Editor, Times-Union: When the 765 steamer rolled north through Warsaw, it was on the old Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis line known as the Big Four. The original line was built in 1870-71 as the Cincinnati, Wabash and Michigan. The “Nickel Plate” railroad, New York, Chicago and St. Louis, ran east-west through Claypool. This rail line was organized in 1881. There was terrific competition for the new east-west route through Ohio. Norwalk was one of the contenders. Their newspaper, the Chronicle, referred several times to the new road as “the great New York and St. Louis double track nickel-plated railroad,” hence the nickname Nickel-Plate was born. This information comes from a ferro-equinologist enthusiast who in 1996 founded the L.B. & W.C. RailLines and Museum, “Laid Back and Who Cares,” a railroad in HO scale. By the way the uncommon name mentioned above refers to steam engines affectionately known as “Iron Horses.” Happy railroading! Bob Kline Warsaw
