The early years of CSX are the focus of this program in The Heritage Series, featuring scenes of railroading that can never be experienced again.
When the Chessie System and the Seaboard System were combined, the new railroad had two routes into East St. Louis: the former Louisville & Nashville line from Louisville and the former Baltimore & Ohio line from Cincinnati. For a number of years, through trains were routed over both routes before being shifted onto the former B&O.
Engines painted in several predecessor roads are seen, including Chessie System, Seaboard System, Family Lines, Louisville & Nashville and Baltimore & Ohio and Chesapeake & Ohio. These are joined by engines painted in CSX’s first three paint schemes.
There are many different locomotive models that appear, including models that have now all but vanished: GP9s, GP30s, GP35s, U23Bs, U30Cs, SD45s. GP40s, SD40s, GP38s, C40-8s and C40-8Ws also appear. With the footage in this program filmed primarily over a five year period, it is fascinating to watch how the look and makeup of the motive power roster evolved.
Cabooses appear on many of the trains in older scenes, and the trains are packed full of cars painted for railroads that are fallen flags today.
Neither of these lines see traffic for St. Louis today. The L&N lost its status as a through route, and then was severed west of Oakawville, Illinois. The remaining 124 miles of the line was later leased to the Evansville Western, which operates it today. The B&O is out of service entirely today, as CSX took over the former Conrail line between Indianapolis and East St. Louis, and shifted all traffic from the old B&O to the former New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroad in 2016.
