New York Central Railroad Ohio Central Division Condensed Profile

Highs and lows of the New York Central Railroad’s Ohio Division during the mid-20th century.

This handwritten composite diagram presents the rail lines Ohio Central Division of the New York Central Railroad. The network through Ohio and West Virginia is helpfully shown adjacent to the title, serving a region particularly rich with coal and timber. The various routes translate into a series of elevation profiles that highlight the height changes across stops along the line.

The main line is in the lower center, beginning at Toledo’s Main Street (left) and ending at Swiss, West Virginia (right). Further diagrams are provided for the various branches, including the surprisingly steep grade between Charleston and Hitop (center right). The presence of tunnels, line retirements/removals, and gradients in ft/mile are also noted throughout the image.

Originally drawn by the Engineering Department of the New York Central Railroad in Columbus, Ohio, in 1932. Manuscript updates throughout the image show changes through 1959.

The 1950s saw the New York Central Railroad’s freight traffic decline sharply as heavy industry in the Midwest contracted, coal shipments diminished, and trucks captured a growing share of short-haul freight, thanks in large part to the expanding interstate highway system. Rising operating costs and competition from pipelines, other railroads, and the St. Lawrence Seaway further eroded its profitability, setting the stage for the company’s eventual merger with the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1968.