tracks to Loveland on April 9, 1857.

Plans to extend the line from Marietta to Bellaire, Ohio—aiming for a B&O connection at Wheeling, Virginia—were partially graded but abandoned due to financial failure; this right-of-way was later taken over by the Pennsylvania Railroad.

In 1857, the Northwestern Virginia Railroad, funded by the B&O, linked Grafton to Parkersburg, Virginia. To connect these rail systems, M&C operated a ferry service between Marietta and Parkersburg.

With support from both the B&O and Baltimore City Council, the Union Railroad was constructed in 1860 from Scott's Landing near Marietta to Belpre and was operated by M&C. This section remained active as of 2012, primarily handling unit coal shipments.

Between 1864 and 1866, M&C completed a line from Loveland to Winton Place to join with the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railway, officially opening on February 18, 1866.

The Cincinnati and Baltimore Railway was chartered in 1868 and began operations on June 1, 1872. Covering six miles from Spring Grove to downtown Cincinnati, it was leased indefinitely to M&C upon commencement.

The Baltimore Short Line Railway, established in 1870 and inaugurated on November 15, 1874, offered a more direct path from Warren's Station to Belpre along the Hocking River. This route became M&C’s primary mainline and was eventually absorbed into B&O.

Due to redundancy and upkeep difficulties, service on the older "Old Line" between Warren's Station and Scott's Landing ceased in December 1876.

On February 16, 1883, M&C transitioned into the Cincinnati, Washington and Baltimore Railroad; subsequently, on December 20, 1889, it was renamed The Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern Railroad.

The Marietta Mineral Railway was formed in 1882 with the goal of reinstating service on portions of the old line northeast of Warren's. Operations recommenced between Flemming Station and Marietta in 1884 and extended to Big Run by 1885. Renamed as the Marietta, Columbus and Cleveland Railroad (MC&C) in 1900, it continued until approximately 1917; its eastern segment operated under the Marietta and Vincent Railroad Company name until its abandonment in 1924.

B&O acquired the western line originating at Canaanville; segments east of Vinton County were abandoned during the 1980s. Some stretches have since been repurposed as part of the Moonville Rail-Trail near Mineral, Ohio.

William P. Cutler, instrumental in developing M&C’s infrastructure, also played a key role in supporting both the Union Railroad and Marietta Mineral Railway. He held positions as General Manager and President of M&C for an extended period.