Editing Chessie System (section)

== History ==
The beginnings of the Chessie System came from cooperation between the [[Baltimore and Ohio Railroad]] (B&O) and the [[Chesapeake and Ohio Railway]] (C&O). An announcement from the [[New York Central Railroad|New York Central]] (NYC) and [[Pennsylvania Railroad|Pennsylvania]] (PRR) railroads in November 1957 that they were considering combining prompted the B&O and C&O to consider a similar move.{{Sfn|Solomon|2005|pp=43-45}} Ultimately, the financially stronger C&O took control of the B&O in December 1962, though the two railroads kept their separate identities.{{Sfn|Solomon|2005|p=48}}  

The combined C&O/B&O purchased stock in the [[Western Maryland Railway]] until it was able to take full control in February 1967, bringing a third railroad into the combined entity, which in 1973 became formally known as the Chessie System after the C&O's historic cat mascot [[Chessie (mascot)|Chessie]].{{Sfn|Solomon|2005|pp=51-52}} 

Chessie System was incorporated in Virginia on February 26, 1973, and it acquired the railroads on June 15. 

On November 1, 1980, Chessie System merged with [[Seaboard Coast Line Industries]] to form [[CSX Corporation]]. Initially, the three Chessie System railroads continued to operate separately, even after Seaboard's six Family Lines System railroads were merged into the [[Seaboard System Railroad]] on December 29, 1982. That began to change in 1983, when the WM was merged into the B&O. The Chessie image continued to be applied to new and re-painted equipment until July 1, 1986, when CSXT introduced its own paint scheme. In April 1987, the B&O was merged into the C&O. In August 1987, C&O merged into [[CSX Transportation]], a 1986 renaming of the Seaboard System Railroad, and the Chessie System name was retired. 

[[Image:ChessieSystemSD50.jpg|thumb|right|Chessie System SD50 locomotive in [[Connellsville, Pennsylvania]]]]