Cleveland 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	George I. Seney, John J. Bernet, Oris Paxton Van Sweringen, Mantis James Van Sweringen
Products	Freight and passenger rail transport
Parent	Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (1937–1947)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Cleveland and State Line Railroad, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 27 November 20251 source

The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, commonly referred to as the "Nickel Plate Road", operated from 1881 until 1964, serving regions within New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. It 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, this railroad connected Buffalo with Chicago, directly challenging the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway. By 1960, the Nickel Plate Road managed of road mileage on of track (excluding its Lorain & West Virginia segment), producing 9.758 billion net ton-miles in freight revenue alongside 41 million passenger-miles.

In 1964, the Nickel Plate Road merged with other Midwestern railroads to form part of the larger Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W), creating a competitive network spanning 14 states plus Ontario over more than of track. This consolidation paved the way for the 1982 merger between N&W and the prosperous Southern Railway, resulting in the formation of the 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 westward and encouraging larger-scale industrial development. By 1881, approximately one in every 32 Americans was employed by railroads or related construction.

Starting in 1877, railroad tycoons William H. Vanderbilt and Jay Gould vied for dominance over traffic along the Great Lakes’ southern shore. By 1878, Vanderbilt controlled all rail traffic between Buffalo, New York, Cleveland, Ohio, Detroit, Michigan, and Chicago through ownership of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway. At that time, he was recognized as America’s wealthiest individual. Meanwhile, by 1881 Gould held about 15% of U.S. railroad mileage, primarily west of the Mississippi River. His principal eastern asset was the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railway (Wabash), which operated between St. Louis, Missouri and Toledo, Ohio but depended on Vanderbilt’s Lake Shore Railroad for further eastern distribution.

Together, Vanderbilt and Gould controlled most east–west rail traffic across the Midwest. The Seney Syndicate, proprietors of the Lake Erie and Western Railroad, sought to expand their revenue opportunities—setting the foundation for what would become the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad.

Early years

Under the leadership of financier George I. Seney, the Seney Syndicate established the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railway Company on February 3, 1881. Their objective was to construct a railroad stretching from Cleveland to Chicago with an additional branch extending to St. Louis.

On April 13, 1881, they purchased the Buffalo, Cleveland and Chicago Railway, which had surveyed a route from Cleveland westward to Buffalo parallel to Vanderbilt’s Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway.

Local support in Ohio favored this east–west line as a means to counteract elevated freight charges imposed by Gould and Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt’s unpopularity was intensified following a fatal 1876 Lake Shore trestle collapse.

The anticipated economic benefits spurred community enthusiasm; Norwalk, Ohio’s Chronicle Newspaper described it as a "... double-track, nickel-plated railroad," which inspired its enduring nickname—the Nickel Plate Road.

Construction commenced first on the Cleveland-Buffalo segment. Remarkably, within just 500 days, the Nickel Plate completed its single-track mainline connecting Buffalo to Chicago. The project required substantial resources including 90,000 long tons of steel rails and 1.5 million oak ties as well as 49 significant bridges. The route was characterized by extended straight stretches, gentle gradients, and notable bridge structures. Operations officially began on October 16, 1882.

Both Vanderbilt and Gould closely observed construction progress; acquiring control of the Nickel Plate would have removed a competitive rival. Vanderbilt sought to undermine its value by circulating rumors about inferior materials and unsafe construction practices aimed at deterring investors or compelling a sale. Despite these persistent claims, they failed to harm its reputation or dissuade financial backers.

Due to escalating construction expenses, the Seney Syndicate entered negotiations with Gould regarding a potential sale; however, Gould lacked adequate funds and withdrew from discussions—ending his attempt to challenge Vanderbilt through this acquisition effort.

The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern period

In early 1881, Vanderbilt came close to purchasing the Nickel Plate for $1 million (equivalent to about $ today) as a strategy to prevent Gould from disrupting his dominance over rail traffic east of Toledo, Ohio. Shortly after operations commenced, on October 25, 1882, the Seney Syndicate sold the Nickel Plate to Vanderbilt for $7.2 million (approximately $ today). He then absorbed it into his Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway network. Vanderbilt managed the Nickel Plate as a financially stable yet secondary route, deliberately limiting investments to avoid receivership while maintaining control.

By the 1920s, the Nickel Plate functioned mainly as a smaller-scale operation focused on transferring freight from other railroads, whereas Vanderbilt’s Lake Shore and Michigan Southern experienced profitable growth. By 1888, the Nickel Plate had earned the moniker "The Meat Express Line," notable for its substantial meat and fruit train traffic at Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Vanderbilt consolidated numerous railroads into the New York Central Railroad, which diminished the competitive pressure posed by the Nickel Plate. Unlike many railroads that centralized maintenance in one primary facility, the Nickel Plate operated several "back shops" of comparable size at different sites, including Stony Island Yard near Chicago, Frankfort, Indiana, Conneaut, Ohio, and Bellevue, Ohio. By the 1920s, these maintenance operations were largely centralized in Fort Wayne, Conneaut, Bellevue, and Stony Island.

The Van Sweringen ownership

In 1916, Cleveland-based real estate developers and rapid transit innovators Oris Paxton Van Sweringen and Mantis James Van Sweringen acquired control of the Nickel Plate. Their plans involved constructing a downtown terminal at Public Square, Cleveland, capitalizing on the railroad’s east-west corridor through Cleveland and its key crossing over the Cuyahoga River.

Between 1890 and 1913, Cleveland’s population grew fourfold, prompting city officials to consolidate railroad stations and enhance transportation infrastructure. The Nickel Plate undertook a grade separation project on Cleveland’s East Side from 1909 to 1913. This effort was supported by municipal bonds that financed track depressions through heavily congested areas on the West Side.

The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway was under the influence of Alfred Holland Smith of New York Central—a close ally of the Van Sweringens—and faced antitrust investigations. In 1916, following federal recommendations to divest interests in rival lines, Smith offered control of the Nickel Plate to the Van Sweringen brothers. They purchased it for $8.5 million (roughly $ today), contributing just over $500,000 upfront but acquiring 75% of voting shares through operational agreements.

The Van Sweringens entrusted day-to-day management to New York Central executives such as vice-president John J. Bernet. Their approach balanced operational independence with ensuring sufficient profitability to pay off $6.5 million in New York Central debt.

Nickel Plate president John Bernet’s leadership

During John Bernet’s tenure as president, the Nickel Plate underwent considerable expansion. In 1922, it acquired the Lake Erie and Western Railroad, opening access to Sandusky, Ohio and Peoria, Illinois. Later that year, it purchased the Toledo, St. Louis and Western Railroad—known as the "Clover Leaf Route"—which extended its network to St. Louis and enhanced connections to the port of Toledo, Ohio.

Bernet achieved remarkable improvements by doubling freight volume and average speeds while cutting fuel usage by half before departing in 1926. Upon his return in 1933, he commissioned fifteen 2-8-4 "Berkshire" locomotives that became emblematic of the railroad’s identity. Bernet remained president until his passing in 1935.

On December 29, 1937, control of the Nickel Plate shifted to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. During this transition period from 1937 to 1944, Frank Allen Brown served as assistant superintendent.

World War II and the post-war period

Throughout World War II, the Nickel Plate contributed to the war effort by acquiring 55 additional Berkshires.

In 1947, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad relinquished its control by divesting its remaining shares. That same year, Nickel Plate debuted 11 ALCO PA diesel-electric locomotives known as "Bluebirds," marking the company's first locomotives in colors other than black since the early 20th century.

The final Berkshire, #779, delivered in 1949, was also the last steam locomotive produced by Lima Locomotive Works. Additionally, that year Nickel Plate leased the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway.

By 1960, diesel locomotives had fully replaced steam power with the retirement of the last steam engine.

Passenger operations

Nickel Plate ran several overnight long-distance trains linking Chicago, Cleveland, and Buffalo, with connections at Lackawanna Station to Hoboken, New Jersey. Notable trains included:

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

Merger with Norfolk and Western, formation of Norfolk Southern

Following World War II, growing competition from highways and the expanding Interstate system placed financial pressure on American railroads. On October 16, 1964, the Nickel Plate Road merged into the prosperous Norfolk and Western (N&W), along with the Wabash and several smaller lines.

Prior to this, N&W had merged with the Virginian Railway in 1959 and expanded further by acquiring Nickel Plate and Wabash, creating a more extensive network serving 14 states plus a Canadian province with over of track.

In 1982, N&W merged with the Southern Railway, forming the Norfolk Southern (NS), which became a major freight railroad.

Chicago terminals

By 1897, Nickel Plate secured trackage rights over the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway from Grand Crossing to its own terminal near LaSalle Street Station on Chicago’s east side. By 1928, it had direct access into LaSalle Station.

Origin of the "Nickel Plate" nickname

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

Northern Ohio was served by four railroads, leading to intense competition among cities for routing preferences. Three potential routes were surveyed with local communities raising funds to secure rights-of-way. The railroad’s Cleveland offices frequently received delegations attempting to influence its path. From these rivalries emerged the nickname for the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad—The Nickel Plate Road—which soon became its popular designation.

The phrase "Nickel Plate" first appeared in an article published by the Norwalk, Ohio Chronicle on March 10, 1881. The article described engineers surveying for the "great New York and St. Louis double track, nickel plated railroad." Subsequent efforts to route through Norwalk again referenced "nickel plated," reflecting strong financial backing and promising prospects.

In recognition of this origin, in 1882 Nickel Plate awarded F.R. Loomis, owner and editor of the Norwalk Chronicle, Complimentary Pass No. 1 as acknowledgment.

Ultimately, while Norwalk coined the name—the route itself was secured by Bellevue.

Continuing this legacy, HGR Industrial Surplus—current 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.^[1]

Heritage unit

On March 28, 2012, Norfolk Southern introduced NS 8100, a GE ES44AC locomotive adorned in the Nickel Plate Road's diesel paint scheme. This locomotive was the third in a series of twenty created to pay tribute to Norfolk Southern's predecessor railroads.

References

External links

↑ Tabasso, Gina. “Come celebrate HGR’s building dedication on Oct. 1: Big sale, free lunch, prizes and more”. HGR Industrial Surplus. Retrieved 2016-07-06.

[1] Tabasso, Gina. “Come celebrate HGR’s building dedication on Oct. 1: Big sale, free lunch, prizes and more”. HGR Industrial Surplus. Retrieved 2016-07-06.

[1]