Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad

The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, commonly referred to as the Panhandle Route, was part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system. It connected Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Bradford, Ohio.

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The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, commonly referred to as the Panhandle Route, was part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system. It connected Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Bradford, Ohio, where the line divided into routes serving Chicago, Illinois; Indianapolis, Indiana; and East St. Louis, Illinois.

History

Pittsburgh to Columbus

Steubenville & Indiana Railroad

The Steubenville & Indiana Railroad (S&I) was established on February 24, 1848, to construct a railway from the Ohio River at Steubenville to a point near the Indiana state line, close to Willshire and Fort Recovery. In March 1849, the S&I received authorization to build a bridge across the Ohio River at Steubenville and to extend the line westward to Columbus.

Construction westward was slowed by the region’s rugged, hilly terrain, which required numerous tunnels. The Bowerston Tunnel proved particularly difficult, requiring two years to complete because certain sections needed to be arched and reinforced with side walls. The first segment of the railway, between Steubenville and Unionport, opened on December 22, 1853. The line was extended to Cadiz Junction on February 2, 1854, and a branch to Cadiz was completed on June 12 of that year. The mainline then reached Masterville on June 22, Bowerston on July 12, and Newark on April 11, 1855.

On April 16, 1857, the S&I finalized an agreement with the Central Ohio Railroad to use its tracks between Newark and Columbus, thereby completing the route as originally planned.

Pittsburgh & Steubenville Railroad

The Pittsburgh & Steubenville Railroad (P&S) was incorporated on March 24, 1849, to construct a railway from Steubenville to a point near the Monongahela River close to Pittsburgh. On April 21, 1852, it received authorization to extend directly into Pittsburgh. To facilitate construction, the S&I transferred rights-of-way it had acquired from 36 landowners in Virginia to the P&S, allowing it to proceed without securing its own Virginia charter.

The first through train service between Pittsburgh and Columbus via the P&S began on October 2, 1865. ³

Following foreclosure, the P&S was sold to the Panhandle Railway, chartered in April 1861, on November 6, 1867. On April 30, 1868, the S&I, Panhandle Railway, and Holiday’s Cove Railroad consolidated to form the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railway (PC&StL), creating what became known as the Panhandle Line. In September 1890, the PC&StL merged with the Cincinnati & Richmond Railroad and the Jeffersonville, Madison & Indianapolis Railroad, forming the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway (PCC&StL).

Columbus to Indiana

Indiana Central Railway

The Terre Haute & Richmond Railroad was chartered in 1847 to construct a line across Indiana by way of Indianapolis. On May 25, 1850, stockholders east of Indianapolis organized under the same name to develop the eastern portion of the route. On January 20, 1851, the segment from Indianapolis east to the Ohio state line was renamed the Indiana Central Railway. Eleven days later, an Ohio law authorized the Dayton & Western Railroad to unite with the Indiana Central and operate jointly.

Service from Indianapolis east to Greenfield opened in September 1853, and on October 8, the line was completed to the Ohio state line, where it connected with the Dayton & Western. Joint operations between Indianapolis and Dayton, Ohio, began on August 1, 1854. In 1859, the track gauge was changed from standard gauge to the broader Ohio gauge to permit direct connections at Dayton with the Little Miami Railroad and the Columbus and Xenia Railroad.

Columbus & Indianapolis Railroad

The Columbus Piqua & Indiana Railroad was chartered in Ohio on February 23, 1849, to construct a line westward from Columbus through Urbana, Piqua, and Greenville to the Indiana state line. On March 21, 1851, the company was authorized to alter its route west of Covington. A more northerly alignment was selected to connect with the Indianapolis and Bellefontaine Railroad at Union City, Indiana, providing access to Indianapolis.

The first segment, from Columbus to Plain City, opened on June 6, 1853. Extensions reached Urbana on September 19 and Piqua on October 16, 1854; on that same date, the railroad converted its gauge to Ohio gauge to connect with the Indianapolis and Bellefontaine, which had also been re-gauged. Following financial difficulties, the remainder of the line to Union City opened on March 25, 1859. The company was sold at foreclosure on August 6, 1863, and reorganized on October 30 as the Columbus & Indianapolis Railroad.

Columbus & Indianapolis Central Railway

The Richmond & Covington Railroad was chartered in Ohio on March 12, 1862, by the Indiana Central and the Columbus Piqua & Indiana to construct a branch from Bradford to the Indiana Central at the Indiana state line near New Paris. The line opened in early 1863. On March 9, Indiana Central’s joint operating agreement with the Dayton & Western was dissolved.

On January 10, 1864, the Indiana Central, the Columbus & Indianapolis, and the Richmond & Covington entered into a joint operating agreement under the name Great Central Line, running between Columbus and Indianapolis and headed by the Indiana Central.

The Columbus & Indianapolis Railroad acquired the Richmond & Covington on September 5, 1864. On October 19, the Indiana Central and the Columbus & Indianapolis merged to form the Columbus & Indianapolis Central Railway, which operated a main line between Columbus and Indianapolis, with a branch from Bradford, Ohio, to Union City, Indiana.

Richmond to Chicago

The New Castle & Richmond Railroad was chartered in Indiana on February 16, 1848, to construct a line from New Castle east through Hagerstown and Greens Fork to Richmond. On January 24, 1851, the company was authorized to extend northwest beyond New Castle to Lafayette. To reflect its broader ambitions, it was renamed the Cincinnati, Logansport & Chicago Railway on February 26, 1853.

The original line between New Castle and Richmond opened in December 1853. Operations were conducted jointly with the Richmond & Miami Railroad and the Eaton & Hamilton Railroad, which continued the route southwest to Hamilton, Ohio. On February 1, 1854, the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad, linking Hamilton with Cincinnati, joined the joint operation.

The Cincinnati, Cambridge & Chicago Short Line Railway was incorporated in Indiana on January 25, 1853, to build from New Castle southeast through Cambridge to the Ohio state line. On April 11 of that year, the Cincinnati, New Castle & Michigan Railroad was incorporated to construct a line northwest from New Castle toward St. Joseph, Michigan. These two companies merged on May 1, 1854, forming the Cincinnati & Chicago Railroad. On October 10, 1854, the Cincinnati, Logansport & Chicago Railway was merged into the Cincinnati & Chicago.

The unfinished segment between Richmond and Logansport was leased to John W. Wright & Company on October 16, 1856. That firm began operating the line on December 1, ending the prior joint operation toward Cincinnati. The complete line between Richmond and Logansport opened on July 4, 1857. It was sold at foreclosure on April 28, 1860, and reorganized on July 10 as the Cincinnati & Chicago Air-Line Railroad. Grading had been completed from Wabash southeast to the Ohio state line; portions of that work were later sold to the Fort Wayne & Southern Railroad and the Connersville & New Castle Junction Railroad.

On September 25, 1857, the Chicago & Cincinnati Railroad was chartered in Indiana to build from Logansport northwest to Valparaiso. The line opened in 1861, where it connected at Valparaiso with the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway, providing access to Chicago. On September 25, 1861, the Cincinnati & Chicago Air-Line opened a bridge over the Wabash River at Logansport, linking it to the Chicago and Cincinnati. Joint operation between Richmond and Chicago began on July 1, 1862, and ended on January 29, 1865.

Mergers and Realignments

Chicago & Great Eastern Railway

The Galena & Illinois River Railroad was chartered in Illinois on February 18, 1857, ⁴ to construct a line from Galena through Chicago to the Indiana state line in the direction of Lansing, Michigan. The Chicago & Great Eastern Railway was incorporated in Indiana on June 19, 1863, to build from Logansport northwest to the Illinois state line toward Chicago. On September 11, 1863, the charter of the Galena & Illinois River was assigned to the Chicago & Great Eastern, and on October 30, the latter formally absorbed the former.

The line from Chicago (12th Street) south and southeast to the Chicago and Cincinnati Railroad at La Crosse, Indiana, opened on March 6, 1865. At that time, the earlier line running northwest from La Crosse to Valparaiso was abandoned. On May 15, 1865, the Chicago & Great Eastern Railway absorbed the Cincinnati and Chicago Air-Line Railroad and the Chicago and Cincinnati Railroad.

Union & Logansport Railroad

The Marion & Mississinewa Valley Railroad was incorporated in Indiana on May 11, 1852, to construct a line from Union City northwest to Marion. On May 14, 1853, the Marion & Logansport Railroad was incorporated to extend the route further northwest from Marion to Logansport. On November 28, 1854, the Marion & Logansport conveyed its property to the Marion & Mississinewa Valley.

The Union & Logansport Railroad was incorporated on January 5, 1863, and four days later, on January 9, purchased the unfinished Marion & Mississinewa Valley Railroad.

Toledo, Logansport & Burlington Railroad

The Logansport & Pacific Railroad was incorporated in 1853 to construct a line west from Logansport to the Illinois state line. After several reorganizations, the route was completed in 1859 by the Toledo, Logansport & Burlington Railroad, which opened to the state line near Effner. The line later formed part of the Logansport, Peoria & Burlington Railroad, a component of a through route to the western United States that bypassed Chicago and eventually became part of the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway.

Columbus, Chicago & Indiana Central Railway (CC&IC)

On September 11, 1867, the Columbus & Indianapolis Central Railway, the Union & Logansport Railroad, and the Toledo, Logansport & Burlington merged to create the Columbus & Indiana Central Railway. The principal line, previously under construction by the Union and Logansport, was completed from Union City to Marion in October 1867.

On February 12, 1868, the Columbus, Chicago & Indiana Central Railway (CC&IC) was formed through the merger of the Columbus & Indiana Central and the Chicago & Great Eastern. The remainder of the new main line, extending northwest from Marion to Anoka on the former main line east of Logansport, was completed on March 15, 1868. This shifted the earlier route through New Castle and Richmond to branch-line status. The CC&IC now operated main lines from Columbus to Chicago and to Indianapolis, with branches extending from near Logansport southeast to Richmond, Indiana (on the Indianapolis line), and west to Effner, Indiana.

In late 1868, the Erie Railway offered to lease the CC&IC, but on January 22, 1869, the PC&StL made a more favorable proposal. The lease to the PC&StL took effect on February 1, 1869.

Expansion to St. Louis

On December 1, 1869, the PC&StL leased the Little Miami Railroad, which included the Columbus & Xenia Railroad, Dayton & Western Railroad, and Dayton, Xenia & Belpre Railroad, as well as the Richmond & Miami Railway branch extending west to Richmond, Indiana.

With the completion in 1870 of the St. Louis, Vandalia & Terre Haute Railroad and the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Rail Road, the PRR gained a continuous route to East St. Louis by way of the PC&StL to Indianapolis and westward connections.

Conveyance to the Pennsylvania Railroad

The Columbus, Chicago & Indiana Central later entered bankruptcy and was sold at foreclosure on January 10, 1883. The Chicago, St. Louis & Pittsburgh Railroad was incorporated in Indiana on March 14 and in Illinois on March 15. On March 17, the former CC&IC was conveyed to these two newly formed companies. Operation by the PC&StL continued until April 1, 1883, and on April 1, 1884, the Indiana and Illinois corporations merged to form a unified Chicago, St. Louis & Pittsburgh Railroad. That company was subsequently consolidated on September 30, 1890, with the PC&StL, the Cincinnati & Richmond Railroad, and the Jeffersonville, Madison & Indianapolis Railroad, forming the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway (PCC&StL).

In 1891, the PCC&StL acquired a stock interest in the Little Miami Railroad. On December 21, 1916, the PCC&StL merged with the Vandalia Railroad, the Pittsburgh, Wheeling & Kentucky Railroad, the Anderson Belt Railway, and the Chicago, Indiana & Eastern Railway, forming the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad (PCC&StL).

By 1893, much of the Panhandle Line had been upgraded to double track. Gauntlet tracks were installed within tunnels to avoid the need for switching. ¹

The PCC&StL was leased by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) on January 1, 1921. ²

In 1949, the PRR began a major improvement project between Dennison and Steubenville, Ohio. The work aimed to increase vertical clearances for exceptionally large loads and to complete double-tracking along the route. ¹ To accomplish this, Tunnel Nos. 4 through 7 were eliminated.

The removal of Tunnel No. 7 was the most significant portion of the project. Construction began in June at a cost of $2 million. A new mile of track was built through a cut 600 feet long and 220 feet deep. The project required the excavation of 2½ million cubic yards of earth, the blasting of one million cubic yards of rock, and the use of 500,000 pounds of explosives. ¹ The work was completed on October 24, 1950.

Feature	Location	Type	Condition
Tunnel No. 1	Ingram, Pennsylvania	Tunnel	Active (West Busway)
Tunnel No. 2	Dinsmore, Pennsylvania	Tunnel	Demolished?
Ohio River Bridge	Weirton, West Virginia-Steubenville, Ohio	Bridge	Active
Tunnel No. 3	Gould, Ohio	Tunnel	Active
Tunnel No. 4	Reeds Mill, Ohio	Tunnel	Abandoned
Tunnel No. 5	Fairplay/Broadacre, Ohio	Tunnel	Abandoned
Tunnel No. 6	Fairplay, Ohio	Tunnel	Abandoned
Tunnel No. 7	Jewett, Ohio	Tunnel	Abandoned
Tunnel No. 8	Bowerston, Ohio	Tunnel	Demolished?

On April 2, 1956, the PRR merged the PCC&StL into its Philadelphia, Baltimore & Washington Railroad subsidiary. In 1968, the PRR merged with the New York Central Railroad to form Penn Central Transportation (PC). Financial difficulties led to Penn Central’s failure in 1976 and its subsequent reorganization as Conrail.

Conrail

After Conrail’s formation, a train wreck west of Steubenville required rerouting of traffic. Trains that had used the Panhandle Line were diverted to the Fort Wayne Line, and much of the traffic bound for St. Louis was shifted to the Pittsburgh–Cleveland–Chicago Line. ² Recognizing reduced operating costs, Conrail discontinued use of the Panhandle Line from Columbus west to Bradford. At Bradford, the line divided into a northern route to Chicago and a southern route to Indianapolis.

In the mid-1980s, Conrail sought to abandon portions of the Panhandle Line between Columbus and Pittsburgh, including three branch lines. ² Local, state, and federal officials opposed the plan and prevented the abandonment.

In 1992, the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) persuaded Caprail I to purchase the segment from Columbus east to Weirton for $7.3 million. The line was leased to the ORDC for 20 years, which granted an operating franchise to the Columbus & Ohio Railroad. This arrangement permitted Conrail to abandon the section from Weirton to Pittsburgh in 1996.

Today

Sections of the route continue to be used by multiple railroads, while other portions have been transformed into trails.

• The easternmost segment of the former Panhandle Line, extending from Union Station in Pittsburgh through the Panhandle Tunnel in downtown and across the Panhandle Bridge, is now part of the Pittsburgh Regional Transit light rail system. South of that point, the line forms part of Norfolk Southern Railway’s Mon Line. Between Carnegie and Pittsburgh, the right-of-way has been converted into the West Busway for exclusive bus use. The segment from Carnegie to Walkers Mill is owned by the Pittsburgh & Ohio Central Railroad but has been out of service since mid-2015.
• The section between Walkers Mill and Weirton, West Virginia, was abandoned by Conrail in 1996 and subsequently converted into the Panhandle Trail as part of a rail-to-trail initiative.
• West of Weirton, the route to Columbus remains active under the Columbus & Ohio River Railroad, operated by Genesee & Wyoming Railroad.
• In Piqua, Ohio, a section has been developed as a linear park.
• The line between Logansport and Chicago has been abandoned, and part of the right-of-way on the south side of Chicago has been converted into the Major Taylor Trail.
• Another segment between Lansing, Illinois, and Schererville, Indiana, has been redeveloped as the Pennsy Greenway.

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Map

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Gallery

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Sources

1. Baker, Jon. “Bowerston rail tunnel opened roads for nearly a century before elimination.” Times Reporter [New Philadelphia] 2 Mar. 2014: n. pag. Print.
2. “Panhandle Rail Line Anti-Privatization Opinion.” Multimodalways. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2016. Article.
3. “The Pittsburgh and Steubenville Railroad.” New York Times, 1 Oct. 1865, p. 1.
4. Morris, J. C., editor. Ohio Railway Report: Annual Report of the Commissioner of Railroads and Telegraphs; Part II. History of the Railroads of Ohio. 31 Dec. 1902.