This is a compiled chart of major North American railroad mergers, takeovers, and controls. Most date after 1900 but there are some exceptions. Railroad names represent the railroad-handling part of a corporate entity, if different from the corporate name. I am limiting the chart to Class 1, former Class 1, or major Regional lines. This chart represents only the "top" of the theoretical chart. Many roads had predecessors too numerous to include here and many roads simply dissappeared through various circumstances.
"The Great List of North American Railroads" is a comprehensive list of all North Amercan railroad companies which I am compiling. Due to time limitations that list is still not available. Notice will be posted here when it is.
This article is hereby copyrighted 1994-2001 by Christopher D Coleman.
The most current copy of this tree can be found at http://www.spikesys.com/yards.html
KEY----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[] = parent corporate entity
{} = holding company which preserved the "feel" of its predecessor roads
() = common name of railroad
:: = previous owner
-> = name change
->( = company split up
'79 = date of legal acquisition when known
('70) = approximate date corporate identity vanished when known
PASSENGER----------------------------------------------------------------------
'71
most intercity US passenger operations -> National Railroad Passenger
Corporation (Amtrak)
/
Southern (passenger)/'79
Denver and Rio Grande Western (passenger)/'83
Chicago Rock Island and Pacific (passenger)/'79
long distance Canadian Pacific
and Canadian National passenger operations -> VIA Rail Canada
EASTERN US---------------------------------------------------------------------
Western Maryland\
Cincinnati Hamilton & Dayton\ \'73
Baltimore & Ohio->Chessie System\
Chesapeake & Ohio/ \
Pere Marquette/'47 \
Hocking Valley/ |{'80}
Piedmont & Northern Railway\'69 >CSX
Seaboard Air Line\'67 \ |Transportation
Atlantic Coast Line >Seaboard Coast Line\ |[CSX
Clinchfield-\ / Corporation]
Atlanta & West Point-| / |
Georgia Railroad-| '72 Seaboard System/ |
Western Railway of Alabama->{Family Lines}-^'83 /
Chicago and Eastern Illinois (part)-/ /
Louisville and Nashville/ /
/ /
Chicago, Indianapolis, / /
& Louisville -> Monon/'71 /
Nashville, Chattanooga, / /
and St. Louis/?'57 /
Pittsburgh and Lake Erie/'93
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac {Chessie}/'93
The Buffalo Creek Railroad Company\
Central Indiana Railway Company-\
\
Lehigh and New England Railway Company \ |
Mount Hope Mineral Railroad Company >Central Railroad |
Wharton and Northern Railroad Company / of New Jersey--|
Allentown Terminal/ |
|
The Chicago River and Indiana Railroad Company--|
|
Delaware, Lackawanna & |
Western Railroad Company\'60 |
Erie Railroad Company >Erie Lackawanna |
CC&L/'10 Railway Company {N&W}--| /Norfolk Southern Corporation
>Consolidated Rail (buyout)-><
Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley Railway Company--| Corporation \CSX Transportation
The Lehigh and Hudson River Railway Company--| (Conrail)
Lehigh Valley Railroad Company--| |
Niagara Junction Railway Company--| |
| |
Baltimore and Eastern \ | |
Railroad Company-\ | |
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago \ | |
and St.Louis Railway--| | |
Michigan Central Railroad--| | |
The New York Central Railroad Company--| | |
The New York, New Haven and >Penn Central | |
Hartford Railroad Company--| Transportation Company--| |
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company--| | |
Peoria & Eastern Railway--/ | |
Waynesburg and Washington / | |
Railroad Company/ | |
/ |
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines-/ /
Reading Company/ /
/
Monongahela/'93
Wheeling and Lake Erie\
\
New York, Chicago & St.
Louis (Nickel Plate)\'64
Wabash\'64
Virginian\'59
Pittsburgh & West Virginia\'64
Akron, Canton & Youngstown\
Illinois Terminal\'81
Kentucky & Indiana Terminal\1981
Norfolk and Petersburg\c.1865 \
South Side Railroad\c.1865 \
Virginia & Tennessee\c.1865 \
Atlantic, Mississippi, & Ohio\c.1881
Norfolk & Western\
>Norfolk Southern Corporation
Richmond & Danville\1894 /
>Southern/1982
East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia/1894 /
Norfolk Southern/'74
Central of Georgia/'63
Georgia and Florida/
Alabama & Georgia Southern/
Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas/
Tennessee, Alabama & Georgia/'71
Georgia Southern and Florida/
Alabama Great Southern/
Cincinnati, New Orleans /
& Texas Pacific/
New Orleans & Northeastern/
Savannah & Atlanta/
Ann Arbor\'63
\
Detroit, Toledo and Ironton\'80 ('84)
Detroit and Toledo Shore Line\
\
Grand Trunk Western {CN North America}
Florida East Coast
New York Susquehanna and Western
Toledo, Peoria & Western {once part of AT&SF}
Atlanta and Saint Andrews Bay Railroad (The Bay Line)
Louisiana Midland {bankrupt} -> abandoned July '85
New York, Ontario & Western (bankrupt)->( Erie
Lehigh and New England Railroad (bankrupt)->(Lehigh and New England Railway Compny
L&HR (bankrupt)->( New York, Susquhanna and Western
MIDWEST------------------------------------------------------------------------
1865-Bear Creek Railroad Company\
1869-Shenango and Allegheny Railroad\
1888-Pittsburgh,Shenango and \
Lake Erie Railroad Company\
1897-Pittsburg(no H),Bessemer \
and Lake Erie Railroad Company\
1901-Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad Company
Louisiana & Arkansas\
MidSouth\
\
Kansas City Southern
Duluth Missabe and Iron Range
/St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt)
/ Chicago & Northwestern
'79 / Southern Pacific
Chicago Rock Island & Pacific (bankrupt)->( Chicago St Paul and Omaha
\
\ Union Pacific
\Missouri Pacific
Chicago Terre Haute and Southeastern\'28
\
Chicago, Milwaukee & St Paul (Milwaukee Road)\
Minneapolis Northfield & Southern\
Duluth South Shore and Atlantic\
Sault Sainte Marie, Saint Paul and Pacific (Soo)\
Delaware and Hudson :Guiford Transp: >------------{CP Rail System}
/ [CP Limited]
Napierville Junction/
Chicago South Shore & South Bend (now government owned)
Detroit & Mackinac -> Lake States Railway
WESTERN US---------------------------------------------------------------------
Pacific Electric\
Northwestern Pacific\('50s)
Arizona Eastern\('50s)
Central Pacific\('47)
Denver Northwestern and Pacific\ \
Denver & Salt Lake\ \
Denver and Rio Grande Western\
St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt)\
Texas & New Orleans\('60s)
El Paso & Southwestern\
El Paso Northeastern\
\
Southern Pacific
\
Missouri Illinois\('70s) \
International Great Northern\('50s) \
Texas and Pacific\ \
Chicago and Eastern Illinois {part}\ \
\ \
Missouri Pacific\'82 \
Oakland Terminal {part}\ \
The Northern Electric\'10 \ \
Oakland, Antioch & Eastern-> Sacramento Northern\'76 \ \
Tidewater Southern\ \ \
Western Pacific\'82 \
Missouri-Kansas-Texas\'88 \
Spokane International\ \
Yakima Valley\ \
Laramie Hanes Peak and Pacific(part)\ \
\ \
Union Pacific
Chicago Minneapolis & Omaha\ /
Fort Dodge Des Moines & Southern\ /
\ /
Chicago Great Western\ \ /
Chicago and Northwestern Railway->Chicago and Northwestern/'95
Chicago, St. Paul and Omaha/
Minneapolis & St. Louis/
Colorado Midland (abandoned)
1898
Fort Smith and Western (abandoned 1941)
\
\Fort Smith and Van Buren Railway {Kansas City Southern}
Laramie Hanes Peak and Pacific(part)\
Union Pacific (Walden Branch)\
Wyoming and Colorado
Great Western Railway
Camas Prairie {Burlington Northern and Union Pacific}
/Montana Rail Link
Burlington Northern (NP) < Washington Central -> Toppenish, Simcoe &
Saint Louis, Rocky Mountain, & Pacific\
Rocky Mountain & Santa Fe\
Eastern Railways of New Mexico\
New Mexico Central\
Santa Fe Central/ \
Kansas City, Mexico, and Orient\'28
Clinton and Oklahoma Western\
Denver, Kansas, and Gulf\
Denver, Enid, and Gulf\
Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe\
Panhandle and Santa Fe\
Hutchinson Southern\
Pecos Valley Northeastern\
Oakland Terminal (part)\
\
Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe -> Sante Fe\
Denver South Park and Pacific\ |
Denver Leadville and Gunnison\ (Reorganization) |
Union Pacific Denver and Gulf\ |
Fort Worth and Denver\ |
Colorado and Southern\ |
\ BNSF
Chicago Burlington and Quincy\ |
Pacific Coast Railroad {GN/NP}-\ |
Pacific Coast\ \ |
Great Northern >Burlington Northern/
Northern Pacific / / \
Spokane Portland and Seattle /'70 / \Washington Central
/ / \
Oregon Electric/('40s) Frisco/'80 \Toppenish, Simcoe & Western
Burlington Northern (Climax Branch)
\Leadville Colorado and Southern
Minnesota, Dakota & Western
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern
NORTHEAST----------------------------------------------------------------------
Boston and Maine\
Maine Central->{Guilford Transportation}
\Springfield Terminal
Central Vermont -> New England Central Railroad [Railtex]
Bangor and Aroostook
Providence & Worcester
'63 /Vermont Railway -> St. LAWRENCE & RACQUETTE RIVER RR
Rutland (bankrupt) ( Green Mountain Railroad
Vermont Northern -> Lamoille Valley
ALASKA-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alaskan Railways\
>Alaska Railroad
White Pass and Yukon
CANADA-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Canada & Gulf Terminal\
Central Vermont\ \
Grand Trunk\ \
Northern Alberta\ \
Temiscouata\ \
Canadian Southern (part)\80's \
Grand Trunk Pacific\ \
Intercolonial Railway\ Newfoundland Railway\ \
National Transcontinental >Canadian Government Railways\ \ \
Railway/ >Canadian National \
Canadian Northern/ Railways -> CN Rail
/ / /\
Duluth Winnipeg & Pacific/ / / \Central
/ / Vermont
Wisconsin Central---------/ /
Green Bay & Western >Fox Valley & Western-------/ /
Fox River Valley/'93 /
/
Illinois Central >Illinois Central Gulf -> Illinois
Gulf Mobile & Northern >Gulf Mobile & Ohio/'72 Central
Mobile & Ohio/ Chicago & Alton/'47
Toronto
Hamilton and Buffalo\late 60's
Esquimalt and Nanaimo\
Quebec Central\
Grand River\
Lake Erie and Northern\
Canada Southern {part}\80's
Ontario & Quebec\
Campbellford\50s
Lake Ontario & Western \ Dominion Atlantic\
1870's Canadian Pacific -> CP Rail [CP Limited]
\
\Canadian Atlantic [CP Limited]
Pacific Great Eastern -> British Columbia Railway -> BC Rail
Algoma Central
White Pass & Yukon (independent)
Temiskaming & Northern Ontario -> Ontario Northland
Quebec North Shore & Labrador
Temiskaming and Northern Ontario -> Temiskaming and Northern OntarioOntario Northland
MEXICO-------------------------------------------------------------------------
National of Mexico (NdeM)\
Ferrocarril Pacifico->Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico (FNM)
Chihuahua Pacific/
FCM (Mexican Railway)
===============================================================================
