Nickel Plate Road

Railway in the mid-central United States (1881–1964) Nickel Plate RoadSystem map at time of consolidationNickel Plate Road GP9 number 526 switches a way freight at Gibson City, IL, on November 24, 1962.OverviewHeadquartersCleveland, OhioReporting markNKPLocaleBuffalo, NY to Chicago and St. Louis, MO - extensive operations in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and PennsylvaniaDates of operation1881–1964SuccessorNorfolk and WesternTechnicalTrack gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (reporting mark NKP), abbreviated NYC&St.L, was a railroad that operated in the mid-central United States from 1881 to 1964. Commonly referred to as the "Nickel Plate Road", the railroad served parts of the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. Its primary connections occurred in Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Toledo. The Nickel Plate Road was constructed in 1881 along the South Shore of the Great Lakes to connect Buffalo and Chicago, in competition with the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway. At the end of 1960, NKP operated 2,170 miles (3,490 km) of road on 4,009 miles (6,452 k