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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Illinois,Indiana,Ohio,Pennsylvania &West Virginia |
| Dates of operation | January 1, 1917–April 1, 1956 |
| Predecessor | Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. LouisRailway;Vandalia Railroad;Pittsburgh, Wheeling and Kentucky Railroad;Anderson Belt Railway; &Chicago, Indiana and Eastern Railway |
| Successor | Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Illinois,Indiana,Ohio,Pennsylvania &West Virginia |
| Dates of operation | December 22, 1853 (oldest predecessor line) September 20, 1890–December 31, 1916 |
| Predecessor | Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railway;Chicago, St. Louis and Pittsburgh Railroad;Cincinnati and Richmond Railroad; &Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad |
| Successor | Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. LouisRailroad |
ThePittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, commonly called thePan Handle Route (Panhandle Route in later days), was arailroad that was part of thePennsylvania Railroad system. Its common name came from its main line, which began atPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, crossed theNorthern Panhandle of West Virginia, and continued west toBradford, Ohio, where it split into a northern line toChicago and a southern one throughIndianapolis, Indiana, toEast St. Louis, Illinois.
The Steubenville and Indiana Railroad was chartered February 24, 1848, inOhio to build west from theOhio River atSteubenville to theIndiana state line betweenWillshire andFort Recovery, viaMount Vernon. On March 12, 1849, it was authorized to build a bridge at Steubenville and a branch toColumbus.
The line began construction in late October 1851.[1] Work occurred along the entire length of the line at the same time.[2]
The first section opened December 22, 1853, from Steubenville west toUnionport.[3] On February 2, 1854, an extension from Unionport west toCadiz Junction opened; the branch toCadiz opened June 12. Further extensions west from Cadiz Junction opened June 22 toMasterville, July 12 toBowerston, and April 11, 1855, the rest of the way toNewark.[3] However, it did not yet connect to any other railroads in Newark.
On December 25, 1854, the S&I came to an agreement with theCentral Ohio Railroad to use its tracks from Newark west to Columbus. Some surveying had been done for a separate route viaGranville. The connection at Newark opened April 16, 1857, and was built with funds provided by theColumbus and Xenia Railroad, which helped provide a through route toCincinnati from the S&I. In 1864, the S&I outright bought a half interest in the Newark–Columbus track.
The Pittsburgh and Steubenville Railroad was chartered March 24, 1849, inPennsylvania to build west from theMonongahela River near Pittsburgh to theVirginia (nowWest Virginia) state line towards the Steubenville and Indiana Railroad. It was authorized to extend across the Monongahela to Pittsburgh on April 21, 1852. The Western Transportation Company was incorporated by the Pennsylvania Railroad in Pennsylvania on March 15, 1856, to build and operate the P&S.
On July 22, 1853, the president of the S&I deeded right-of-way he had bought from 36 landowners across theVirginia Panhandle to the P&S. This allowed the railroad to build without a charter, which was required to useeminent domain; the powerful city ofWheeling had opposed the P&S, which bypassed Wheeling. The private Edgington and Wells Railroad (named after its owners,Jesse Edgington andNathaniel Wells ofBrooke County) opened July 4, 1854, but failed later that year, as it did not connect to any other railroads. The Holliday's Cove Rail Road was chartered by the Western Transportation Company on March 30, 1860, in Virginia to build across the Panhandle near what is nowWeirton, West Virginia; the charter was only used to build theSteubenville Railroad Bridge. The next day theWheeling Railroad Bridge Company was chartered by the same company, as a political promise to allow the incorporation of the HCRR.
The full P&S opened October 9, 1865, fromSmithfield Street in Pittsburgh west toWheeling Junction at the east end of theSteubenville Railroad Bridge. That same day, the Steubenville Railroad Bridge opened over the Ohio River, connecting the S&I and P&S, as did the connection at Pittsburgh, connecting the Pennsylvania Railroad with the P&S via theMonongahela River Bridge (commonly called the Panhandle Bridge) andGrant's Hill Tunnel. From then until 1868, the line was operated as the Pittsburgh, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad by the Western Transportation Company.
The P&S was sold underforeclosure on November 6, 1867, to the Panhandle Railway, which had been chartered April 8, 1861. On April 30, 1868, the PHRy, S&I and HCRR merged to form the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railway, and the Western Transportation Company was dissolved soon after.
TheTerre Haute & Richmond Railroad was chartered in 1847 to build across Indiana viaIndianapolis. On May 25, 1850, stockholders east of Indianapolis organized the Terre Haute & Richmond Railroad (East of Indianapolis). On January 20, 1851, that section, from Indianapolis east to the Ohio state line, was renamed the Indiana Central Railway. On January 31, an Ohio law authorized theDayton and Western Railroad to unite with the Indiana Central and operate jointly. The line from Indianapolis east toGreenfield opened in September 1853, and on October 8 it was completed to the state line, where it connected with the Dayton and Western. Joint operation of both lines between Indianapolis andDayton, Ohio, began August 1, 1854. In 1859 therail gauge was changed fromstandard gauge to the broaderOhio gauge (4 ft 10 in or1,473 mm) to allow for direct connections with theLittle Miami Railroad and Columbus and Xenia Railroad at Dayton.
The Columbus Piqua & Indiana Railroad was chartered in Ohio on February 23, 1849, to build from Columbus west viaUrbana,Piqua andGreenville to theIndiana state line. On March 21, 1851, the CP&I was authorized to change the route west ofCovington, and a more northerly alignment was chosen to meet theIndianapolis and Bellefontaine Railroad atUnion City, Indiana, for access to Indianapolis. The first section, from Columbus west toPlain City, opened June 6, 1853. Extensions opened toUrbana September 19 andPiqua October 16, 1854; on the latter date it changed itstrack gauge toOhio gauge (4 ft 10 in or1,473 mm) to connect with the Indianapolis and Bellefontaine, which had alsore-gauged. The rest of the line to Union City opened March 25, 1859, after some financial problems. The CP&I was sold atforeclosure on August 6, 1863, and reorganized October 30 as the Columbus and Indianapolis Railroad.
The Richmond and Covington Railroad was chartered in Ohio by the Indiana Central Railway and Columbus Piqua and Indiana Railroad on March 12, 1862, to build a branch of the latter fromBradford to the former at the Indiana state line nearNew Paris. The R&C opened in early 1863, and the Indiana Central's joint operating contract with theDayton and Western Railroad was dissolved on March 9. On January 10, 1864, the IC, C&I and R&C signed an agreement for joint operation as the Great Central Line between Columbus and Indianapolis, headed by the Indiana Central. The C&I bought the R&C on September 5, 1864. The Indiana Central Railway and Columbus and Indianapolis Railroad merged October 19 to form the Columbus and Indianapolis Central Railway, with a main line from Columbus to Indianapolis and a branch fromBradford, Ohio, toUnion City, Indiana.
The New Castle and Richmond Railroad was chartered February 16, 1848, in Indiana to build a line fromNew Castle east viaHagerstown andGreens Fork toRichmond. The company was authorized on January 24, 1851, to extend northwest beyond New Castle toLafayette. On February 26, 1853, it was renamed the Cincinnati, Logansport and Chicago Railway to better reflect its expanded role. The original line opened between New Castle and Richmond in December 1853, and it was operated jointly with theRichmond and Miami Railroad andEaton and Hamilton Railroad, which continued the line southwest toHamilton, Ohio. TheCincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad, connecting Hamilton to Cincinnati, joined the operations on February 1, 1854.
The Cincinnati, Cambridge and Chicago Short Line Railway was incorporated in Indiana on January 25, 1853, to build fromNew Castle southeast viaCambridge to the Ohio state line; the Cincinnati, New Castle and Michigan Railroad was incorporated April 11 of the same year to build northwest from New Castle towardsSt. Joseph, Michigan. The two companies merged May 1, 1854, to form the Cincinnati and Chicago Railroad. On October 10, 1854, the Cincinnati, Logansport and Chicago Railway was merged into the Cincinnati and Chicago Railroad. The unfinished line between Richmond and Logansport was leased to John W. Wright and Company on October 16, 1856. That company began operating it on December 1, and the joint operation towards Cincinnati ended. The full line between Richmond and Logansport opened on July 4, 1857. That line was sold atforeclosure on April 28, 1860, and reorganized July 10 as the Cincinnati and Chicago Air-Line Railroad. Grading had been done fromWabash southeast to the Ohio state line; portions were later sold to theFort Wayne and Southern Railroad andConnersville and New Castle Junction Railroad.
On September 25, 1857, the Chicago and Cincinnati Railroad was chartered in Indiana to build a line from Logansport northwest toValparaiso. That line opened in 1861, connecting at Valparaiso with thePittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway to Chicago. The Cincinnati and Chicago Air-Line opened a bridge over theWabash River atLogansport on September 25, 1861, connecting it to the Chicago and Cincinnati. Joint operation between Richmond and Chicago began July 1, 1862, and ended January 29, 1865.
The Galena and Illinois River Railroad was chartered in Illinois on February 18, 1857,[4] to build fromGalena through Chicago to the Indiana state line towardsLansing, Michigan. The Chicago and Great Eastern Railway was incorporated in Indiana on June 19, 1863, to build from Logansport northwest to the Illinois state line towards Chicago. The charter of the G&IR was assigned to the C&GE on September 11, 1863, and the C&GE absorbed the G&IR on October 30. The line from Chicago (12th Street) south and southeast to the Chicago and Cincinnati atLa Crosse, Indiana, opened March 6, 1865, and the old line northwest from La Crosse toValparaiso was abandoned. On May 15, 1865, the C&GE absorbed the Cincinnati and Chicago Air-Line Railroad and Chicago and Cincinnati Railroad.
The Marion and Mississinewa Valley Railroad was incorporated in Indiana on May 11, 1852, to build fromUnion City northwest toMarion. On May 14, 1853, the Marion and Logansport Railroad was incorporated to continue northwest from Marion to Logansport. The M&L conveyed its property to the M&MV on November 28, 1854. TheUnion and Logansport Railroad was incorporated January 5, 1863, and bought the unfinished M&MV on January 9.
In the meantime, theLogansport and Pacific Railroad was incorporated in 1853 to build from Logansport west to the Illinois state line. After several reorganizations, theToledo, Logansport and Burlington Railroad opened to the Illinois state line nearEffner in 1859. TheLogansport, Peoria and Burlington Railroad continued as part of a line to theU.S. West, bypassing Chicago, on a route that later became theToledo, Peoria and Western Railway.
On September 11, 1867, the Columbus and Indianapolis Central Railway, Union and Logansport Railroad andToledo, Logansport and Burlington Railway merged to form the Columbus and Indiana Central Railway. The main line, formerly being built by the Union and Logansport, opened from Union City to Marion in October 1867.
On February 12, 1868, the Columbus, Chicago and Indiana Central Railway was formed as a merger of the Columbus and Indiana Central Railway and Chicago and Great Eastern Railway. The rest of the new main line, from Marion northwest toAnoka, on the old main line east of Logansport, was completed March 15, 1868, making the old route via New Castle and Richmond into a branch. The CC&IC now had main lines from Columbus to Chicago and Indianapolis with branches from near Logansport, Indiana, southeast to Richmond, Indiana, (on the Indianapolis line) and west toEffner, Indiana. TheErie Railway offered in late 1868 to lease the CC&IC, but the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railway made a better offer on January 22, 1869, leasing it on February 1.
On December 1, 1869 (retroactive from February 23, 1870) the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railway leased theLittle Miami Railroad. This included the Columbus and Xenia Railroad,Dayton and Western Railroad andDayton, Xenia and Belpre Railroad, as well as theRichmond and Miami Railway's branch west toRichmond, Indiana. With that lease, the Pennsylvania Railroad acquired access to Cincinnati.
With the 1870 completion of theSt. Louis, Vandalia and Terre Haute Railroad andTerre Haute and Indianapolis Rail Road, the PRR now had a route toEast St. Louis via the PC&StL to Indianapolis.
The Columbus, Chicago and Indiana Central Railway went bankrupt and was sold at foreclosure on January 10, 1883. The Chicago, St. Louis and Pittsburgh Railroad was incorporated in Indiana on March 14 and Illinois on March 15, and the former CC&IC was conveyed to the two companies on March 17. Operation by the PC&StL continued until April 1, 1883. On April 1, 1884, the two companies merged to form one Chicago, St. Louis and Pittsburgh Railroad. That company was merged with the PC&StL,Cincinnati and Richmond Railroad andJeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad on September 30, 1890, to form the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway (PCC&StL).
In 1891, the PCC&StL acquired stock ownership of the Little Miami Railroad. On December 21, 1916 (taking effect January 1, 1917), the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway merged with theVandalia Railroad,Pittsburgh, Wheeling and Kentucky Railroad,Anderson Belt Railway andChicago, Indiana and Eastern Railway, forming the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad.
The PCC&StL was leased by the PRR on January 1, 1921, and finally was merged into the PRR'sPhiladelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad on April 2, 1956.
Sections of the route have been adapted for other uses. The easternmost section, from the PittsburghUnion Station through thePanhandle Tunnel and over thePanhandle Bridge toStation Square in Pittsburgh, is part of thePittsburgh Light Rail system. From there to theSheraden neighborhood of Pittsburgh, the railway forms part ofNorfolk Southern'sMon Line. The portion from Sheraden toCarnegie, Pennsylvania, has been converted into theWest Busway, a bus-only roadway. The section from Carnegie toWalkers Mill, Pennsylvania, retains its rails and is owned by thePittsburgh and Ohio Central Railroad, however, it has not seen a train since mid 2015, and it will likely be removed to become part of the Panhandle Trail.[citation needed] The section from Walkers Mill toWeirton, West Virginia, was shut down and removed by Conrail in 1996, and has been made into thePanhandle Trail, a bicycling/walking trail. From the trail's end in Weirton to Columbus, the rails are still in place: from Weirton toMingo Junction, the route is part of various rail lines and spurs, and from Mingo Junction to Columbus, the line forms part of theColumbus and Ohio River Railroad. Part of the line inPiqua, Ohio has been converted to a linear park.[5] The line between Logansport and Chicago has been abandoned, with a portion of the right of way on the South Side of Chicago developed as theMajor Taylor Trail, and a portion betweenLansing, Illinois, andSchererville, Indiana, as the Pennsy Greenway.
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