The following is a brief history of the North American rail system, mainly through major changes to

Class I railroad Railroad classes are the system by which Rail freight transport, freight railroads are designated in the United States. Railroads are assigned to Class I, II or III according to annual revenue criteria originally set by the Surface Transportatio ...

s, the largest class by operating revenue. ;1910 *July 1: The first year of classification by operating revenue begins. *July 1: The property of the independent Chicago, Cincinnati and Louisville Railroad, which entered receivership on February 14, 1908, is conveyed to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway of Indiana, a subsidiary of the

Chesapeake and Ohio Railway The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis Potter Huntington, it reached from Virginia's capital city of Rich ...

. *December 23: The property of the

Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company The Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company (OR&N) was a rail and steamboat transport company that operated a rail network of running east from Portland, Oregon, United States, to northeastern Oregon, northeastern Washington, and northern Id ...

is sold to the

Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company The Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company (OR&N) was a rail and steamboat transport company that operated a rail network of running east from Portland, Oregon, United States, to northeastern Oregon, northeastern Washington, and northern Id ...

, remaining a subsidiary of the

Oregon Short Line Railroad The Oregon Short Line Railroad was a railroad in Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Montana and Oregon in the United States. The line was organized as the Oregon Short Line Railway in 1881 as a subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railway. The Union Pacific int ...

(

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad is a Railroad classes, Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United Stat ...

system). ;1911 *January 1: The Chicago, Terre Haute and Southeastern Railway begins operations after acquiring the properties of the Southern Indiana Railway and subsidiary

Chicago Southern Railway Chicago is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous city in the United States after New York City and Los ...

, which entered receivership on August 19 and August 25, 1908, respectively. *February: The

New York Central Railroad The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected New York metropolitan area, gr ...

sells half of its majority interest in the

Rutland Railroad The Rutland Railroad was a railroad in the northeastern United States, located primarily in the state of Vermont but extending into the state of New York at both its northernmost and southernmost ends. After its closure in 1961, parts of the ...

to the

New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , commonly known as The Consolidated, or simply as the New Haven, was a railroad that operated principally in the New England region of the United States from 1872 to 1968. Founded by the merger of ...

. *April 20: The Blacklick and Yellow Creek Railroad changes its name to

Cambria and Indiana Railroad The Cambria and Indiana Railroad (C&I) is a railway company that is located in the southeastern part of Indiana County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Incorporated in 1904 and built in 1910 with the intention of carrying lumber, coal was d ...

(not yet Class I). *June 30: The first year of classification by operating revenue ends. There are 177 Class I railroads, including two Canadian companies (

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

and

Canadian Northern Railway The Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) was a historic Canada, Canadian transcontinental railway. At its 1923 merger into the Canadian National Railway , the CNoR owned a main line between Quebec City and Vancouver via Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Edmonto ...

) not included in any totals by the ICC, and a separate listing for "

Canadian Pacific Lines in Maine The lines of the Canadian Pacific Railway operated in the State of Maine were set up as a separate company to comply with Interstate Commerce Commission regulations and were considered a Class I U.S. railroad (in 1950, railroads with operating rev ...

" (leased lines of the

International Railway of Maine The International Railway of Maine was a historic railroad constructed by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) between Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, and Mattawamkeag, Maine, closing a key gap in the railway's transcontinental main line to the port of Sai ...

Aroostook River Railroad Aroostook may refer to: * Aroostook Band of Micmacs, a tribe of Mi'kmaq people in Aroostook County, Maine U.S. * Aroostook, New Brunswick, Canada * Aroostook County, Maine, U.S. * Aroostook River, in Maine * Aroostook War The Aroostook War (s ...

, and

Houlton Branch Railroad Houlton may refer to: *Houlton, Maine, American town **Houlton (CDP), Maine, census-designated place within the Town of Houlton *Houlton, Wisconsin, American unincorporated community *Houlton, Warwickshire, housing development near Rugby, England P ...

Grand Trunk Railway of Canada The Grand Trunk Railway (; ) was a railway system that operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and in the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated ...

lessor

Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad , known as St-Laurent et Atlantique Quebec in Canada, is a short-line railway operating between Portland, Maine, on the Atlantic Ocean, and Montreal, Quebec, on the St. Lawrence River. It crosses the Ca ...

is also listed as a Class I railroad. *July: The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway gains control of the

Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway The Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway, its affiliate the Northwestern Railway Company of Texas, and two subsidiaries collectively constructed a railway running from Wichita Falls, Texas through Altus, Oklahoma to Forgan, Oklahoma, with a bra ...

(not yet Class I). *July 1:

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR), legal name as the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, also known as the "Pennsy," was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At its ...

subsidiaries Cleveland, Akron and Columbus Railway and Cincinnati and Muskingum Valley Railroad, the latter not Class I, merge to form the Cleveland, Akron and Cincinnati Railway.

Interstate Commerce Commission The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was a regulatory agency in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads (and later Trucking industry in the United States, truc ...

, 23 Val. Rep. 365 (1929): Valuation Docket No. 386
Pennsylvania Company and its Leased Lines
/ref> *July 1: The

Illinois Central Railroad The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the Central United States. Its primary routes connected Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, and thus, ...

begins operating the property of former subsidiary Indianapolis Southern Railroad, purchased at foreclosure. *July 21: The

Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad The Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad was a Class I railroad that linked Chicago, Illinois, Chicago to southern Illinois, St. Louis, Missouri, St. Louis, and Evansville, Indiana, Evansville. Founded in 1877, it grew aggressively and staye ...

buys the property of subsidiary Evansville and Terre Haute Railroad. *September 15: The

Bingham and Garfield Railway The Copperton Low Line was an electric railroad in Salt Lake County, Utah. It was managed by the Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation and connected the Bingham Canyon Mine with its smelter at Garfield. In 1948 the electric rail line replaced the ...

completes its main line. It will be listed as Class II in 1912 and Class I in 1913. *September 16: The

International and Great Northern Railway International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

begins operating the former International and Great Northern Railroad, in receivership since February 27, 1908.ICC (1911)
p. 710
/ref> *November: The

Louisville and Nashville Railroad The Louisville and Nashville Railroad , commonly called the L&N, was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1850, the road grew into one of ...

and St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad jointly buy control of the New Orleans, Mobile and Chicago Railroad, predecessor of the Gulf, Mobile and Northern. *December 28: The property of

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996. The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport; at vario ...

subsidiary

Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway The Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway (SFP&P) was a common carrier railroad that later became an operating subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in Arizona. At Ash Fork, Arizona, the SFP&P connected with Santa Fe's opera ...

is conveyed to AT&SF lessor California, Arizona and Santa Fe Railway. ;1912 *January 1:

subsidiary Pennsylvania Company leases the Cleveland, Akron and Cincinnati Railway. *January 1: The

Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad The Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway (M&StL) was an American Railroad classes#Class I, Class I railroad that built and operated lines radiating south and west from Minneapolis, Minnesota for 90 years from 1870 to 1960. The railway never reached ...

acquires the property of the

Iowa Central Railway Iowa ( ) is a state in the upper Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the east and southeast, Misso ...

, formerly independent. *March 20: The Sunset Railroad, controlled jointly by the

and

Southern Pacific Company The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the names ...

, merges with lessor Sunset Western Railway to form the Sunset Railway (no longer Class I). *April 4: The Crystal City and Uvalde Railroad is renamed San Antonio, Uvalde and Gulf Railroad (not yet Class I). *June 30: The Sunset Railroad is demoted from Class I to II; it will never return to the former classification. The

Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway The Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway, started in 1900 by American railroad entrepreneur Arthur Edward Stilwell, was the predecessor of the Chihuahua al Pacífico railroad in Mexico. It was intended to reach the Pacific Ocean at Topolob ...

also becomes Class II, since Texas subsidiary Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway of Texas had been listed as a lessor in 1911, but is now listed as an operating subsidiary, and the revenues of the parent alone are not enough to qualify for Class I. On the other hand, the

Detroit and Toledo Shore Line Railroad The Detroit and Toledo Shore Line Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in northwestern Ohio and southeastern Michigan. The Pleasant Bay Railway was incorporated in Michigan in March 1898 and purchased the Toledo and Ottawa Beach Railwa ...

Oahu Railway and Land Company The Oahu Railway and Land Company, or OR&L, was a narrow gauge common carrier railway that served much of the Hawaiian island of Oahu, and was the largest narrow gauge class one common carrier in the U.S, until its dissolution in 1947. Origin T ...

, and

Western Pacific Railroad The Western Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was formed in 1903 as an attempt to break the near-monopoly the Southern Pacific Railroad had on rail service into northern California. WP's Feather River Route dire ...

are newly listed as Class I. The

begins including data for subsidiary Chesapeake and Ohio Railway of Indiana with its own data. With the loss of the Cleveland, Akron and Cincinnati Railway, Evansville and Terre Haute Railroad, Indianapolis Southern Railroad,

, and

, and electrification of the

Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad The Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad Company (S.&I.E.R.R.Co.) was an Interurban, electrified interurban railway operating in Spokane, Washington and vicinity, extending into northern and central Idaho. The system originated in several predecess ...

, the number of Class I railroads drops from 177 in 1911 to 171 as of June 30, 1912. *October 1: The

Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, also known as the DL&W or Lackawanna Railroad, was a U.S. Class 1 railroad that connected Buffalo, New York, and Hoboken, New Jersey, and by ferry with New York City, a distance of . The railroad was ...

leases subsidiary Syracuse, Binghamton and New York Railroad.ICC (1914)
p. 707
/ref> *December 9:

subsidiary

Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railway The Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railway is a subsidiary railroad of Canadian National Railway (CN) operating in northern Minnesota, United States. A CN system-wide rebranding beginning in 1995 has seen the DWP logo and name largely replaced b ...

completes its line and becomes Class I. *December 24: The property of the

Chicago, Milwaukee and Puget Sound Railway The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), better known as the Milwaukee Road , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1986. The company experienced financi ...

is conveyed to parent

Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), better known as the Milwaukee Road , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States, Midwest and Pacific Northwest, Northwest of the United States from 1847 ...

. ;1913 *January 1: The Chicago, Peoria and St. Louis Railroad begins operating the former Chicago, Peoria and St. Louis Railway of Illinois, in receivership since July 1, 1909. *May 1: The

Denver and Salt Lake Railroad The Denver and Salt Lake Railway (D&SL) was a List of United States railroads, U.S. railroad company located in Colorado. It was incorporated in 1902 as the Denver, Northwestern and Pacific (DN&P) Railway with the goal of connecting Denver, De ...

begins operating the former Denver, Northwestern and Pacific Railway, in receivership since May 2, 1912. *May 28: The

Butte, Anaconda and Pacific Railway The Butte, Anaconda and Pacific Railway is a shortline railroad in the U.S. state of Montana. Founded in 1891, it was the main conduit for ore transport between Butte, Montana, Butte and Anaconda, Montana, Anaconda. The railroad operated as the ...

begins electric service. *June 30: The

Arizona and New Mexico Railway Arizona is a state in the Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the northwest and California to the west, and s ...

, Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad,

Lehigh and New England Railroad The Lehigh and New England Railroad was a Class I railroad located in Northeastern United States that acted as a bridge line. It was the second notable U.S. railroad to file for abandonment in its entirety after the New York, Ontario and Weste ...

Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad The Missouri and North Arkansas was a railroad in Missouri and Arkansas from 1906 to 1935, with its successor lasting until 1946. History The railroad began as the Eureka Springs Railway in 1883 as a line from the St. Louis–San Francisco Ra ...

, Missouri, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway, and

Spokane International Railway The Spokane International Railroad was a short line railroad between Spokane, Washington, and the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) at Kingsgate, British Columbia. The line became an important one for the CP with its connections to the Union Paci ...

are reclassified from II to I, and the new

is also Class I. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway of Texas starts including its data with parent Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway, and, with the disappearance of the

and Syracuse, Binghamton and New York Railroad, the number of Class I railroads rises from 171 in 1912 to 176 as of June 30, 1913. *December 31: The

Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad The Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad was a railroad company that formerly operated in western and north central Pennsylvania and western New York (state), New York. It was created in 1893 by the merger and consolidation of several smaller loggi ...

is reorganized under the same name, having been in receivership since July 23, 1910. Former parent Buffalo and Susquehanna Railway (Class II), also in receivership (since May 3, 1910), remains independent, and is reorganized as the Wellsville and Buffalo Railroad (Class II) on December 14, 1915 and abandoned in November 1916. ;1914 *January 1: The Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway begins recording its lease of the Peoria and Eastern Railway, which dates from April 1, 1890, as such. Previously the P&E was listed as Class I. *March 1: The

Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad The Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad operated from 1905 to 1983 between its namesake cities of Detroit, Michigan, and Ironton, Ohio, via Toledo, Ohio, Toledo. At the end of 1970, it operated 478 miles of road on 762 miles of track; that year ...

begins operating the former Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railway, which had been in receivership since February 1, 1908. As a consequence of this reorganization, the DT&I no longer controls the Ann Arbor Railroad. *March 30: The

Boston and Maine Railroad The Boston and Maine Railroad was a United States, U.S. Class I railroad in northern New England. It was chartered in 1835, and became part of what was the Pan Am Railways network in 1983 (most of which was purchased by CSX in 2022). At the e ...

sells its controlling share in the

Maine Central Railroad The Maine Central Railroad was a United States, U. S. class 1 railroad in central and southern Maine. It was chartered in 1856 and began operations in 1862. By 1884, Maine Central was the longest railroad in New England. Maine Central had expand ...

. *April 7: The

Grand Trunk Pacific Railway The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was a historic Canadian transcontinental railway running from Fort William, Ontario (now Thunder Bay) to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, a Pacific coast port. East of Winnipeg the line continued as the National ...

is completed. *May 1: The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway leases subsidiary Wichita Falls and Southern Railway (not yet Class I) to Texas subsidiary Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway of Texas. *June 1:

New York Central and Hudson River Railroad The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Mid ...

subsidiary

Toledo and Ohio Central Railway The Toledo and Ohio Central Railway (T&OC) was a railway company in the U.S. state of Ohio from 1885 to 1952. In 1928 it was leased by the New York Central System, which purchased the line in 1938. Precursors *Atlantic & Lake Erie Railroad *A ...

buys control of the Kanawha and Michigan Railway from joint owners

Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, established in 1833, and sometimes referred to as the Lake Shore, was a major part of the New York Central Railroad's Water Level Route from Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, New York, to Chicago, Illinoi ...

(also a NYC subsidiary) and

. *June 5:

subsidiary Southern Kansas Railway of Texas is renamed

Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway The Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway (P&SF) was an American rail transport company that was a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF), operating primarily in the Texas Panhandle. History Chartered November 2, 1886 as The S ...

. *June 30: Despite the loss of the Peoria and Eastern Railway, the number of Class I railroads remains at 176, its 1913 value, since

lessor Chicago, Detroit and Canada Grand Trunk Junction Railroad, which reports separately, is raised from Class II to I. *July 1:

subsidiary

Pecos and Northern Texas Railway Pecos may refer to: Places * Pecos River, rises near Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States * Pecos, Texas, a city in Reeves County, Texas, United States * Pecos County, Texas, named for the Pecos River ** Pecos Spring, a spring * Pecos, New Mexico ...

is leased in part to the

Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway (GC&SF) was chartered in Texas in 1873 to build a railroad from Galveston, Texas, to Santa Fe, New Mexico. By 1886, it had built from Galveston to a junction in Temple, Texas, which was founded by the co ...

and

, being split at Sweetwater. *July 6: The Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railroad begins operating the former Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway, in receivership since March 7, 1912. Texas subsidiary Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway of Texas is in receivership from March 9, 1912, to July 8, 1914. *July 29: The

leases subsidiary

Northern Central Railway The Northern Central Railway (NCRY) was a Class I Railroad in the United States connecting Baltimore, Maryland, with Sunbury, Pennsylvania, along the Susquehanna River. Completed in 1858, the line came under the control of the Pennsylvania R ...

. *August 14: The

Utah Railway The Utah Railway is a class III railroad operating in Utah and Colorado, and owned by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. History The Utah Railway Company was incorporated on January 24, 1912, with the name of Utah Coal Railway, shortened to Utah Railway ...

opens, initially operated by the

Denver and Rio Grande Railroad The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to ''Rio Grande'', D&RG or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, was an American Class I railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow-gauge line running south fro ...

, 141 I.C.C. 545 (1928): Valuation Docket No. 538, Utah Railway Company *December 23: The

merges with ten subsidiaries, including Class I Chicago, Indiana and Southern Railroad and

, to form the

. ;1915 *January 23: The

is completed. *May 1: The Cripple Creek and Colorado Springs Railroad (recently renamed from Golden Circle Railroad) acquires a portion of the property of former lessee Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad, the rest of which is abandoned. *June 1: Due to the financial problems of the

, which was to operate the mostly-completed

National Transcontinental Railway The National Transcontinental Railway (NTR) was a historic railway between Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Moncton, New Brunswick, in Canada. Much of the line is now operated by the Canadian National Railway. The Grand Trunk partnership The completion o ...

, the Canadian government retains control of the NTR, grouping it with the existing

Canadian Government Railways Canadian Government Railways was the legal name used between 1915–1918 for all federal government-owned railways in Canada. The principal component companies were the Intercolonial Railway of Canada (IRC), the National Transcontinental ...

(primarily the

Intercolonial Railway The Intercolonial Railway of Canada , also referred to as the Intercolonial Railway (ICR), was a historic Canada, Canadian railway that operated from 1872 to 1918, when it became part of Canadian National Railways. As the railway was also compl ...

and

Prince Edward Island Railway The Prince Edward Island Railway (PEIR) was a historic Canadian railway in Prince Edward Island (PEI). The railway ran tip-to-tip on the island, from Tignish in the west to Elmira in the east, with major spurs serving Borden-Carleton's train ...

). *July 1: The

Monongahela Railroad The Monongahela Railway was a coal-hauling Class II railroad in Pennsylvania and West Virginia in the United States. It was jointly controlled originally by the Pennsylvania Railroad, New York Central subsidiary Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railr ...

(Class I) and Buckhannon and Northern Railroad (not Class I), both owned jointly by the Pennsylvania Company and

subsidiary

Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE; ), also known as the "Little Giant", was formed on May 11, 1875. Company headquarters were located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The line connected Pittsburgh in the east with Youngstown, Ohio, in the ...

, merge to form the

Monongahela Railway The Monongahela Railway was a coal-hauling Class II railroad in Pennsylvania and West Virginia in the United States. It was jointly controlled originally by the Pennsylvania Railroad, New York Central subsidiary Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railr ...

. *November 1: The

Wabash Railway The Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including track in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Missouri and the province of Ontario. Its primary con ...

begins operating the former Wabash Railroad, in receivership since December 26, 1911. It will soon lose its control of subsidiaries

Wabash Pittsburgh Terminal Railway The Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railway was a railroad in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Wheeling, West Virginia, areas. Originally built as the Wabash Pittsburgh Terminal Railway, a Pittsburgh extension of George J. Gould's Wabash Railroad ...

and Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad when they reorganize. *December 1: Independent

Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Western Railroad The Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Western Railroad was established in 1915 as a reorganization of the Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Western Railway, which in turn had been created in 1902 as a merger of the Indiana, Decatur and Western Railway (I ...

begins operating the property of the former Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Western Railway, which had been leased to

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the oldest railroads in North America, oldest railroad in the United States and the first steam engine, steam-operated common carrier. Construction of the line began in 1828, and it operated as B&O from 1830 ...

subsidiary Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railway, and entered receivership in February 1915. ;1916 *January 1: The

Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic Railway The Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic Railway was formed in 1914 as a reorganization of the Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic Railroad, which had been created in 1905 to purchase the Atlantic and Birmingham Railway and extend its track into Birmin ...

begins operating the former Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic Railroad, which had been in receivership since January 1, 1909. *March 1: The

New Orleans, Texas and Mexico Railway The New Orleans, Texas and Mexico Railway was a constituent element of the Missouri Pacific Railroad The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River ...

begins operating the former New Orleans, Texas and Mexico Railroad, which had been in receivership since July 5, 1913. It retains control of subsidiaries

Beaumont, Sour Lake and Western Railway The Beaumont, Sour Lake and Western Railway was an railroad that ran from Beaumont, Texas to Gulf Coast Junction in Houston. It passed through small southeast Texas communities such as Hull, Texas, Hull, Kenefick, Texas, Kenefick, and Huffman, Te ...

(not yet Class I), Orange and Northwestern Railroad (never Class I), and

St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway Chartered on June 6, 1903, the St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico Railway (also known as the ''Brownie'') was a 200-mile (321 km) U.S. railroad that operated from Brownsville, Texas, to Gulf Coast Junction in Houston, Texas. It served numerous t ...

(Class I since 1911), but is freed of its former control by the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad, itself in receivership. This system comes to be known as the Gulf Coast Lines. *July: The

sells subsidiary New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad to the

Van Sweringen brothers Oris Paxton Van Sweringen (April 24, 1879 – November 22, 1936) and Mantis James Van Sweringen (July 8, 1881 – December 12, 1935) were American brothers who became railroad barons in order to develop Shaker Heights, Ohio. They are better k ...

. *July 1: The Southern Railway leases subsidiary Virginia and Southwestern Railway. This company still exists as a

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...

lessor. *July 14: The

, owned by

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 ...

Western Pacific Railroad Corporation, acquires the property of the former Western Pacific Railway, a subsidiary of the

in receivership since March 5, 1915. (When the D&RG reorganizes in 1921, the WP will control its successor.) *August 16:

subsidiary

San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad The Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad was a rail company in California, Nevada, and Utah in the United States, that completed and operated a railway line between its namesake cities (Salt Lake City, Utah, and Los Angeles, California), via Las ...

is renamed Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad. *September 1: The

Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern Railroad The Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern Railroad also known as the Shawmut Line, was a Class I railroad company operating passenger and freight service on standard gauge track in central Pennsylvania and western New York (state), New York. The line w ...

, in receivership since August 1, 1905, terminates its lease of the

Pittsburg and Shawmut Railroad The Pittsburg and Shawmut Railroad , also known as the Shawmut Line, was a Short-line railroad, short line railroad company operating passenger and freight service on standard gauge track in central and southwestern Pennsylvania. Since 2004, it ...

, which becomes an independent Class I railroad. *November: The Southern Railway buys control of the

New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad The New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad was a Class I railroad in Louisiana and Mississippi in the United States. The railroad operated of road from its completion in 1883 until it was absorbed by the Alabama Great Southern Railroad subsidia ...

from the Alabama, New Orleans, Texas and Pacific Junction Railways Company, as well as the latter's minority holdings in

Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway The Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway (abbreviated: CNO&TP; ) is a railroad that owns the Cincinnati Southern Railway from Cincinnati, Ohio, south to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and leases it to the Norfolk Southern Railway system. T ...

parent Southwestern Construction Company. Through existing shares of that

held by the Southern and subsidiary

Alabama Great Southern Railroad The Alabama Great Southern Railroad is a railroad in the U.S. states of Alabama, Georgia (U.S.), Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. It is an operating subsidiary of the Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS), running southwest from Chatt ...

, the Southern now controls the CNO&TP. *November 1: The St. Louis-San Francisco Railway begins operating the former St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad, in receivership since May 27, 1913. During its receivership, it has lost control of the

and New Orleans, Texas and Mexico Railroad. *December 31: The ICC changes its year for which carriers report to end on December 31 rather than June 30. In the preceding six months, the

has stopped reporting, Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway subsidiaries Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway of Texas and

and

Kansas City Southern Railway The Kansas City Southern Railway Company is an American Class I railroad. Founded in 1887, it operated in 10 Midwestern United States, Midwestern and Southeastern United States, Southeastern U.S. states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Ark ...

subsidiary Texarkana and Fort Smith Railway have begun to report separately, the

has commenced independent operations, and the Virginia and Southwestern Railway has been leased. With the raising of the

Colorado and Wyoming Railway Founded in 1899, the Colorado and Wyoming Railway is a subsidiary of the Evraz North America. It hauls coal, ore and steel products on about five miles of track inside ERVAZ - Pueblo, CO Steel Mills facility (formerly Colorado Fuel and Iron's ...

from Class II to I, the number of Class I railroads as of the end of 1916 is 183, up from 181 as of June 30. ;1917 *January 1: The independent

Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad The Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad was a railroad in the Southern United States. The first World War had forced government operation upon the company; and in 1919, when it became once more a free agent, it chose Isaac B. Tigrett to chart its ...

begins operating the property of the former New Orleans, Mobile and Chicago Railroad, in receivership since December 19, 1913, and previously jointly owned by the

and St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad. *January 1: The independent Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway begins operating the property of former

subsidiary Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad,

, 31 Val. Rep. 707 (1930): Valuation Docket No. 396, The Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway Company et al. in receivership since June 8, 1908. *January 1:

subsidiaries Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, Vandalia Railroad, and others merge to form the

Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, commonly called the Pan Handle Route (Panhandle Route in later days), was a railroad that was part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system. Its common name came from its main line, whic ...

.Christopher T. Baer
PRR Chronology
(Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society), accessed April 2009 *February 1: The

acquires control of the Coal and Coke Railway. *March 15: The

Pere Marquette Railway The Pere Marquette Railway was a railroad that operated in the Great Lakes (North America), Great Lakes region of the United States and southern parts of Ontario in Canada. It had trackage in the states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and the Canadi ...

acquires the property of the Pere Marquette Railroad. *April 1: The independent

Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railway The Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railway was a railroad in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Wheeling, West Virginia, areas. Originally built as the Wabash Pittsburgh Terminal Railway, a Pittsburgh extension of George J. Gould's Wabash Railroa ...

begins operating the property of former

subsidiary

, in receivership since May 29, 1908.ICC (June 30, 1916)
p. 677
/ref> *April: The Sterling Trust succeeds the Alabama, New Orleans, Texas and Pacific Junction Railways Company as

for the

Alabama and Vicksburg Railway The Alabama and Vicksburg Railway (A&V), also known as the Alabama and Vicksburg, is a List of Mississippi railroads#Defunct railroads, historic Mississippi railroad chartered in 1889 in Mississippi and in operation, from Meridian, Mississippi, M ...

and Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railway. *May 31: The independent

Colorado Midland Railroad The Colorado Midland Railway ,Railway Equipment and Publication CompanyThe Official Railway Equipment Register June 1917, p. 786 incorporated in 1883, was the first standard gauge railroad built over the Continental Divide in Colorado. It ran fr ...

begins operating the former Colorado Midland Railway,

, 110 I.C.C. 451 (1926): Valuation Docket No. 673, Midland Terminal Railway Company et al. a joint subsidiary of the

Colorado and Southern Railway The Colorado and Southern Railway was an American Railroad classes#Class I, Class I railroad in the western United States that operated independently from 1898 to 1908, then as part of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad until it was ...

(

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwest, Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route, the Burlington, CB&Q, or as the Q, it operated extensive trackage in the states of ...

system) and

that entered receivership on December 13, 1912. *June 1: The

Missouri Pacific Railroad The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad o ...

begins operating the former properties of the Missouri Pacific Railway and subsidiary St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway, both in receivership since August 19, 1915. *July 18:

subsidiary Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railway, in receivership since July 2, 1914, ceases operations after conveying much of its property to new B&O subsidiary and lessor Toledo and Cincinnati Railroad. Other pieces of the CH&D are either abandoned or sold to the newly incorporated independent Dayton, Toledo and Chicago Railway; former lessor Cincinnati, Findlay and Fort Wayne Railway is also freed of B&O control, and both independent companies soon abandon their lines. *August 1: The Savannah and Atlanta Railway (not yet Class I) acquires the property of the

Savannah and Northwestern Railway The Savannah and Northwestern Railway was a railroad in the U.S. state of Georgia. From 1906 to 1914, it was named the Brinson Railway after its owner, George M. Brinson, a businessman who had earlier built the Stillmore Air Line Railway. The l ...

. *September 30: The Canadian government acquires control of the

.Commercial Newspaper Company
The Manual of Statistics
1920, p. 920 *October 1: The

San Diego and Arizona Railway The San Diego and Arizona Railway was a short line U.S. railroad founded by entrepreneur John D. Spreckels, and dubbed "The Impossible Railroad" by engineers of its day due to the immense logistical challenges involved. It linked San Diego, ...

(not yet Class I), half-owned by the

, acquires the property of the San Diego and South Eastern Railway. *December 1: The

begins operating its own line, heretofore leased to the

. It immediately becomes Class I. ;1918 *January 1: The

United States Railroad Administration The United States Railroad Administration (USRA) was the name of the nationalisation, nationalized railroad system of the United States between December 28, 1917, and March 1, 1920. It was the largest American experiment with nationalization, and ...

takes over operation of most of the U.S. rail network, including almost all Class I railroads.ICC (1918, 1919) *January 1: The

leases its subsidiaries that had been leased to the Pennsylvania Company, as well as the

Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad The Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad (PB&W) was a railroad that operated in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, District of Columbia, the District of Columbia from 1902 until 1976. A key component of the Pennsylvania R ...

. *January 17: The

New York Connecting Railroad The New York Connecting Railroad or NYCR is a rail line in the borough (New York City), borough of Queens in New York City. It links New York City and Long Island by rail directly to the North American mainland. Amtrak, CSX, Canadian Pa ...

, jointly owned by the

and

, begins hauling freight over the

Hell Gate Bridge The Hell Gate Bridge (originally the New York Connecting Railroad Bridge) is a railroad bridge in New York City. The bridge carries two tracks of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and one freight track between Astoria, Queens, and Port Morris, Bron ...

. It will become Class I in 1920. *August 5: The

ceases operations after entering receivership on July 1, 1918. A piece at the east end continues to be operated under

trackage rights Railway companies can interact with and control others in many ways. These relationships can be complicated by bankruptcies. Operating Often, when a railroad first opens, it is only a short spur of a main line. The owner of the spur line may c ...

by the Cripple Creek and Colorado Springs Railroad. *August 6: The

Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway The Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway was an long American shortline railroad connecting Minneapolis and Northfield, Minnesota. It was incorporated in 1918 to take over the trackage of the former Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and ...

(not yet Class I) acquires the property of the former Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company, in receivership since February 20, 1916. *October 1: The

leases subsidiary Coal and Coke Railway. *December 20: The title "

Canadian National Railways The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue an ...

" is adopted for the government-owned

and

(primarily the

, and

). ;1919 *January 1: Former lessor

Midland Terminal Railway The Midland Terminal Railway was a short line terminal railroad running from the Colorado Midland Railway near Divide to Cripple Creek, Colorado. The railroad made its last run in February 1949. Background From 1887 to 1918, Colorado Midland R ...

(not Class I) leases the property owned by the Cripple Creek and Colorado Springs Railroad and its

operations over the remaining portion of the

. *March 10: The

subsidiary

enters receivership, under control of the Canadian government. *June 2: The

Cumberland Valley Railroad The Cumberland Valley Railroad was an early railroad in Pennsylvania, United States, originally chartered in 1831 to connect with Pennsylvania's Main Line of Public Works. Freight and passenger service in the Cumberland Valley in south central P ...

is merged into parent

, but lessor Cumberland Valley and Martinsburg Railroad begins operating its own line, and is large enough to be Class I. *July 31: The

Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway The Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway (“KO&G”) had at its height 310.5 miles of track from Denison, Texas through Oklahoma to Baxter Springs, Kansas. Its various predecessor companies built the line between 1904 and 1913. The railroad was c ...

takes over the property of the former Missouri, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway,Moody's (1970), p. 216 in receivership since December 13, 1913. *November 15: The

(not yet Class I), half-owned by the

, completes its line. *December 31: The

is demoted to Class II. ;1920 *The

, subsidiary of the

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967, it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast ...

, purchases 1.73% of the stock of the

Atlanta and West Point Railroad The Atlanta and West Point Rail Road was a railroad in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, forming the east portion of the Atlanta, GA, Atlanta-Selma, AL, Selma West Point Route. The company was chartered in 1847 as the Atlanta and L ...

. Combined with existing ownership - 1.95% by the ACL and 46.98% by joint subsidiary

Georgia Railroad Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of peo ...

- this gives the ACL control of the West Point. *February 29: The

Washington Southern Railway Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A m ...

merges into parent

Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad The Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad was a railroad connecting Richmond, Virginia, to Washington, D.C. The track is now the RF&P Subdivision of the CSX Transportation system; the original corporation is no longer a railroad co ...

.ICC (1920)
p. 442
/ref> *March 1: The

ceases operations, returning control to the railroad companies. *March 1: The Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railway (not yet Class I) leases the

Northern Ohio Railway Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ra ...

, which had been leased to the

Lake Erie and Western Railroad The Lake Erie and Western Railroad was a railroad that operated in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. The Lake Erie and Western main line extended from Sandusky, Ohio, westward to Peoria, Illinois, passing through Fremont and Fostoria, Ohio, Muncie ...

, part of the

system. *March 1: The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway sells subsidiary Wichita Falls and Southern Railway, which was leased to Texas subsidiary Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway of Texas, and it resumes independent operations (not yet Class I). *June: The independent Evansville, Indianapolis and Terre Haute Railway begins operating the property of the former

subsidiary Evansville and Indianapolis Railroad, in receivership since February 5, 1916. *July 1: The

leases subsidiaries Cumberland Valley and Martinsburg Railroad and

New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad The New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad was a railroad that owned and operated a line that ran down the spine of the Delmarva Peninsula from Delmar, Maryland to Cape Charles, Virginia and then by car float, ferry to Norfolk, Virginia. It ...

. *November 6: Southern Railway subsidiary Southern Railway in Mississippi is renamed

Columbus and Greenville Railroad There have been two uses of Columbus and Greenville Railway, both for the same rail line. Original Columbus and Greenville The first Columbus and Greenville Railway was formed by the sale of the Southern Railway (U.S.), Southern Railway operat ...

. ;1921 *January 1: The

leases a number of subsidiaries, including Class I

Cincinnati, Lebanon and Northern Railway The Cincinnati, Lebanon and Northern Railway (CL&N) was a local passenger railroad, passenger and freight railroad, freight-carrying railroad in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio, connecting Cincinnati to Dayton, Ohio, Dayton via Le ...

Grand Rapids and Indiana Railway The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad at its height provided passenger and freight railroad services between Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan, USA. The company was formed on January 18, 1854. Beginnings After grappl ...

, and

. *March 26: The Missouri-Illinois Railroad (not yet Class I) begins operating the former Illinois Southern Railway, in receivership since September 17, 1918. *July 1: The

leases the Chicago, Terre Haute and Southeastern Railway. *July 1: The Wichita Falls and Southern Railroad (not yet Class I) opens and leases the Wichita Falls and Southern Railway. *August 1: The

Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to ''Rio Grande'', D&RG or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, was an American Class I railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow-gauge line running south fr ...

, a subsidiary of

parent Western Pacific Railroad Corporation, begins operating the former Denver and Rio Grande Railroad,Mundy's Earning Power of Railroads
1922, p. 374 in receivership since January 26, 1918. (The D&RG had controlled WP predecessor Western Pacific Railway until its 1916 reorganization.) *December 20: The

(not Class I) purchases the remaining property of lessor Cripple Creek and Colorado Springs Railroad (formerly Class I).ICC (1921) *December 29: The

(not Class I) purchases the remaining property of lessor

(formerly Class I), in receivership since July 1, 1918. *December 31: The

leases subsidiary Chesapeake and Ohio Railway of Indiana.ICC (1922) ;1922 *January: The Toledo, St. Louis and Western Railroad begins distributing its

Chicago and Alton Railroad The Alton Railroad was the final name of a railroad linking Chicago to Alton, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; and Kansas City, Missouri. Its predecessor, the Chicago and Alton Railroad , was purchased by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1931 an ...

stock, ending its control of that company. *January 1: The El Paso and Southwestern Company buys the

(no longer Class I) from the

Phelps Dodge Corporation Phelps Dodge Corporation was an American mining company founded in 1834 as an import-export firm by Anson Greene Phelps and his two sons-in-law William Earle Dodge, Sr. and Daniel James (businessman), Daniel James. The latter two ran Phelps, Jame ...

and leases it to lessor

El Paso and Southwestern Railroad The El Paso and Southwestern Railroad began in 1888 as the Arizona and South Eastern Railroad, a short line serving copper mines in southern Arizona. Over the next few decades, it grew into a 1200-mile system that stretched from Tucumcari, New ...

. *January 1: The Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railway begins operating the former Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad, in receivership since May 27, 1913. During its receivership, it has lost its relationships with parent St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad and subsidiary Evansville and Indianapolis Railroad (not yet Class I). *January 1: The

leases subsidiaries

and Kanawha and Michigan Railway. *January 31: The

Tennessee Central Railway The Tennessee Central Railway was founded in 1884 as the Nashville and Knoxville Railroad by Alexander S. Crawford. It was an attempt to open up a rail route from the coal and minerals of East Tennessee to the markets of the midstate, a service ...

acquires the property of the former Tennessee Central Railroad, in receivership since December 31, 1912. *March: The

buy control of the Toledo, St. Louis and Western Railroad. *April 24: The

Missouri and North Arkansas Railway Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

begins operating the former

,ICC (1922) in receivership since April 1, 1912. *April 26: The

buy the

from the

. *July 1: The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad leases the

, both companies being controlled by the

. *December 1: The International-Great Northern Railroad begins operating the former International and Great Northern Railway,ICC (1922) in receivership since August 11, 1914. *December 31: The Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railway is raised from Class II to I. ;1923 *The

Fort Smith and Western Railway The Fort Smith and Western Railway was a rail transport, railroad that operated in the states of Arkansas and Oklahoma. The railroad's main line extended from Coal Creek, Oklahoma (about 7 miles east of Bokoshe, Oklahoma) to Guthrie, Oklahoma, ...

begins operating the former Fort Smith and Western Railroad, in receivership since October 9, 1915. *January 1: The

merge their Toledo, St. Louis and Western Railroad and lessor

into the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad.Mundy's Earning Power of Railroads, 1938, p. 486 The TStL&W had been in receivership since October 22, 1914. *January 20: The new

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue a ...

takes over operation of the

, consisting of the

and

(primarily the

, and

), as well as the

. *January 30: The

is merged into the government-owned

, completing a process begun in 1920 to save the financially troubled Grand Trunk. *April 1: The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad begins operating most of the former Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway and subsidiary

,Moody's (1986), p. 746 in receivership since September 27, 1915 and May 29, 1917, respectively. Texas subsidiary Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway of Texas, placed under a receiver's control at the same time, is simultaneously reorganized as the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad of Texas. Property not retained in the reorganization includes the

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

line, acquired by Louisiana Railway and Navigation Company subsidiary Louisiana Railway and Navigation Company of Texas, and the

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

- Atoka line, acquired by the

Oklahoma City-Ada-Atoka Railway Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked state in the South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northeast, Arkansas to the east, New Mexico to the west, and Colo ...

(not yet Class I). *August 6: The independent

Columbus and Greenville Railway There have been two uses of Columbus and Greenville Railway, both for the same rail line. Original Columbus and Greenville The first Columbus and Greenville Railway was formed by the sale of the Southern Railway operated Southern Railway in M ...

begins operating the property of former Southern Railway subsidiary Columbus and Greenville Railroad, in receivership since June 4, 1921. *August 17: The Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railway merges with the Munising, Marquette and Southeastern Railway (not Class I) to form the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad. ;1924 *January 1: The

leases subsidiary

Grand Canyon Railway The Grand Canyon Railway is a heritage railroad which carries passengers between Williams, Arizona, and the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. The railroad, built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, was completed on September ...

(no longer Class I).ICC (1925) *January 1: The

Philadelphia and Reading Railway The Reading Company ( ) was a Philadelphia-headquartered rail transport, railroad that provided passenger and freight transport in eastern Pennsylvania and neighboring states from 1924 until its acquisition by Conrail in 1976. Commonly called th ...

merges into parent

Reading Company The Reading Company ( ) was a Philadelphia-headquartered railroad that provided passenger and freight transport in eastern Pennsylvania and neighboring states from 1924 until its acquisition by Conrail in 1976. Commonly called the Reading Railro ...

, which becomes an operating railroad. *February 1:

subsidiary

Baltimore and Eastern Railroad Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

(not Class I) begins operating the former Maryland, Delaware and Virginia Railway west of Denton. Independent Maryland and Delaware Coast Railway (not Class I) will acquire the rest on May 14; it is reorganized in 1932 as the Maryland and Delaware Seacoast Railroad. *May 14: The

Texas and Pacific Railway The Texas and Pacific Railway Company (known as the T&P) was created by federal charter in 1871 with the purpose of building a southern transcontinental railroad between Marshall, Texas, and San Diego, California. However its lines never went we ...

exits a receivership that began on October 27, 1916, and is acquired by the

by the end of the year.ICC (1924) *June 20: The

( Gulf Coast Lines) buys control of the International-Great Northern Railroad. *October 29: The

exits a receivership that began on July 21, 1922, and is now equally owned by the

and

parent Western Pacific Railroad Corporation., pp. 139, 149, 163 *November: The Sterling Trust sells the

and Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railway to New York and New Orleans bankers. *November 1: The

leases the subsidiaries of the El Paso and Southwestern Company, including the

and

, which the Class I EP&SW Company had operated. *November 8: The

leases subsidiary

Arizona Eastern Railroad The Arizona Eastern Railway is a Class III railroad that operates of railroad between Clifton, Arizona, and Miami, Arizona, in the United States. This includes trackage rights over the Union Pacific Railroad between Lordsburg, New Mexico, and ...

.Moody's (1992), pp. 257-258 *December 1: The

Clinchfield Railroad The Clinchfield Railroad was an operating and holding company for the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway . The line ran from the coalfields of Virginia and Elkhorn City, Kentucky, to the textile mills of South Carolina. The 35-mile segmen ...

, an unincorporated entity organized jointly by the

and subsidiary

, begins operating the

Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway The Clinchfield Railroad was an operating and holding company for the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway . The line ran from the coalfields of Virginia and Elkhorn City, Kentucky, to the textile mills of South Carolina. The 35-mile segmen ...

under lease.Moody's (1983), p. 725 ;1925 *January 1: The

gains control of the Gulf Coast Lines, including parent

and several other Class I railroads: International-Great Northern Railroad (bought by the NOT&M on June 20, 1924),

, and

. *March 31: The

acquires the property of the former Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railroad, in receivership since April 16, 1917. *April 1: The Alton and Eastern Railroad (not Class I) begins operating a short piece of the former Chicago, Peoria and St. Louis Railroad,Paul Stringham, Illinois Terminal, the Electric Years, , pp. 98, 251 in receivership since July 31, 1914.ICC (1920)
p. 433
/ref> *May 1:

subsidiary

Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway The Buffalo Bayou, Brazos, and Colorado Railway (B.B.B.C. or B.B.B. & C.), also called the Harrisburg Road or Harrisburg Railroad, was the first operating railroad in Texas. It completed its first segment of track between Harrisburg, Texas (now a ...

leases the

San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway The San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway first began operation in the U.S. state of Texas in 1886. It was developed by Uriah Lott and businessmen of San Antonio as a direct route from the city to Aransas Bay on the Texas Gulf coast. It was eventu ...

.ICC (1926) *May 19: The

gains control of the Ann Arbor Railroad.Moody's (1982), p. 852 *June: The Muskogee Company, parent of the

Midland Valley Railroad The Midland Valley Railroad (MV) was a railroad company incorporated on June 4, 1903 for the purpose of building a line from Hope, Arkansas, through Muskogee and Tulsa, Oklahoma to Wichita, Kansas. It was backed by C. Jared Ingersoll, a Philadelp ...

, acquires control of the

, in receivership from June 7, 1924, until May 1, 1926. *July 1: The

acquires control of the

Gulf and Ship Island Railroad The Gulf and Ship Island Railroad (G&SI) was constructed in the state of Mississippi, USA, at the turn of the 20th century to open a vast expanse of southern yellow pine forests for commercial harvest. In spite of economic uncertainty, entrepren ...

. *November 5:

subsidiary

Sacramento Northern Railway The Sacramento Northern Railway (reporting mark SN) was a electric interurban railway that connected Chico, California, Chico in northern California with Oakland, California, Oakland via the state capital, Sacramento, California, Sacramento. In ...

acquires the property of the electric Sacramento Northern Railroad.Moody's (1972), p. 98 (The Sacramento Northern Railroad had replaced the Northern Electric Railway in 1918.) *December 31: The San Antonio, Uvalde and Gulf Railroad, acquired by

subsidiary

on December 1, leaves a receivership that began on August 14, 1914. ;1926 *The Springfield, Havana and Peoria Railroad takes over a portion of the former Chicago, Peoria and St. Louis Railroad, in receivership since July 31, 1914, and leases it to the

Chicago and Illinois Midland Railway The Illinois and Midland Railroad is a railroad in the U.S. state of Illinois, serving Peoria, Illinois, Peoria, Springfield, Illinois, Springfield and Taylorville, Illinois, Taylorville. Until 1996, when Genesee & Wyoming Inc. bought it, the co ...

, which becomes Class I. *January 1: The

creates lessor Pennsylvania, Ohio and Detroit Railroad by merging other lessors, including former Class I railroads

and Cleveland, Akron and Cincinnati Railway. *May: The

gains control of the

, whose predecessor had been leased to B&O subsidiary Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railway until 1915. *June 1: The

Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad The Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad (Y&MV) was incorporated in 1882 and was part of the Illinois Central Railroad system (IC). Construction began in Jackson, Mississippi, and continued to Yazoo City, Mississippi. The line was later expand ...

, subsidiary of the

, leases the

and Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railway. *June 1: The

leases the lines of the

subsidiaries

Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad Connecticut ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capital is Hartford, and ...

and Massawippi Valley Railway between Wells River and

Sherbrooke Sherbrooke ( , ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François River, Saint-François and Magog River, Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territ ...

. (North of Newport the lease is assigned to CP subsidiary

Quebec Central Railway The Quebec Central Railway was a railway in the Canadian province of Quebec, that served the Eastern Townships region south of the St. Lawrence River. Its headquarters was in Sherbrooke. It was originally incorporated in 1869 as the Sherbrooke, Ea ...

.) Along with the CP's operation under lease of the connecting Newport and Richford Railroad, also controlled by the B&M, and of the short Midland Railroad (later abandoned), these " Canadian Pacific Lines in Vermont" become Class I in 1927.ICC (1927) ;1927 *January 1: The

Atlanta, Birmingham and Coast Railroad The Atlanta, Birmingham and Coast Railroad was organized in 1926 to replace the bankrupt Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic Railway. The AB&C was controlled by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, which owned a majority of the stock. In 1944 it reporte ...

, subsidiary of the

, begins operating the former

, in receivership since February 25, 1921. *January 1: The

Central New England Railway The Central New England Railway was a railroad from Hartford, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts, west across northern Connecticut and across the Hudson River on the Poughkeepsie Bridge to Maybrook, New York. It was part of the Poughk ...

is merged into parent

. *January 1: The

Denver and Salt Lake Railway The Denver and Salt Lake Railway (D&SL) was a U.S. railroad company located in Colorado. It was incorporated in 1902 as the Denver, Northwestern and Pacific (DN&P) Railway with the goal of connecting Denver, Colorado with Salt Lake City, Utah ...

begins operating the former Denver and Salt Lake Railroad, in receivership since August 16, 1917. *January 1: The Georgia and Florida Railroad begins operating the former Georgia and Florida Railway, in receivership since March 27, 1915. *January 1: The

buys a one-third share in the

, formerly owned jointly by the

and

subsidiary

. *March 1: The

leases subsidiaries

, Houston East and West Texas Railway,

Houston and Texas Central Railroad The Houston and Texas Central Railway (H&TC) was an 872-mile (1403-km) railway system chartered in Texas in 1848, with construction beginning in 1856. The line eventually stretched from Houston northward to Dallas and Denison, Texas, with branch ...

Louisiana Western Railroad Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the List of U.S ...

, Morgan's Louisiana and Texas Railroad and Steamship Company, and GH&SA lessor

to Texas subsidiary

Texas and New Orleans Railroad The Texas and New Orleans Railroad (TNO) was an American rail company in Texas and Louisiana. It operated of railroad in 1934; by 1961, remained when it merged with parent company Southern Pacific Railroad, Southern Pacific. Morgan's Louisian ...

. *April 1: The new independent

Toledo, Peoria and Western Railroad The Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway , formerly nicknamed the "Tip-Up", is a shortline railroad that operates of trackage between Mapleton, Illinois, Mapleton and Peoria, Illinois, Peoria in Illinois, and Logansport, Indiana. TP&W also intercha ...

acquires the property of the former Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway,Moody's (1976), p. 111 owned jointly by the

and Pennsylvania Company and in receivership since July 2, 1917. *May 30: The

leases subsidiary

. ;1928 *The

buys control of the

Lehigh Valley Railroad The Lehigh Valley Railroad was a railroad in the Northeastern United States built predominantly to haul anthracite, anthracite coal from the Coal Region in Northeastern Pennsylvania to major consumer markets in Philadelphia, New York City, and ...

and

. *January 1: The Illinois Power and Light Corporation, which controls the electric

Illinois Traction System The Illinois Terminal Railroad Company (reporting mark ITC), known as the Illinois Traction System until 1937, was a heavy duty interurban electric railroad with extensive passenger and freight business in central and southern Illinois from 189 ...

, acquires the

Illinois Terminal Company The Illinois Terminal Railroad Company (reporting mark ITC), known as the Illinois Traction System until 1937, was a heavy duty interurban electric railroad with extensive passenger and freight business in central and southern Illinois from 189 ...

and leases several subsidiaries to the IT, which becomes Class I. *January 14: The

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), better known as the Milwaukee Road , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1986. The company experienced financi ...

begins operating the former Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway,Moody's (1982), p. 1260 in receivership since March 18, 1925. *November 1: The

consolidates ten of its U.S. subsidiaries to form the

Grand Trunk Western Railroad The Grand Trunk Western Railroad Company was an American subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway, later of the Canadian National Railway operating in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Since a corporate restructuring in 1971, the railroad ha ...

. These subsidiaries include the Class I Grand Trunk Western Railway,

Detroit, Grand Haven and Milwaukee Railway The Detroit, Grand Haven and Milwaukee Railway is a defunct railroad which operated in the US state of Michigan during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Itself the product of several consolidations in the 1870s, it became part of the Grand ...

, and Chicago, Detroit and Canada Grand Trunk Junction Railroad, the latter actually operated under lease by the CN but reported separately. *November 28: Existing

subsidiary

(not Class I), successor to part of the Maryland, Delaware and Virginia Railway, acquires the property of former Pennsylvania subsidiary

Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic Railway The Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic Railway, nicknamed Black Cinders & Ashes, was a railroad that ran from Claiborne, Maryland (with steamship connections to Baltimore, Maryland, Baltimore), to Ocean City, Maryland from 1894 to 1924. It incl ...

.Moody's (1976), p. 261 ;1929 *The

gains control of the Missouri-Illinois Railroad, which also becomes Class I this year. *The Muskogee Company, owner of the

and

, buys the

. *January 1: The

Louisiana and Arkansas Railway The Louisiana and Arkansas Railway was a railroad that operated in the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. The railroad's main line extended 332 miles, from Hope, Arkansas to Shreveport and New Orleans. Branch lines served Vidalia, Loui ...

leases the Louisiana Railway and Navigation Company. *January 1: The

leases subsidiaries Perkiomen Railroad and

Port Reading Railroad The Port Reading Railroad was a railway company in the United States. It was incorporated in 1890 and completed its main line in 1892. It was controlled throughout its corporate life by the Reading Company. The Port Reading Railroad's line was c ...

. *January 17: The

gains full control of the

Northwestern Pacific Railroad The Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a mainline railroad from the former ferry connections in Sausalito, California north to Eureka, with a connection to the national railroad system at Schellville. The railroad has gone through a complex h ...

by purchasing the

's one-half share. *June 1: The

leases subsidiary Louisville, Henderson and St. Louis Railway. *October 19: The

purchases the

and subsidiary Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway of Texas, and leases the former directly and the latter to Texas subsidiary

.ICC (1937)

References

, Annual Report on the Statistics of Railways in the United States, 1910- *Edward A. Lewis, American Shortline Railway Guide, 5th Edition,

Kalmbach Publishing Kalmbach Media (formerly Kalmbach Publishing Co.) was an American publisher of books and magazines, many of them railroad-related, located in Waukesha, Wisconsin. History The company's first publication was ''The Model Railroader'', which be ...

, 1996 *

Moody's Transportation Manual Moody's Ratings, previously and still legally known as Moody's Investors Service and often referred to as Moody's, is the bond credit rating business of Moody's Corporation, representing the company's traditional line of business and its histori ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline of Class I railroads (1910-29) Timeline 1910

Class I railroads Railroad classes are the system by which freight railroads are designated in the United States. Railroads are assigned to Class I, II or III according to annual revenue criteria originally set by the Surface Transportation Board in 1992. With a ...