Jackson and Cincinnati Railway

Cincinnati Northern Railroad

Company type	Railroad company
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1894
Defunct	1938
Fate	Merged into Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway (Big Four)
Headquarters	United States
Area served	Ohio, Michigan

The Cincinnati Northern Railroad operated as a rail line extending approximately from Franklin, Ohio near Cincinnati northward to Jackson, Michigan. It was purchased by the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway (commonly known as the Big Four) in 1901 and subsequently became part of the New York Central Railroad. Today, the majority of its original route has been discontinued.

History

During the 1850s, plans were made to establish a railway running north from Cincinnati to Van Wert, but progress was halted by the economic downturn caused by the Panic of 1857. Work recommenced in the 1870s with the creation of the Van Wert, Paulding and Michigan Railway in 1874, intended to construct a branch line connecting Cecil to Paulding. The Paulding and Cecil Railway followed shortly after in 1879 and began operations in 1880.

Another portion was developed by the Celina, Van Wert and State Line Extension of the Columbus and North–Western Railway, which was formed in 1878 to extend from Celina northward toward the state boundary of Williams County. This narrow gauge segment connected with the expanding Toledo, Delphos and Burlington Railroad (TD&B), enhancing regional rail links by 1880.

Incorporated in 1881, the Cincinnati, Van Wert and Michigan Railroad (CVW&M) leased these existing lines and converted them to standard gauge within that same year. It extended its reach from Van Wert north to Scott and pushed southward before merging with Michigan’s Jackson and Ohio Railroad in 1886, resulting in the creation of the Cincinnati, Jackson and Mackinaw Railroad (CJ&M). CJ&M acquired control of the Paulding and Cecil Railway in 1887, completing a continuous track from Addison, Michigan to Carlisle, Ohio. Initially dependent on trackage rights over the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railway, CJ&M later expanded its own tracks into Cincinnati by linking through Franklin and Middletown using recently upgraded rail infrastructure.

Also in 1887, CJ&M purchased a route from the Michigan and Ohio Railroad running between Allegan, Addison, and Dundee but divested this line following foreclosure proceedings in 1897. By 1898, the company had extended its service northward reaching Jackson, Michigan.

Despite these developments, CJ&M encountered financial difficulties. It underwent reorganization as the Cincinnati and Michigan Railroad in 1892 and merged with the Michigan and Mackinaw Railroad to form the Cincinnati, Jackson and Michigan Railway. Efforts to be absorbed by the CH&D were impeded by antitrust regulations. To enhance its market appeal, CJ&M established the Dayton and Cincinnati Terminal Railroad in 1894 with plans for a Cincinnati-Dayton connection featuring a tunnel beneath Cincinnati’s Walnut Hills. After acquiring an unfinished tunnel franchise through foreclosure in 1896, this terminal company was renamed Cincinnati Northern Railroad late in 1894; it also acquired CJ&M through foreclosure in 1897.

In 1901, Cincinnati Northern was incorporated into the Big Four system. The following year saw the sale of unused tunnel properties and terminal land in Cincinnati to the CL&N (controlled by Pennsylvania Railroad).

On June 30, 1938, Cincinnati Northern was officially merged into Big Four. Since then, most of its former routes have been abandoned; however, some segments continue operation under various short line railroads such as Germantown Rail Siding (Carlisle-Germantown), R.J. Corman Railroad/Western Ohio Lines (Greenville-Ansonia), Chicago, Ft. Wayne and Eastern Railroad (Van Wert), Norfolk Southern Railway (Jackson and Bryan), and Pioneer Railcorp (Cecil).

References

• The Cincinnati Northern Model Railroad Club, Inc. CNMRRC.org