Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad

Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
Company type	Railroad
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1848
Fate	Integrated into the Pennsylvania Railroad network
Headquarters	Pittsburgh, United States
Area served	Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois
Products	Rail transport services

The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, commonly referred to as the Pan Handle Route (later shortened to Panhandle Route), was integrated into the Pennsylvania Railroad network. Its principal track extended from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, traversing the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia to Bradford, Ohio, where it divided northward toward Chicago and southward through Indianapolis, Indiana to East St. Louis, Illinois.

Pittsburgh to Columbus (1848–1869)

In 1848, the Steubenville and Indiana Railroad received its charter in Ohio to construct a line heading westward from the Ohio River at Steubenville to the Indiana border near Willshire, passing through Mount Vernon. The following year, authorization was granted to build a bridge at Steubenville along with a branch line extending to Columbus.

Construction commenced in late 1851 along multiple segments simultaneously. The initial portion, stretching from Steubenville west to Unionport, opened on December 22, 1853. By mid-1854, the line had been extended through Cadiz Junction and reached Newark by April 1855. Initially isolated at Newark from other railroads, an agreement with the Central Ohio Railroad permitted use of its tracks westward to Columbus by April 1857. In 1864, the S&I secured a fifty percent ownership stake in this segment.

Chartered in Pennsylvania in 1849, the Pittsburgh and Steubenville Railroad aimed to build westward from near Pittsburgh toward the Virginia (now West Virginia) border to connect with the S&I line. Authorization was granted in 1852 for an extension into Pittsburgh. The Pennsylvania Railroad established the Western Transportation Company in 1856 specifically to construct and manage this route.

In 1853, to circumvent opposition from Wheeling officials, the president of the S&I transferred right-of-way across the Virginia Panhandle to the P&S. Although the Edgington and Wells Railroad briefly operated in 1854, it failed due to lack of connecting lines. The Holliday's Cove Rail Road, chartered in 1860, constructed the Steubenville Railroad Bridge spanning the Ohio River.

The complete P&S line became operational on October 9, 1865, running from Pittsburgh's Smithfield Street westward to Wheeling Junction at the eastern terminus of the bridge. This connected with the S&I via the Steubenville Bridge over the Ohio River and linked with Pennsylvania Railroad routes through both the Monongahela River Bridge (also known as Panhandle Bridge) and Grant's Hill Tunnel.

Following foreclosure proceedings in November 1867, ownership of P&S transferred to Panhandle Railway, which had been chartered in 1861. On April 30, 1868, Panhandle Railway merged with S&I and HCRR to create the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railway; shortly thereafter, Western Transportation Company was dissolved.

Columbus to Indianapolis (1847–1867)

The Terre Haute & Richmond Railroad was chartered in 1847 with plans to cross Indiana via Indianapolis. On May 25, 1850, stockholders east of Indianapolis formed a separate entity known as Terre Haute & Richmond Railroad (East of Indianapolis). This segment was renamed Indiana Central Railway on January 20, 1851, covering territory from Indianapolis eastward to the Ohio state boundary. Subsequently, an Ohio statute enacted on January 31 authorized the Dayton and Western Railroad to consolidate operations with Indiana Central. The stretch from Indianapolis east to Greenfield opened in September 1853 and was completed through to the state line by October 8, connecting with Dayton and Western. Coordinated operation between Indianapolis and Dayton, Ohio commenced on August 1, 1854. In 1859, track gauge was converted from standard gauge to broader Ohio gauge () enabling direct interchange with both Little Miami Railroad and Columbus and Xenia Railroad at Dayton.

The Columbus, Piqua & Indiana Railroad was chartered on February 23, 1849 in Ohio with a directive to build westward from Columbus via Urbana, Piqua, and Greenville toward Indiana’s border. On March 21, 1851, CP&I altered its planned route west of Covington aiming for connection with Indianapolis and Bellefontaine Railroad at Union City, Indiana, thereby gaining access into Indianapolis. The initial segment between Columbus and Plain City opened June 6, 1853; subsequent expansions reached Urbana by September 19 and Piqua by October 16 of 1854. On that same day it converted its rails to Ohio gauge () for compatibility with regauged Indianapolis and Bellefontaine tracks. Despite financial difficulties delaying progress further westward expansion reached Union City by March 25, 1859. Foreclosure led CP&I’s sale on August 6, 1863; it was reorganized as Columbus and Indianapolis Railroad on October 30.

The Richmond and Covington Railroad was established in Ohio on March 12, 1862 by Indiana Central Railway together with Columbus, Piqua and Indiana Railroad. Its purpose was constructing a branch line from Bradford extending west toward Indiana near New Paris. This branch opened early in 1863; subsequently Indiana Central ended its joint operating agreement with Dayton and Western on March 9. On January 10, 1864 IC along with C&I and R&C agreed on joint management under Indiana Central’s leadership as Great Central Line spanning Columbus to Indianapolis. Later that year on September 5 C&I acquired R&C outright. Finally on October 19 Indiana Central Railway merged with Columbus and Indianapolis Railroad forming Columbus and Indianapolis Central Railway featuring a main corridor between Columbus and Indianapolis plus a branch from Bradford reaching Union City.

Richmond to Chicago (1848–1865)

In 1848, the New Castle and Richmond Railroad was established in Indiana with the purpose of constructing a rail line stretching eastward from New Castle to Richmond. Subsequently, authorization was granted to extend the route northwestward toward Lafayette. To better represent its growth ambitions, the company was renamed the Cincinnati, Logansport and Chicago Railway in 1853. By December of that year, the segment linking New Castle and Richmond commenced operations. Collaborative efforts enabled this line to connect southwestward to Hamilton, Ohio, establishing a link with the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad by 1854.

Two railroads founded in 1853—the Cincinnati, Cambridge and Chicago Short Line Railway and the Cincinnati, New Castle and Michigan Railroad—combined forces in 1854 under the name Cincinnati and Chicago Railroad. Later that same year, it absorbed the Cincinnati, Logansport and Chicago Railway. The entire Richmond to Logansport route became operational in 1857 but faced foreclosure in 1860, after which it was reorganized as the Cincinnati and Chicago Air-Line Railroad. Sections of grading southeast of Wabash were divested to local rail companies.

Chartered in 1857, the Chicago and Cincinnati Railroad constructed a line from Logansport northwest to Valparaiso, which opened in 1861 and connected with the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway leading into Chicago. In 1861, the Cincinnati and Chicago Air-Line inaugurated a bridge over the Wabash River at Logansport, linking it with the Chicago and Cincinnati Railroad. Between 1862 and 1865, joint operations facilitated continuous service from Richmond to Chicago.

Realignments towards Chicago and mergers (1857–1869)

The Galena and Illinois River Railroad was chartered in Illinois in 1857 with plans to build a route from Galena through Chicago extending toward Lansing, Michigan. This charter was absorbed by the Chicago and Great Eastern Railway, incorporated in Indiana in 1863. By 1865, it had opened a line running south from Chicago to La Crosse while discontinuing the former La Crosse-Valparaiso segment. That same year saw the acquisition of both the Cincinnati and Chicago Air-Line Railroad and the Chicago and Cincinnati Railroad by this company.

Originally chartered in 1852, the Marion and Mississinewa Valley Railroad intended to build northwest from Union City to Marion; by 1854, its extension from Marion to Logansport had been merged into its operations. The unfinished line was taken over by the Union and Logansport Railroad in 1863.

The Logansport and Pacific Railroad, established in 1853, underwent successive reorganizations culminating in its transformation into the Toledo, Logansport and Burlington Railroad. By 1859, it had reached near Effner at the Illinois border. Its successor entities contributed to a westbound corridor circumventing Chicago that ultimately became part of the Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway.

In 1867, a merger of the Columbus and Indianapolis Central Railway with both the Union and Logansport Railroad and Toledo, Logansport and Burlington Railway resulted in formation of the Columbus and Indiana Central Railway; its main line connecting Union City to Marion opened that same year.

The following year witnessed another consolidation when the Columbus, Chicago and Indiana Central Railway was created through merger with the Chicago and Great Eastern Railway. Completion of its principal route from Marion northwest to Anoka in 1868 relegated the former New Castle-Richmond line to branch status. The CC&IC operated principal lines linking Columbus with both Chicago and Indianapolis along with branches extending southeast near Logansport toward Richmond as well as westward to Effner. In late 1868, although Erie Railway proposed leasing CC&IC, it was ultimately outbid by Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railway which secured a lease agreement in February 1869.

Expansion (1869–1890)

On December 1, 1869, with effect from February 23, 1870, the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railway entered into a lease agreement for the Little Miami Railroad, which included the Columbus and Xenia Railroad, Dayton and Western Railroad, Dayton, Xenia and Belpre Railroad, as well as the Richmond and Miami Railway branch extending to Richmond, Indiana. This arrangement guaranteed the Pennsylvania Railroad's route access to Cincinnati.

By 1870, the completion of the St. Louis, Vandalia and Terre Haute Railroad alongside the Terre Haute and Indianapolis Rail Road created a continuous line to East St. Louis through PC&StL reaching Indianapolis.

Following the bankruptcy of the Columbus, Chicago and Indiana Central Railway in 1883, its assets were transferred to the newly formed Chicago, St. Louis and Pittsburgh Railroad. Subsequently, this entity merged on September 30, 1890 with PC&StL, Cincinnati and Richmond Railroad, and Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad, resulting in the establishment of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway (PCC&StL).

20th century

In 1891, PCC&StL gained ownership stakes in the Little Miami Railroad. On January 1, 1917, it consolidated with the Vandalia Railroad, Pittsburgh, Wheeling and Kentucky Railroad, Anderson Belt Railway, and Chicago, Indiana and Eastern Railway to create the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad.

The Pennsylvania Railroad leased PCC&StL starting January 1, 1921. Eventually, on April 2, 1956, PCC&StL was fully integrated into PRR’s Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad.

Current use

Portions of this historic route have been adapted for modern transit and recreational purposes. The easternmost segment from Pittsburgh’s Union Station passing through the Panhandle Tunnel and across the Panhandle Bridge to Station Square now functions as part of the Pittsburgh Light Rail. From that point to Pittsburgh’s Sheraden area, it serves as a segment of Norfolk Southern's Mon Line. The corridor stretching from Sheraden to Carnegie, Pennsylvania has been converted exclusively for bus transit as the West Busway.

Rail infrastructure remains between Carnegie and Walkers Mill, Pennsylvania, owned by the Pittsburgh and Ohio Central Railroad, although it has been out of service since mid-2015; this section is anticipated to be removed to allow for expansion of the Panhandle Trail. The track segment from Walkers Mill to Weirton, West Virginia was dismantled by Conrail in 1996 and transformed into the Panhandle Trail for pedestrian and bicycle use. Rails are still present from Weirton to Columbus: from Weirton to Mingo Junction they accommodate various rail operations; from Mingo Junction to Columbus they form part of the Columbus and Ohio River Railroad. In Piqua, Ohio, a portion has been repurposed into a linear park.^[1] The stretch between Logansport and Chicago is no longer in use; sections have been redeveloped as Chicago’s South Side’s Major Taylor Trail and as the Pennsy Greenway spanning from Lansing, Illinois to Schererville, Indiana.

Branches

External links

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