The Columbus, Delaware and Marion Electric Company (originally Columbus, Delaware and Marion Railway Company) or CD&M was an

interurban The interurban (or radial railway in Canada) is a type of electric railway, with tram-like electric self-propelled railcars which run within and between cities or towns. The term "interurban" is usually used in North America, with other terms u ...

electric railroad that operated passenger and freight service in northern

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

from 1903 to 1933.

Railroad and service

The Columbus, Delaware and Marion Railway, or CD&M, provided

service connecting

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, the capital city of the U.S. state of Ohio * Columbus, Georgia, a city i ...

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

Marion Marion or MARION may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Marion (band), a British alternative rock group * ''Marion'' (miniseries), a 1974 miniseries * ''Marion'' (1920 film), an Italian silent film * ''Marion'' (2024 film), a UK short People a ...

, Worthington, and Bucyrus,

. It also provided local street car service in Marion and Delaware. The CD&M provided local and interurban service on of track as The Columbus, Delaware and Marion Electric Railway Company. It operated service to Bucyrus through the Delaware, Marion and Bucyrus Railroad on an additional of track. At Bucyrus the railway met the Cleveland, Southwestern and Columbus Railway for connecting service to

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

. The CD&M also generated electricity for Marion and sold power to the Middle West Utilities System. As a means of increasing off hours riders, the company developed Glenmary Park north of Worthington to attract interurban passengers with playing fields and picnic areas, and provided partial funding for Crystal Lake Amusement Park north of Marion, Ohio.

History

The Columbus, Delaware, and Marion Railway was formed in 1901 to establish

service north of

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

. The CD&M Railway purchased the Columbus, Clinton and Worthington Street Railway. At the same time, a rival company, the Columbus, Delaware and Northern Railroad, acquired a

right-of-way A right of way (also right-of-way) is a specific route that people, animals, vehicles, watercraft, or utility lines travel, or the legal status that gives them the right to do so. Rights-of-way in the physical sense include controlled-access h ...

between Columbus and

. The CD&M Railway bought its rival and the railroad began interurban service in 1903. In October 1904, the CD&M incorporated as a

holding company A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the Security (finance), securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own Share ...

operating through its subsidiary the Columbus, Delaware, and Marion Electric Railroad. In 1908, the company built the Columbus, Marion, and Bucyrus Railway to connect Columbus to the Cleveland, Southwestern and Columbus Railway at Bucyrus with plans for service to

, Sandusky, and

Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Or ...

. The Columbus Marion and Bucyrus operated passenger service from Columbus to Bucyrus and nightly through freight service between Columbus and Cleveland. In 1909, both the CD&M Railway Company and its Bucyrus subsidiary went

bankrupt Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the de ...

. The Columbus, Marion and Bucyrus emerged from bankruptcy in 1914, and in 1917, the CD&M was reorganized as the Columbus, Delaware and Marion Electric Company.

Decline and abandonment

The Columbus, Marion and Bucyrus Railway lost money during the late 1920s. The railway went bankrupt in 1930 and was absorbed into Columbus, Delaware, and Marion in 1931. In 1931, the Cleveland, Southwestern and Columbus Railway abandoned its rail lines, causing the CD&M to lose revenue from its Cleveland freight service in 1933 The company filed for bankruptcy in March 1933 and abandoned rail passenger service in August 1933. Passenger rail was replaced by bus service. The CD&M Electric Company was merged with the Reserve Power Company to form Marion-Reserve Power Company in 1937. The

Ohio Railway Museum The Ohio Railway Museum is a railway museum that was founded in 1948. It is located in Worthington, Ohio, near Columbus, Ohio. History Established in 1948 and incorporated August 22, 1950, it is one of the oldest organization involved wi ...

in Worthington operates on about one mile of former Columbus, Delaware and Marion right-of-way. The museum's collection includes a preserved CD&M parlor car numbered 501. Until 1969, another segment of CD&M track, leading to a power plant, was used in Marion. Beginning in 2006, the Marion County Park District was working to establish a trail along the abandoned right of way.

Footnotes

References

* * * * * * *

External links

CD&M Route Map
at Google Maps.

at davesrailpix.com

at columbusrailroads.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Columbus Delaware Marion Railway Defunct Ohio railroads Interurban railways in Ohio 1903 establishments in Ohio 1933 disestablishments in Ohio Transportation in Columbus, Ohio 20th century in Columbus, Ohio Transportation in Delaware County, Ohio Marion County, Ohio Electric power companies of the United States