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Main Line (Columbus to Chicago)
Encyclopedia
The Columbus to Chicago Main Line was a rail line owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad
in the U.S. state
s of Ohio
, Indiana
, and Illinois
. The line ran from Columbus, Ohio
northwest via Logansport, Indiana
to Chicago, Illinois. Junctions included the Columbus to Indianapolis Main Line via Bradford, which split at Bradford
to reach the Pittsburgh to St. Louis Main Line at New Paris
, the Fort Wayne Branch at Ridgeville
, the Richmond Branch (from Cincinnati) at Anoka
, and the South Bend Branch
and I&F Branch at Logansport.
The line has largely been abandoned. The Norfolk Southern Railway
operates the portion from Red Key, Indiana west to Sweetser
as the Red Key Secondary; the piece from Anoka
to Logansport is part of the Winamac Southern Railroad and a short piece from Schererville
to Hartsdale is the Norfolk Southern Logansport Secondary.
(on the state line) in 1853 and 1854 to Piqua and 1859 to Union City. Closer to Chicago, the Cincinnati and Chicago Railroad opened the short piece between Anoka
and Logansport in 1857 as part of a longer line between Richmond and Logansport. The Chicago and Cincinnati Railroad opened the line from Logansport to La Crosse and beyond to Valparaiso in 1861; a bridge over the Wabash River
at Logansport, connecting to the existing line, was opened the same year by the Cincinnati and Chicago Air-Line Railroad. The Chicago and Great Eastern Railway opened the line from La Crosse to Chicago (and abandoned the old line to Valparaiso) in 1865, and absorbed the Chicago and Cincinnati Railroad and Cincinnati and Chicago Air-Line Railroad later that year. The piece from Union City to Marion was opened in 1867 from by the Columbus and Indiana Central Railway, the successor to the Columbus, Piqua and Indiana Railroad, and, in 1868, the Columbus and Indiana Central Railway and Chicago and Great Eastern Railway merged to form the Columbus, Chicago and Indiana Central Railway and completed the line from Marion to Anoka; the CC&IC owned the entire line from Columbus to Chicago.
The Pittsburg, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railway leased the CC&IC on February 1, 1869, placing it under Pennsylvania Railroad
control and giving the PRR a second route to Chicago (it already owned the Fort Wayne Line
). The PC&StL and its successors, the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway and Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
, operated the line until January 1, 1921, when the PRR began operating it under lease. The line passed to Penn Central Transportation
in 1968 and Conrail in 1976; Conrail slowly abandoned almost all of it. The route was abandoned in 1982 between Schererville and Winamac, the rest of the line was removed by 1986 with the exception of the track between Winamac and Logansport, which was removed in 2005.
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, and Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. The line ran from Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
northwest via Logansport, Indiana
Logansport, Indiana
Logansport is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, Indiana, United States. The population was 18,396 at the 2010 census. Logansport is located in northern Indiana, at the junction of the Wabash and Eel rivers, northeast of Lafayette.-History:...
to Chicago, Illinois. Junctions included the Columbus to Indianapolis Main Line via Bradford, which split at Bradford
Bradford, Ohio
Bradford is a village in Darke and Miami counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 1,859 at the 2000 census.The Miami County portion of Bradford is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Darke County portion is part of the Greenville Metropolitan Statistical...
to reach the Pittsburgh to St. Louis Main Line at New Paris
New Paris, Ohio
New Paris is a village in Preble County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,623 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :The area was in the tribal grounds of the Pottawatomi, Miami and Wyandot Indians....
, the Fort Wayne Branch at Ridgeville
Ridgeville, Indiana
Ridgeville is a town in Franklin Township, Randolph County, Indiana, United States, along the Mississinewa River. The population was 843 at the 2000 census.- Geography :Ridgeville is located at ....
, the Richmond Branch (from Cincinnati) at Anoka
Anoka, Indiana
Anoka is an unincorporated town in Washington Township, Cass County, Indiana....
, and the South Bend Branch
South Bend Branch
The South Bend Branch was a Pennsylvania Railroad line that ran from South Bend, Indiana to Logansport, Indiana. The line was built in 1883 and was then a part of the Vandalia Railroad...
and I&F Branch at Logansport.
The line has largely been abandoned. The Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
operates the portion from Red Key, Indiana west to Sweetser
Sweetser, Indiana
Sweetser is a town in Franklin, Pleasant and Richland townships, Grant County, Indiana, United States. The population was 906 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
as the Red Key Secondary; the piece from Anoka
Anoka, Indiana
Anoka is an unincorporated town in Washington Township, Cass County, Indiana....
to Logansport is part of the Winamac Southern Railroad and a short piece from Schererville
Schererville, Indiana
Schererville is a town in St. John Township, Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 29,243 at the 2010 census.- History :...
to Hartsdale is the Norfolk Southern Logansport Secondary.
History
The oldest piece of the line is the part closest to Columbus; the Columbus, Piqua and Indiana Railroad opened from Columbus to Union City, IndianaUnion City, Indiana
Union City is a city in Wayne Township, Randolph County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 3,584.Union City was a stop along the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, a forerunner of the Pennsylvania Railroad that connected Pittsburgh to...
(on the state line) in 1853 and 1854 to Piqua and 1859 to Union City. Closer to Chicago, the Cincinnati and Chicago Railroad opened the short piece between Anoka
Anoka, Indiana
Anoka is an unincorporated town in Washington Township, Cass County, Indiana....
and Logansport in 1857 as part of a longer line between Richmond and Logansport. The Chicago and Cincinnati Railroad opened the line from Logansport to La Crosse and beyond to Valparaiso in 1861; a bridge over the Wabash River
Wabash River
The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
at Logansport, connecting to the existing line, was opened the same year by the Cincinnati and Chicago Air-Line Railroad. The Chicago and Great Eastern Railway opened the line from La Crosse to Chicago (and abandoned the old line to Valparaiso) in 1865, and absorbed the Chicago and Cincinnati Railroad and Cincinnati and Chicago Air-Line Railroad later that year. The piece from Union City to Marion was opened in 1867 from by the Columbus and Indiana Central Railway, the successor to the Columbus, Piqua and Indiana Railroad, and, in 1868, the Columbus and Indiana Central Railway and Chicago and Great Eastern Railway merged to form the Columbus, Chicago and Indiana Central Railway and completed the line from Marion to Anoka; the CC&IC owned the entire line from Columbus to Chicago.
The Pittsburg, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railway leased the CC&IC on February 1, 1869, placing it under Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
control and giving the PRR a second route to Chicago (it already owned the Fort Wayne Line
Fort Wayne Line
The Fort Wayne Line and Fort Wayne Secondary is a rail line owned and operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway , Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad , and CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana...
). The PC&StL and its successors, the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway and Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, commonly called the Pan Handle Route , was a railroad forming part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system. Its common name came from its main line west from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania across the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia...
, operated the line until January 1, 1921, when the PRR began operating it under lease. The line passed to Penn Central Transportation
Penn Central Transportation
The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American railroad company that operated from 1968 until 1976. It was created by the merger on February 1, 1968, of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central Railroad...
in 1968 and Conrail in 1976; Conrail slowly abandoned almost all of it. The route was abandoned in 1982 between Schererville and Winamac, the rest of the line was removed by 1986 with the exception of the track between Winamac and Logansport, which was removed in 2005.