Chicago and State Line Railroad

New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
Company type	Railroad
Industry	Rail transport
Predecessor	Buffalo, Cleveland and Chicago Railway
Founded	1881
Founder	Seney Syndicate (led by George I. Seney)
Defunct	1964
Fate	Merged into Norfolk and Western Railway
Successor	Norfolk and Western Railway
Headquarters	Cleveland, United States
Area served	New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri
Key people	John J. Bernet (president)
Products	Freight and passenger rail services
Parent	Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway (from 1882), later Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (1937–1947)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Chicago and State Line Railroad, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 27 November 2025

The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, widely recognized as the "Nickel Plate Road", operated from 1881 until 1964, serving regions within New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. This line linked major urban centers such as Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Toledo.

Established in 1881 along the southern shoreline of the Great Lakes to connect Buffalo with Chicago, the Nickel Plate Road was a direct competitor to the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway. By 1960, NKP controlled of track spanning over (excluding the 25 miles belonging to Lorain & West Virginia), and it generated freight revenues amounting to 9.758 billion net ton-miles alongside 41 million passenger-miles.

In 1964, the Nickel Plate Road merged with multiple Midwestern railroads to form part of the expanded network of the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W). This strategic consolidation aimed to establish a more competitive system operating across 14 states and Ontario, encompassing more than of rail lines. This merger ultimately paved the way for N&W’s 1982 union with the successful Southern Railway, resulting in today’s Norfolk Southern (NS).

Background

Following the conclusion of the American Civil War, U.S. railroad mileage more than doubled within a quarter-century, facilitating lower-cost transportation of Eastern goods to Western markets. This growth fostered economies of scale and enabled expansion of larger manufacturing facilities, transforming the agricultural Midwest by extending market access beyond what a single day’s wagon journey could cover. By 1881, railroad employment accounted for one in every 32 Americans.

Starting in 1877, railroad tycoons William H. Vanderbilt and Jay Gould engaged in fierce rivalry over control of traffic along the Great Lakes’ southern shore. By 1878, Vanderbilt had secured a monopoly on rail traffic connecting Buffalo, New York, Cleveland, Ohio, Detroit, Michigan, and Chicago through his ownership of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway. At that time, Vanderbilt was considered America’s wealthiest individual. Conversely, Gould controlled roughly 15% of U.S. railroad mileage by 1881, primarily west of the Mississippi River, including ownership of the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railway. The Wabash’s main route stretched from St. Louis to Toledo, Ohio, where freight had to be transferred onto Vanderbilt’s Lake Shore Railroad for shipment eastward.

Together, Vanderbilt and Gould dominated east–west rail traffic throughout the Midwest. Meanwhile, the owners of the Lake Erie and Western Railroad, known as the Seney Syndicate, sought additional revenue streams—setting conditions favorable for establishing the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad.

Early years

Under banker George I. Seney’s leadership, the Seney Syndicate incorporated the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railway Company on February 3, 1881. The vision entailed constructing a westward line from Cleveland to Chicago with a branch extending south toward St. Louis.

On April 13, 1881, this company acquired control of the Buffalo, Cleveland and Chicago Railway, which operated between Cleveland and Buffalo parallel to Vanderbilt’s Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway.

Local Ohio communities supported an east–west rail line aimed at challenging steep freight charges imposed by Gould and Vanderbilt—both widely disliked locally, especially Vanderbilt following the fatal 1876 collapse of the Ashtabula River trestle on his route.

The anticipated economic advantages garnered public backing; for instance, Norwalk’s Chronicle Newspaper affectionately referred to it as a "... double-track, nickel-plated railroad," coining its enduring nickname: the Nickel Plate Road.

Construction commenced initially on the Cleveland-Buffalo segment. Within approximately 500 days, the Nickel Plate completed its single-track mainline spanning from Buffalo to Chicago—utilizing about 90,000 long tons of steel rails alongside roughly 1.5 million oak ties plus erecting 49 significant bridges. The route was characterized by straight alignments, gentle gradients, and notable bridge structures. Full operation began on October 16, 1882.

During this period, both Vanderbilt and Gould closely monitored developments; acquiring control over the Nickel Plate would remove a key rival from competition. Vanderbilt sought to undermine confidence in the new line by spreading rumors alleging inferior materials and unsafe construction practices intended to intimidate investors or precipitate a sale. Although these tactics planted lingering doubts about track quality among some stakeholders, they failed to significantly reduce valuation or dissuade investment.

Construction expenses surpassed initial estimates; consequently, the Seney Syndicate entered negotiations with Gould regarding a potential sale but Gould lacked sufficient capital to proceed and terminated discussions—thereby abandoning his attempt to challenge Vanderbilt’s dominance in this corridor.

The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern period

In early 1881, Vanderbilt came close to purchasing the Nickel Plate for one million dollars but realized that letting Gould gain control would disrupt his monopoly on rail traffic east of Toledo, Ohio. On October 25, 1882, the Seney Syndicate sold the Nickel Plate to Vanderbilt for $7.2 million, which he then assigned to his Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway. Vanderbilt faced a predicament: due to the high acquisition cost, he could neither allow the line to deteriorate nor shut it down. As a result, the Nickel Plate was operated minimally to stay financially viable. By the 1920s, it had become a relatively obscure route mainly handling freight transfers from other railroads, while Vanderbilt's Lake Shore and Michigan Southern thrived.

Vanderbilt directed most of the traffic to his Lake Shore and Michigan Southern line, leaving fewer trains on the Nickel Plate to enable faster service. By 1888, the Nickel Plate earned the moniker "The Meat Express Line," with substantial shipments of meat and fruit reported at Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Ultimately, Vanderbilt merged numerous railroads into the New York Central Railroad, diminishing the Nickel Plate's role as a competitive rival. Unlike many railroads that centralized repairs in one main shop, the Nickel Plate operated several "back shops" of comparable size. By the late 19th century, key facilities were located at Stony Island Yard near Chicago, Frankfort, Indiana, Conneaut, and Bellevue, Ohio. By the 1920s, operations had largely consolidated in Fort Wayne, Conneaut, Bellevue, and Stony Island.

The Van Sweringen period

The Van Sweringen brothers from Cleveland, well-known real estate developers responsible for Shaker Heights' rapid transit line to downtown Cleveland, became the next owners of the Nickel Plate. Since 1909 they had proposed building a new terminal on Public Square, supported by local interurban rail lines.

The Nickel Plate held strategic value as it crossed Cleveland east-west, spanned the Cuyahoga River Valley, and fit with their terminal development plans. Between 1890 and 1913 Cleveland’s population grew fourfold, leading city officials to encourage consolidation of railroad stations and infrastructure improvements. The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, Pennsylvania Railroad, and Big Four Railroad shared an overcrowded Union Station near the lakefront. In contrast, the Erie Railroad, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Nickel Plate Road, and Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad operated separate stations south of downtown. The city promoted grade separations; by 1913 Nickel Plate completed its East Side project and had obtained bond approval in 1910 to lower tracks through congested West Side neighborhoods.

Under New York Central’s Alfred Holland Smith—an ally of the Van Sweringens—the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern came under antitrust examination by 1915. On February 1, 1916, Smith offered the Nickel Plate to the Van Sweringen brothers who acquired it for $8.5 million on April 13. Although they paid just over $500,000 upfront, they controlled 75% of voting shares through operating agreements.

The Van Sweringens never planned to run the Nickel Plate themselves. Instead, Smith assigned New York Central vice-president John J. Bernet along with senior executives to manage it as an independent entity. Their objective was for the Nickel Plate to produce sufficient earnings to repay $6.5 million in notes owed to New York Central.

Leadership of John Bernet at NKP

During John Bernet's tenure, the Nickel Plate experienced notable growth. In 1922, it expanded its network by acquiring the Lake Erie and Western Railroad, which provided routes to Sandusky, Ohio and Peoria, Illinois. Later that same year, the railroad purchased the Toledo, St. Louis and Western Railroad—commonly known as the "Clover Leaf Route"—thereby extending service to the St. Louis region and the port city of Toledo, Ohio.

Bernet succeeded in doubling the railroad’s freight capacity and average speeds while simultaneously reducing fuel usage by half before his departure in 1926. Upon his return in 1933, he commissioned fifteen 2-8-4 "Berkshire" locomotives, which would become a signature element of the Nickel Plate’s identity. Bernet continued as president until his passing in 1935.

On December 29, 1937, control of the Nickel Plate shifted to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. During this transitional period, Frank Allen Brown held the position of assistant superintendent from 1937 through 1944.

World War II and Subsequent Developments

Throughout World War II, the Nickel Plate contributed to wartime logistics by ordering an additional 55 Berkshire locomotives.

In 1947, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway divested its remaining ownership stake, ending its control over the Nickel Plate. That same year marked a significant modernization milestone with the introduction of 11 ALCO PA diesel-electric "Bluebird" locomotives—the first since early operations not painted in black.

The final Berkshire locomotive delivered, #779, arrived in 1949 and was notable as the last steam engine produced by Lima Locomotive Works. On December 1, 1949, Nickel Plate leased the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway.

By 1960, following retirement of its last steam locomotive, the Nickel Plate had fully transitioned to diesel power.

Passenger Train Operations

The Nickel Plate operated several overnight long-distance trains under various names depending on travel direction. These services connected through Buffalo’s Lackawanna Station, facilitating onward connections to Hoboken, New Jersey. Prominent trains included:

No. 5 City of Chicago (westbound) / No. 6 City of Cleveland (eastbound), running Chicago-Cleveland-Buffalo
No. 7 Westerner (westbound) / No. 8 New Yorker (eastbound), serving Chicago-Cleveland-Buffalo
No. 9 Blue Arrow (westbound) / No. 10 Blue Dart (eastbound), operating between St. Louis-Muncie-Cleveland

Integration with Norfolk and Western and Formation of Norfolk Southern

Following a post-World War II decline in rail profitability—attributable largely to highway and Interstate system expansions—the Nickel Plate Road merged with the financially robust Norfolk and Western (N&W) on October 16, 1964. This merger also included the Wabash Railroad and several smaller lines.

Prior to this consolidation, N&W had absorbed the Virginian Railway in 1959 and subsequently incorporated both Nickel Plate and Wabash railroads into its system. This expansion resulted in a competitive network covering fourteen U.S. states plus one Canadian province with over of track length.

In 1982, N&W merged with the Southern Railway, creating the Norfolk Southern—one of the premier rail networks serving the eastern United States.

Chicago terminals

By 1897, the Nickel Plate had obtained trackage rights over the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway extending from Grand Crossing to its own terminal situated east of the LS&MS line near LaSalle Street Station. Passenger operations began utilizing LaSalle Street Station by 1928.

Origin of the Nickel Plate nickname

During a 1954 speech delivered to the Newcomen Society of the United States in Erie, Pennsylvania, Lynne L. White, a former president of the Nickel Plate, recounted:

In northern Ohio, where four railroads already operated, fierce competition arose among cities regarding the route selection. Three potential paths were surveyed as local communities vied to secure public funding for rights-of-way. The Cleveland offices of the railroad frequently received delegations intent on influencing the final alignment. Amid these rivalries, the nickname "The Nickel Plate Road" quickly became associated with the New York, Chicago and St. Louis line.

The earliest known use appeared in a March 10, 1881 article in the Norwalk, Ohio Chronicle, which described engineers conducting surveys for the "great New York and St. Louis double track, nickel plated railroad." Subsequent mentions by the Chronicle employed "nickel plated" to emphasize the project's optimistic outlook and robust financial support.

In 1882, the Nickel Plate formally acknowledged F.R. Loomis, editor and proprietor of the Norwalk Chronicle, as the originator of this nickname by granting him Complimentary Pass No. 1.

Hence, while Norwalk coined the name, Bellevue ultimately secured the railroad’s physical presence.

Honoring this legacy, HGR Industrial Surplus—owner of the former General Motors Fisher Auto Body facility in Euclid, Ohio located along the Nickel Plate Road corridor—dedicated its premises as "Nickel Plate Station" on October 1, 2015.

Heritage unit

On March 28, 2012, Norfolk Southern introduced NS 8100, a GE ES44AC locomotive adorned with the traditional Nickel Plate Road diesel paint scheme. This unit was the third in a series of twenty locomotives honoring Norfolk Southern’s predecessor railroads.

References

External links