Erie and State Line Railroad

New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
Company type	Railroad
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	February 3, 1881; 145 years ago
Founder	George I. Seney (Seney Syndicate)
Defunct	October 16, 1964
Fate	Merged into 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 transport
Parent	Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (1937–1947)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Erie 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 across New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. Its principal markets encompassed Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Toledo.

Constructed in 1881 along the southern shore of the Great Lakes to link Buffalo with Chicago, this railroad directly competed with the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway. By 1960, the Nickel Plate Road managed of road on of track (excluding of Lorain & West Virginia), 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), with the goal of establishing a competitive network spanning 14 states plus Ontario over more than of rail. Later, in 1982, N&W combined forces with the successful Southern Railway to create the Norfolk Southern (NS).

Background

During the quarter-century following the American Civil War, U.S. railway mileage more than doubled, facilitating efficient east-to-west transportation of goods and promoting economies of scale. By 1881, approximately one in every thirty-two Americans was employed in railroad operations or construction.

Beginning in 1877, William H. Vanderbilt and Jay Gould vied for control over Great Lakes rail traffic. By 1878, Vanderbilt had secured a monopoly on routes connecting Buffalo, New York, Cleveland, Ohio, Detroit, Michigan, and Chicago through the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway. Gould commanded roughly 15% of railroad mileage west of the Mississippi River, including ownership of the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railway (Wabash), which relied on Vanderbilt’s lines for eastern connections.

Together, Vanderbilt and Gould dominated east–west rail traffic across the Midwest. Meanwhile, the Seney Syndicate—owners of the Lake Erie and Western Railroad—sought additional revenue streams, setting the foundation for what would become the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad.

Early years

Under the leadership of banker George I. Seney, the Seney Syndicate established the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railway Company on February 3, 1881, envisioning a route stretching from Cleveland to Chicago with a branch extending toward St. Louis.

On April 13, 1881, it acquired control of the Buffalo, Cleveland and Chicago Railway, a line running parallel to Vanderbilt’s Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway between Cleveland and Buffalo.

Support from Ohio communities was strong for this new east–west railroad as a means to counteract elevated freight charges imposed by Vanderbilt and Gould. The railroad earned its nickname "Nickel Plate Road" after local press praised it as a "... double-track, nickel-plated railroad."

Construction commenced first on the Cleveland-Buffalo segment. In just 500 days, the Nickel Plate completed its single-track mainline spanning from Buffalo to Chicago, designed with straight alignments, gentle grades, and substantial bridges. The line officially opened on October 16, 1882.

Both Vanderbilt and Gould monitored its development closely; acquiring or neutralizing this competitor was essential to safeguarding their profits. Vanderbilt initiated efforts to undermine its reputation by alleging inferior materials and unsafe construction practices in an attempt to diminish its value or coerce a sale. Despite spreading such rumors, he was unsuccessful in depreciating investor confidence or forcing a takeover.

Unexpectedly high construction expenses led the Seney Syndicate to enter negotiations with Gould regarding a potential sale. However, Gould lacked adequate capital resources and withdrew from discussions, ending his attempt to challenge Vanderbilt through acquisition of this line.

The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern period

In early 1881, Vanderbilt came close to purchasing the Nickel Plate for one million dollars but intervened to stop Gould from disrupting his rail monopoly east of Toledo, Ohio. On October 25, 1882, the Seney Syndicate finalized the sale of the Nickel Plate to Vanderbilt for $7.2 million, which he then merged into his Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway. Vanderbilt operated the Nickel Plate just enough to keep it financially viable without competing with his main lines. By the 1920s, the Nickel Plate functioned primarily as a modest freight transfer route while Vanderbilt’s Lake Shore and Michigan Southern expanded its reach.

Vanderbilt concentrated most rail traffic on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern, running fewer but faster trains on the Nickel Plate. By 1888, this line earned the nickname "The Meat Express Line" due to significant meat shipments passing through Fort Wayne, Indiana. Eventually, Vanderbilt consolidated his railroads into the New York Central Railroad, reducing the Nickel Plate’s role as a competitive rival.

Unlike many railroads that maintained a single central repair facility, by the late 19th century the Nickel Plate operated multiple equally sized "back shops" located at Stony Island Yard (near Chicago), Frankfort, Indiana, Conneaut, and Bellevue, Ohio. By the 1920s, these maintenance operations were primarily centralized at Fort Wayne, Conneaut, Bellevue, and Stony Island.

The Van Sweringen ownership

In 1916, Cleveland-based real estate developers Van Sweringen brothers acquired the Nickel Plate for $8.5 million amid federal antitrust actions targeting New York Central’s dominance. The railroad was crucial for their planned downtown Cleveland terminal at Public Square because of its east-west alignment and river crossing.

Between 1890 and 1913, Cleveland’s population grew fourfold, motivating city officials to consolidate railroad stations and enhance grade separations. The Nickel Plate completed a grade separation project on Cleveland’s East Side by 1913 and gained from a 1910 municipal bond issue that lowered tracks through heavily trafficked West Side neighborhoods.

New York Central’s Alfred Holland Smith supported Van Sweringen’s control by providing operational assistance through VP John J. Bernet and management personnel. The brothers invested slightly over $500,000 for 75% voting shares but depended on New York Central financing to handle $6.5 million in notes. Their strategy focused on maximizing the Nickel Plate’s profitability without engaging in day-to-day operations.

NKP presidency under John Bernet

John Bernet’s leadership marked a period of considerable growth for the Nickel Plate. In 1922, it acquired the Lake Erie and Western Railroad, extending service to Sandusky, Ohio and Peoria, Illinois. Later that year on December 28, it purchased the Toledo, St. Louis and Western Railroad ("Clover Leaf Route"), gaining access to the St. Louis region and Toledo’s port facilities.

During his tenure, Bernet doubled freight tonnage and average speeds while cutting fuel usage in half before departing in late 1926. He returned in 1933 and in 1934 commissioned fifteen 2-8-4 "Berkshire" locomotives that became emblematic of the Nickel Plate. Bernet remained president until his passing in 1935.

On December 29, 1937, control of the Nickel Plate transferred to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. Frank Allen Brown served as assistant superintendent from 1937 through 1944 during this transitional period.

World War II and Postwar Period

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

In 1947, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway divested its remaining ownership by selling off its shares. That same year, the Nickel Plate unveiled 11 ALCO PA diesel-electric locomotives known as "Bluebirds," marking its first departure from black paint schemes since the early 20th century.

The railroad received its final Berkshire in 1949, #779, which was also the last steam locomotive produced by Lima Locomotive Works. On December 1 of that year, it began leasing the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway.

By 1960, the Nickel Plate had fully embraced diesel technology, retiring its last steam engine from service.

Passenger Operations

The Nickel Plate operated several overnight long-distance trains, each with distinct names depending on their direction of travel. These services connected at Lackawanna Station in Buffalo for transfers to Hoboken, New Jersey destinations.

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 and Formation of Norfolk Southern

Declining profitability in the postwar era, largely due to competition from highways and the Interstate system, prompted the Nickel Plate Road to merge with the financially sound Norfolk and Western (N&W) on October 16, 1964. This merger also included the Wabash Railroad along with several smaller lines.

Prior to this, N&W had merged with the Virginian Railway in 1959 and expanded further by acquiring railroads such as the Nickel Plate and Wabash, establishing a competitive network spanning 14 U.S. states plus one Canadian province, covering more than .

In 1982, N&W joined forces with the equally prosperous Southern Railway, resulting in the creation of the Norfolk Southern (NS), a leading entity in North American rail transportation.

Chicago Terminals

By 1897, Nickel Plate had secured trackage rights over the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway between Grand Crossing and its own terminal located near LaSalle Street Station on the east side of LS&MS tracks. By 1928, it was fully operating out of LaSalle Station.

Origin of the "Nickel Plate" Moniker

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

Northern Ohio was already served by four railroads when intense competition arose among cities during route selections. Towns vied to raise public subscriptions for rights-of-way and frequently petitioned the railroad’s Cleveland offices to route through their communities. Amid these rivalries, "The Nickel Plate Road" became the most commonly adopted name for the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad.

The phrase "Nickel Plate" first appeared in an 1881 article in Norwalk, Ohio’s Chronicle, where engineers were described surveying a "great New York and St. Louis double track, nickel plated railroad." Later, when promoting a route through Norwalk instead of Bellevue, the newspaper again used "nickel plated," reflecting optimism about the project’s prospects and financial backing.

In 1882, F.R. Loomis, owner and editor of the Norwalk Chronicle, was credited as coining the term when he received Complimentary Pass No. 1 from the Nickel Plate.

Ultimately, Norwalk secured naming rights for the road while Bellevue obtained its route.

Continuing this heritage, HGR Industrial Surplus—current proprietor of the former General Motors Fisher Auto Body facility in Euclid, Ohio along the Nickel Plate line—dedicated its premises as "Nickel Plate Station" on October 1, 2015.^[1]

Heritage unit

On March 28, 2012, Norfolk Southern introduced locomotive NS 8100, a GE ES44AC model adorned with the diesel paint scheme of the Nickel Plate Road. This locomotive represented the third installment in a series of twenty units created to pay tribute to Norfolk Southern’s historic 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.

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