Chessie System (MBI Railroad Color History Series) »

Dave Ori has been a photojournalist specializing in rail operations since the early 1980s. His work has appeared in a variety of railfan publications, including Rails Northeast, CTC Board, and Railpace Newsmagazine. He resides in Parma, Ohio.

Formed as a holding company in 1972, the Chessie System remains one of the most unique stories in American railroad history. Created from three great railways—the mighty Baltimore & Ohio, the refined Chesapeake & Ohio, and the small but feisty Western Maryland—the Chessie was most renowned (aside from its stylized take on the C&O’s kitten logo) for its innovations and advanced technologies. This history of the railroad traces its origins from the first affiliation of the B&O and C&O in the early 1960s, to the inclusion of the WM a decade later and the 1980 merger with Seaboard Coast Line, before launching into an examination of the Chessie System itself. Highlights include coverage of the Chessie’s operating divisions, major facilities, diesel fleet, and its 1987 integration into CSX Transportation.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1 The Pre-Chessie Era

Chapter 2 The Creation of Chessie

Chapter 3 From the Midwest to the Atlantic: Operating Divisions Chapter 4 Major Facilities, Freight Yards, and Coal Piers Chapter 5 Trailer Jets, Fast Freights, and the Diesel Fleet

Sources

Index