Wabash Railroad
| Company type | Railroad |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessor | Wabash Railway, Toledo, Wabash and Western Railway, Great Western Railway of Illinois, Quincy and Toledo Railroad, others |
| Founded | 1853 |
| Defunct | 1982 (merged into Norfolk Southern) |
| Fate | Absorbed by Norfolk and Western Railway in 1964; merged into Norfolk Southern Railway in 1982 |
| Successor | Norfolk and Western Railway, Norfolk Southern Railway |
| Headquarters | Decatur , United States |
Area served | Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Ontario (Canada) |
Key people | John Whitfield Bunn (financial leader), J. Ramsey Jr. (president) |
| Products | Freight and passenger rail services |
Number of employees | Approx. 2,500 (combined shops and yards workforce in 1920s) (1920s) |
The Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated throughout the mid-central region of the United States, with lines running through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, and extending into Ontario. Its primary markets encompassed major cities such as Chicago, Kansas City, Missouri, Detroit, Michigan, Buffalo, New York, St. Louis, Missouri, and Toledo, Ohio.
A notable freight advantage for the Wabash was its direct route connecting Kansas City and Detroit, which avoided the heavily trafficked hubs of St. Louis and Chicago. Although it was absorbed by the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W) in 1964, the Wabash Railroad continued to exist as a corporate entity until N&W merged with the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) in 1982.
By the year 1960, Wabash managed 2,423 miles of mainline track over a total of 4,311 miles of rails (not including subsidiaries such as the Ann Arbor Railroad and New Jersey, Indiana and Illinois Railroad). In that year, it reported hauling 6,407 million net ton-miles of freight revenue along with 164 million passenger-miles.
Origin of name
The company took its name from the Wabash River, a 475-mile-long river that flows from northwest Ohio through northern Indiana into Illinois, where it partly forms the border between Illinois and Indiana before emptying into the Ohio River. The term Wabash originates from the French word Ouabache, which itself was derived from the Miami Native American tribe’s name for the river.
Merger tree
The Wabash Railroad evolved through a series of mergers and acquisitions that ultimately led to its incorporation into Norfolk Southern Railway in 1982. Significant predecessors included the Norfolk and Western Railway (1964), Wabash Railroad (1941), and Wabash Railway (1931). Earlier railroads such as the Toledo, Wabash and Western Railway along with regional lines like the Great Western Railway of Illinois and Quincy and Toledo Railroad also played important roles in its growth.
Pre-Civil War
The designation Wabash Railroad or Wabash Railway has referred to multiple corporate entities over time. The first to adopt simply "Wabash" was the Wabash Railway in 1877, which had previously been known as the Toledo, Wabash and Western Railway founded in 1865. The earliest ancestor was Illinois’ first railroad, the Northern Cross Railroad.
Chartered in 1853, the Toledo and Illinois Railroad aimed to extend rail service westward from Toledo, Ohio into Indiana. This line was further extended into Illinois toward St. Louis by the Lake Erie, Wabash and St. Louis Railroad. These companies consolidated in 1856 under the name Toledo, Wabash and Western Railroad, covering 243 miles.
After facing bankruptcy and foreclosure, portions in Ohio and Indiana were reorganized in 1858 as the Toledo and Wabash Railroad and Wabash and Western Railroad respectively. These entities combined to form the Toledo and Wabash Railway, which later merged with other regional railroads—including Great Western Railway of Illinois and Quincy and Toledo Railroad—to establish the final Toledo, Wabash and Western Railway.
Post-Civil War
In 1877, this collection of railroads was renamed as part of what became known as the Wabash System. Additional mergers led to creation of the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railway in 1879 followed by reorganization as the Wabash Railroad in 1889. Financial leader John Whitfield Bunn was instrumental in bringing together various components of the Wabash System.
The original repair facilities were based in Springfield, Illinois, serving as main back shops until 1905. In 1873, new shops were acquired at Moberly, Missouri, employing roughly 1,200 workers who produced most freight and passenger cars for the system. By 1902, under President J. Ramsey Jr., a larger repair complex was constructed on a 78-acre site in Decatur, Illinois to accommodate increasing maintenance needs. By the 1920s, East Decatur Shops employed approximately 1,500 personnel with an additional workforce of about 1,000 engaged in nearby yards and offices.
Early 20th century
In 1904, control of the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad was acquired by the Wabash Pittsburgh Terminal Railway, providing Wabash with a route into Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This acquisition aimed to challenge the stronghold of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and New York Central Railroad in the eastern United States. However, financial difficulties from overexpansion caused WPT to declare bankruptcy in 1908; it was subsequently incorporated into the Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railway. The Wabash Railroad itself faced foreclosure in July 1915 and was reorganized under the name Wabash Railway.
In 1927, the PRR increased its influence by obtaining substantial stock ownership in Wabash through its Pennsylvania Company affiliate. Although the Interstate Commerce Commission accused PRR of violating the Clayton Antitrust Act in 1929, a court decision in 1933 ruled that PRR’s stake was purely for investment purposes and did not infringe upon antitrust regulations.
The Wabash Railway entered receivership once more in December 1931. Remaining under PRR's control, it was reorganized as Wabash Railroad in July 1941, which then proceeded to acquire the Wabash Railway in December of that year.
Late 20th century
In 1960, the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) arranged for the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W) to lease the Wabash Railroad. Two years later, PRR’s Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad assumed control over Wabash’s Ann Arbor line. The 1964 merger of the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (commonly known as the Nickel Plate Road) into N&W led to N&W leasing both the Wabash and Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railway.
By March 1970, the Pennsylvania Company exchanged its remaining shares in Wabash for stock in N&W; this stock was later sold off after the Penn Central Transportation merger in 1968. Although these arrangements involved leases rather than outright mergers, Wabash continued to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
When N&W merged with Southern Railway in 1982, Wabash remained a corporate shell until Norfolk Southern officially merged it into N&W in November 1991.
Windsor - Buffalo / Niagara Falls
In 1897, Wabash leased eastern segments of the former Great Western Railway between Windsor and Buffalo—lines that had been integrated with Grand Trunk since 1882. Charles M. Hays, who served as president of both Grand Trunk and previously Wabash, secured trackage rights allowing Wabash operational access within Canada. The Canadian administrative offices were based in St. Thomas, a location strategically positioned between Detroit and Niagara Falls.
Toledo–Hannibal
Built in 1855, the Toledo to Hannibal route included steep inclines that necessitated helper locomotives during steam operations. After World War II, realignments reduced these gradients. Passenger services ceased in 1955; by 1989, portions between Maumee and Liberty Center were either abandoned or transformed into rail trails—specifically, the southern branch of the Wabash Cannonball Trail. Norfolk Southern abandoned the Maumee to Montpelier stretch in 1990, which now represents Ohio’s longest rail trail.
Following Conrail’s division in 1998, Norfolk Southern linked remaining track sections near Maumee to its Chicago mainline for improved routing efficiency, leading to abandonment of parts of the Toledo Terminal Railroad on its western side.
Detroit–Chicago
This segment encompasses the 3rd District (Montpelier to Detroit) and the 4th District (Montpelier to Clarke Junction via B&OCT and SC&S, extending to the State Line and C&WI) of the Wabash network. The Wabash took part in Detroit's Union Belt, a collaborative switching arrangement initially with Pere Marquette, which was later joined by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR).
Prominent passenger services connecting Detroit and Saint Louis included:
- Detroit Limited (Pullman service)
- St. Louis Limited (Pullman service)
- Cannon Ball
Passenger trains running between Detroit and Chicago, operated in partnership with PRR, were:
- Detroit Arrow
- Chicago Arrow
The Montpelier to Chicago route, established in the early 1890s, enabled Wabash to forgo previous trackage rights over Erie’s Chicago and Atlantic line.
Chicago–St. Louis
Completed in 1880, this line extended from Bement to Chicago utilizing the Chicago & Western Indiana terminal tracks. Wabash became a co-owner of C&WI alongside Chicago & Eastern Illinois and other railroads. This corridor corresponds to the 6th through 8th Districts of the Decatur Division. Norfolk Southern later abandoned the segment between Manhattan and Gibson City but maintained trackage rights over CN (formerly IC).
Notable passenger trains on this route included:
- Blue Bird
- Banner Blue
- Wabash Banner Limited
Council Bluffs, Iowa – Brunswick, Missouri
This line reached Wabash’s highest point at Dumfries, Iowa, standing at 1242 feet above sea level. Most of this route was abandoned by Norfolk & Western in 1984. The stretch between Brunswick and Council Bluffs constituted the 18th and 19th Districts.
Iowa
The Iowa Southern Railroad (ISR) purchased 61.5 miles of Wabash track running from Council Bluffs to the Missouri border near Blanchard. By 1988, operations were curtailed back to Council Bluffs; remaining segments were transferred to Council Bluffs & Ottumwa Railroad in 1990 and subsequently to Council Bluffs Railway—a subsidiary of OmniTrax—in 1991. In 2006, Iowa Interstate Railroad acquired these lines. The former route between Council Bluffs and Blanchard was abandoned and repurposed as the Wabash Trace Trail.
Missouri
A 93-mile section extending from Blanchard, Iowa to Lock Springs, Missouri was sold to Northern Missouri Railroad in 1984 but ceased functioning by 1986.
Wabash trains entering St. Louis utilized a seven-mile track running from Grand Avenue through University City to Ferguson, connecting with Norfolk Southern’s mainline. After passenger services ended and traffic declined, Norfolk Southern abandoned this stretch in 1988. The Bi-State Development Agency acquired it; today it operates as MetroLink light rail between UMSL and Grand Avenue, while the northern portion serves as the Ted Jones Trail.
Norfolk & Western discontinued track between Lock Springs and Chillicothe in 1983 and removed it by 1985.
Thirty-seven miles from Chillicothe to Brunswick were sold to Green Hills Rural Development and leased to Chillicothe-Brunswick Rail Maintenance Authority (CBRM) in 1987; later leased to Wabash and Grand River Railway (WGR) in 1990. Flood damage in 1993 ended WGR’s lease, returning control to CBRM.
In 2003, Green Hills sold its assets to Chillicothe for $32,500; subsequent appraisal valued them at $1.53 million excluding equipment. In 2006, Chillicothe sold approximately 30 miles of track to Montoff Transportation for $976,000; portions had been embargoed since 2004. The city retained ownership of rail serving its industrial park for future use. In 2008, Chillicothe repurchased a 29-mile corridor from Montoff for conversion into a trail; bridge decks remain intact for light usage due to high removal expenses.
Moberly–Des Moines
Covering the 15th and 16th Districts of the Moberly Division with Moulton, Iowa as a midpoint, this line primarily transported coal before 1960 along with agricultural products, farm equipment, and paper goods. Despite declines after the early 1970s, enhancements in customer service revitalized traffic into the mid-1980s; Norfolk Southern upgraded rails during this period.
With few local shippers remaining, this corridor mainly functioned as a bridge route into Des Moines markets. In the early ’90s, Norfolk Southern arranged shared trackage rights with Burlington Northern along parallel Mississippi River routes to reduce operational costs.
The final scheduled Norfolk Southern train operated in 1994. The Moberly-Moulton segment was vital during the catastrophic Midwestern Floods of 1993 but was dismantled by 1997 without preserving right-of-way corridors.
Major freight customers in 1960
- Ford – Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Toledo, Kansas City, Buffalo
- Pillsbury Company – Springfield, Illinois
- A. E. Staley – Decatur, Illinois
- A.P. Green Firebrick – Mexico, Missouri
- Archer Daniel Midland Company – Decatur, Illinois
- Detroit Union Produce Terminal
- Lauhoff Grain Company – Danville, Illinois
- International Salt – Detroit
- Central Stone – Huntington, Missouri
- Granite City Steel – Granite City, Illinois
- Acme Fast Freight – Detroit, Kansas City
Passenger trains
Wabash offered a broad range of passenger services including streamlined trains and dome cars:
- Blue Bird, introduced in 1938
- Banner Blue
- Cannon Ball
- City of Kansas City, manufactured by American Car and Foundry
- City of St. Louis (operated with Union Pacific)
- City of Decatur
- Des Moines Limited
- Detroit Arrow (in partnership with Pennsylvania Railroad)
- Detroit Limited
- Kansas City Express
- Midnight Limited
- Omaha Limited
- Pacific Coast Special
- Red Bird
- St. Louis-Colorado Limited (with Union Pacific)
- St. Louis Limited
- St. Louis Special
- Southland (jointly operated with PRR and Louisville & Nashville)
- Wabash Cannon Ball
Initial dieselization efforts featured EMD E7 locomotives followed by ALCO PA units and EMD E8 models.
Wabash Cannonball
The renowned Wabash Cannon Ball, named after an 1882 tune updated in 1904 celebrating the "Great Rock Island Route," officially became a Wabash train designation in 1949 for its daytime service between Detroit and St. Louis until Amtrak discontinued it in 1971. In October 2013, Norfolk Southern’s "21st Century Steam" initiative revived this historic route for a commemorative excursion powered by Nickel Plate Road No.765 locomotive.
Heritage unit
To commemorate Norfolk Southern's 30th anniversary in 2012, locomotive #1070 (an EMD SD70ACe) was adorned with the Wabash Railroad's "Blue Bird" paint scheme, celebrating the legacy of its predecessor lines as part of a special series.
Rail-to-trail conversions
Numerous former Wabash Railroad routes have been transformed into recreational trails, including the Wabash Cannonball Trail located in northwest Ohio, the Wabash Trail and Wauponsee Glacial Trail found in Illinois, as well as the Wabash Trace Trail situated in Iowa.
See also
External links
- Wabash Railroad Historical Society
- Wabash Time Tables
- Monticello Railway Museum
- Wabash Railroad, Historical Society of Montgomery County Illinois
- List and Family Trees of North American Railroads
- History of the Railroads of Ohio
- PRR Chronology
- opsig.org
- Articles with short description
- Pages with broken file links
- Wabash Railroad
- Companies affiliated with the Pennsylvania Railroad west of Pittsburgh
- American companies established in 1889
- Predecessors of the Norfolk and Western Railway
- Former Class I railroads in the United States
- Defunct Illinois railroads
- Defunct Indiana railroads
- Defunct Ohio railroads
- Defunct Missouri railroads
- Defunct Michigan railroads
- Defunct Iowa railroads
- Defunct New York (state) railroads
- Defunct Ontario railways
- Railroads in the Chicago metropolitan area
- Standard-gauge railways in the United States
- Railway companies established in 1889
- Railway companies disestablished in 1991
- American companies disestablished in 1991
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- Companies of the United States by year of establishment