College Hill Railroad

The College Hill Railroad connected Cincinnati with College Hill and Mount Healthy, later becoming an electric interurban until 1938.

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The College Hill Railroad was a short line that connected the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad at Spring Grove Avenue in Cincinnati, Ohio, with the College Hill and Mount Healthy neighborhoods to the north. Although an extension to Ross was once proposed, it was never built. Facing growing competition from a parallel streetcar line, the railroad was eventually electrified and operated as an interurban before financial difficulties led to its abandonment in 1938.

History

By the mid-19th century, College Hill had emerged as an affluent suburb about eight miles north of Cincinnati. Large estate lots and smaller subdivisions increased the area’s population enough that residents began pressing for a railroad connection by the late 1850s. ^{1 2}

At first, College Hill leaders sought to have the Cincinnati & Chicago Air Line built through the community, but that effort produced no results. ¹ The railroad never extended farther east than Richmond, Indiana, and was later absorbed by the Pennsylvania Railroad. As a result, public transportation to and from College Hill remained limited to two omnibus lines, which were slow and relatively expensive. ^{1 2}

A renewed effort began in January 1871. On January 1, the Cincinnati Commercial reported that several prominent citizens of College Hill and Mount Pleasant had engaged Mr. Reed, formerly of the Indianapolis & Cincinnati Railroad, to conduct a survey for a new line. ¹ The railroad was expected to begin construction that spring and be completed by July. Within weeks, the survey had been completed, and two possible routes were identified.

Both proposed routes began at the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad (CH&D) at Spring Grove Avenue and ran toward College Hill, one by way of a ravine along Badgley’s Run and the other by way of the Ohio Female College. ¹ The plan called for the use of narrow gauge track. Had the line been built at that time, it would have been among the earliest narrow-gauge railroads in the United States. Promoters also hoped that the Marietta & Cincinnati would lay a third rail along the route.

The College Hill Railroad Company was incorporated on May 22, 1873.¹ ² Its original proposal envisioned an 18-mile line extending from the CH&D to Ross, Ohio, now Venice. Construction soon got underway, and by November 19, one mile of track had been completed. By the following spring, the line had reached College Hill at Hamilton Pike and Maple Avenue.

Promoters understood from the outset that the railroad itself might not be profitable. Instead, they expected the line to increase land values in College Hill and thereby justify the investment.¹

The route posed significant engineering challenges. It climbed 420 feet on a grade of 4.5% and required several large trestles, bridges, and a deep cut. ¹ The first trip over the newly completed three-mile line was made on March 11, 1876.

In July 1877, work began on an extension north to Mount Pleasant. Although there was insufficient backing for a further extension to Venice, the railroad reached its new terminus on October 13, bringing the line to six miles in length. ^{1 2}

The railroad, however, had been built quickly and cheaply, and it began to deteriorate after only a few years of operation. In 1882, the Ohio Railroad Commission reported that track realignment, additional ballast, and other maintenance had substantially improved conditions on the line. ¹ Trestle work followed the next year.

Even so, the company defaulted on its mortgage in February 1883. ¹ It was sold at foreclosure for $30,000, about two-thirds of its reported value, and reincorporated as the Cincinnati Northwestern Railway on December 18, 1883. The new owners announced ambitious plans, including an extension north to Liberty, Indiana. They also converted the line from narrow gauge to standard gauge, a project completed in 1887.

A more serious threat emerged in the 1890s. In 1892, a streetcar route to College Hill was proposed that directly challenged the railroad’s viability. ^{1 2} Route 24 entered service in November 1895. Although the railroad offered faster travel, the streetcar was considerably cheaper. As a result, the Cincinnati Northwestern abandoned passenger service in April 1899.

In August 1901, the line was converted to electric interurban service under the Southern Ohio Traction Company. It later became part of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton electric interurban system in 1926 and, four years later, passed to the Cincinnati & Lake Erie. ¹

The line survived in that form until May 31, 1938, when the College Hill Railroad was abandoned. ¹

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Sources

1. White, John H., Jr. “The Cincinnati Northwestern Railway.” On The Right Track: Some Historic Cincinnati Railroads. Cincinnati: Merten Printing, 2003, p. 52.
2. “College Hill Had a Railroad!” The College Hill eNewsletter 18 Dec. 2008.

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