Gallery - Chesapeake & Ohio
Trains of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) were a common sight in Niagara Falls for almost 50 years.In 1924, the Van Sweringen Brothers, who were the financiers behind the Nickel Plate Road, the Chesapeake & Ohio and the Erie railways, gained controlling interest of the Pere Marquette Railway. The Pere Marquette Railway operated 2 primary lines in Ontario. Their main Canadian facilites were located in St. Thomas, ON. In 1904, the Pere Marquette Railway secured running rights from Buffalo, NY and Niagara Falls, NY over the Canada Southern Railway to reach St. Thomas.
The Pere Marquette Railway was always on the verge of bankruptcy and was fully merged into the C&O in 1947. The C&O itself was merged in 1973 (with the Baltimore and Ohio and the Western Maryland Railway) to form the Chessie System.
In 1980, the Chessie System merged with the Seaboard System (comprised of the Louisville & Nashville, the Clinchfield Railway, the Atlantic Coast Line and the Seaboard Air Line), to form CSX Transportation. CSX used their running rights over the former Canada Southern (which was being operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway at the time) until mid 1996, at which point CSX concentrated their operations on the former PMR Sarnia to Windsor line.
C&O 4301 & 3840 bring a train into Fort Erie under the old Central Ave bridge, before heading over the International Railway Bridge to Buffalo.
May 13, 1984 - Niagara Railway Museum Inc. Collection
C&O GP-30 3024, GP-7 5866 and GP-35 3534 area US bound crossing Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls.
August 17, 1977 - Niagara Railway Museum Inc. Collection
C&O 4375 with B&O 4063 enter Fort Erie with the Ringling Brothers circus train in tow. THe train is coming off the International Bridge onto the Fort Erie Sub, the former NYC track.
June 15, 1981 - Niagara Railway Museum Collection
Chessie System GP40-2 #4408 and GP40 #3786 (still in C&O paint) are stopped with train at Montrose Yard In Niagara Falls, ON
December 22nd, 1981 - Helmut Ostermann Photograph - Niagara Railway Muse
Chessie System caboose #3529 takes up the rear of the train from the previous picture on a snowy day in December.
December 22, 1981 - Helmut Ostermann Photograph - Niagara Railway Muse
Chessie System GP40-2 #4408 is seen crossing Simcoe Street in Niagara Falls, ON.
December 22nd, 1981 - Helmut Ostermann Photograph - Niagara Railway Muse
C&O GP30 #3019 leads a westbound freight through the ex-NYC Montrose Yard in Niagara Falls, ON.
June, 1977 - Niagara Railway Museum Collection
Chessie System GP7's are seen heading westbound out of Montrose Yard in Niagara Falls, ON
March 29th, 1982 - NRM Collection
C&O GP7's 5724 & 5733 are shown leaving the NYC Montrose Yard.
1954 - NRM Collection
Chesapeake & Ohio 2-8-2 Mikado #2369 is crossing the MCRR bridge into Niagara Falls NY, c-1940's.
NRM Collection
Pere Marquette 2-8-0 Consolidation #606 is seen switching at Montrose Yard in Niagara Falls, ON.
November, 1937 - The Sirman Collection
Pere Marquette 2-8-0 Consolidation #625 is sitting in the New York Central Montrose Yard.
March 25th, 1915 - Niagara Railway Museum Collection