Atlantic and Great Western Railroad

The Atlantic and Great Western Railroad was a nineteenth century American railroad formed from three separate companies: the Erie and New York City Railroad based in Jamestown, New York; the Meadville Railroad of Meadville, Pennsylvania, renamed Atlantic and Great Western in April 1858; and the Franklin and Warren Railroad of Franklin Mills, Ohio, renamed in January 1853. The three merged on August 19, 1865, forming the Atlantic and Great Western Railway, which used an unusual six foot broad gauge across its route through New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, ultimately linking St. Louis with New York City. It reached Dayton, Ohio on June 20, 1864, connecting with the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad to form a major through route. Financial troubles brought repeated receiverships in the late 1860s, and on January 10, 1880 the company was reorganized as the New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio Railroad, ending its independent existence.