Chesapeake & Ohio

1836: The Louisa Railroad Company, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway's (C&O) oldest predecessor, was chartered. In 1850, its name was changed to the Virginia Central Railroad.

1868: Special acts of Virginia's and West Virginia's legislatures provided for completion of rail lines from Chesapeake Bay to the Ohio River. Under these acts, the Virginia Central Railroad was renamed the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. This company succeeded to the rights, interests and privileges of both the Virginia Central and the Covington and Ohio Railroads.

1878: The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad was renamed the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O). Note, it was reorganized between 1873 and 1878 during receivership.

1895: The Baltimore & Ohio placed the first successful electric locomotive in railroad service. An earlier test of the world's first electric railroad locomotive, the "Page Locomotive," took place on the C&O's Washington Branch in April 1851.

1947: The Pere Marquette Railway, principally a Michigan line, was merged into the C&O.

1963: The C&O acquired stock control of the B&O in February following the ICC's approval on Dec. 31, 1962.

1966: The ICC authorized the C&O to acquire control of the Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad.

1967: The ICC approved control of the Western Maryland Railway by the C&O/B&O.

1973: Chessie System Inc. was formed Feb. 26, and Chessie System Railroads was adopted as the new corporate identity for the C&O, B&O and WM railroads.

1980: The CSX Corporation came into being November 1, resulting from the merger of the Chessie System Inc. and Seaboard Coast Line Industries Inc.

1983: Operation of the Western Maryland Railway was taken over by the B&O, and WM's ownership was assumed by the C&O.

1987: The B&O is merged into the C&O.

1987: The C&O is merged into CSX Transportation.