The New York Central System was a vast and legendary railroad, connecting the East Coast to the Mississippi River. A key component — let alone multiples — to its long-lasting status as a powerhouse was the subsidiary railroads. Though operating under the Class I system, many of these New York Central components maintained distinct identities due to strong local loyalties.
Boston & Albany
Formed in 1867 from the merger of the Boston & Worcester and the Western Railroad, the Boston & Albany Railroad aimed to establish a proper connection between Boston and New York State. Even before the merger, close ties between the Western and New York Central were developing, largely due to the Western’s president, Chester Chapin. The NYC and B&A formalized their relationship with a joint traffic agreement in 1880, which led to the Central leasing the railroad in 1900 to fully access the Boston market.
The New York Central heavily invested in the Boston & Albany’s infrastructure but couldn’t erase its unique identity, even by attempting to reletter B&A equipment in its early years. Despite merging into the NYC in 1961, many still refer to this subsidiary as the Boston & Albany for many years afterwards.
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis — “Big Four Railroad”
This railroad was established in 1889 through the consolidation of the Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis & Chicago, the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis, and the Indianapolis & St. Louis. Quickly becoming known as the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis, it earned the “Big Four Railroad” nickname due to the four major cities it served. St. Louis, in particular, was a significant draw for the New York Central’s continual westward expansion.
The NYC acquired the Big Four Railroad in 1906, though it continued to operate independently. Other railroads, such as the Bellefontaine Railroad (the “Bee Line”) and the Evansville, Indianapolis & Terre Haute, were later added to the subsidiary. The Big Four was fully consolidated into the NYC in 1930.
Michigan Central
Connecting Detroit with Lake Michigan was the railroad’s goal even before the territory became a state in 1837. The Michigan Central Railroad was founded in 1846 by Boston lumber industrialists to acquire the struggling “Central” line from the State of Michigan and complete the cross-state connection. It successfully reached Chicago in 1852. The prosperity by the 1860s-70s attracted the attention of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt and his New York Central empire…