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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Locale | Illinois,Indiana,Michigan, andOhio |
| Dates of operation | 1889–1930 |
| Successor | New York Central |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge |
TheCleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, also known as theBig Four Railroad and commonly abbreviatedCCC&StL, was arailroad company in theMidwestern United States. It operated in affiliation with theNew York Central system.
Its primary routes were inIllinois,Indiana,Michigan, andOhio. At the end of 1925 it reported 2,391 route-miles and 4,608 track-miles; that year it carried 8180 million net ton-miles of revenue freight and 488 million passenger-miles.
The railroad was formed on June 30, 1889, by the merger of theCleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway, theCincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Chicago Railway and theIndianapolis & St. Louis Railway. The following year, the company gained control of the formerIndiana, Bloomington and Western Railway (through the foreclosedOhio, Indiana and Western Railway and through an operating agreement with thePeoria and Eastern Railway).
In 1906, the Big Four was acquired by theNew York Central Railroad, which operated it as a separate entity until around 1930. The Big Four's lines were later incorporated intoPenn Central in 1968 with the merger of New York Central and thePennsylvania Railroad. Penn Central declaredbankruptcy in 1970, and in 1976 many of Big Four's lines were included in the government-sponsoredConrail. Conrail was privatized in 1987 and in 1997 was jointly acquired byCSX andNorfolk Southern.
The railroad was headquartered inIndianapolis, Indiana, in the Chesapeake Building at 105 SouthMeridian Street. The building was constructed for the railroad in 1929 and was also known as the Big Four Building. In 1996, this multi-story structure became aHampton Inn hotel.[1]
Between 1904 and 1908 the railroad constructed a repair shop for steam locomotives and for passenger and freight cars inBeech Grove, Indiana.Amtrak purchased the facility, now known as theBeech Grove Shops, from the bankrupt Penn Central in 1975.[2]
The railroad operated aterminal atBellefontaine, Ohio, that included the largestroundhouse in use at that time betweenNew York City andSt. Louis, Missouri. Conrail closed the Bellefontaine terminal in 1983, and its roundhouse was dismantled.
A largeyard facility known as the Big Four Yards is located inAvon, Indiana, along the line's tracks, now owned and operated by CSX.
In 1895, the railroad acquired what became known as theBig Four Bridge across theOhio River atLouisville, Kentucky, thereby giving it access to that city. Use of the bridge for railroad purposes ceased by 1968, and it sat abandoned until work began by 2006 to convert it to use by pedestrians and bicyclists.[3]
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