Today in Wheeling History: December 1 — The B&O discontinued the Chicago Night Express, also known as the West Virginia Night Express and the Wheeling Night Express, ending Wheeling’s direct overnight rail link to Chicago (1956).
The Chicago Night Express, later renamed the West Virginia Night Express and often referred to locally as the Wheeling Night Express, was a premier passenger train operated by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O). Beginning service on June 24, 1912, the train provided overnight travel between Wheeling, West Virginia, and Chicago, Illinois, reflecting Wheeling’s importance as a regional rail hub. Departing from Wheeling’s B&O Passenger Station, the train followed a streamlined route through Zanesville, Newark, Mansfield, and Willard, Ohio, before crossing into Indiana with a stop at Gary’s B&O station, and finally arriving at Chicago’s Grand Central Terminal.
Equipped with Pullman sleeping cars, coaches, and dining service, the Wheeling Night Express offered comfort and efficiency for business travelers, families, and tourists. For Wheeling residents, the train symbolized direct access to Chicago’s industrial and cultural opportunities, strengthening ties between the Ohio Valley and the Midwest. The service was especially valued by Wheeling’s business community, who relied on overnight rail connections for commerce and industry.
By the mid-20th century, however, passenger rail faced steep decline due to the rise of automobiles and commercial aviation. On December 1, 1956, the B&O discontinued the Wheeling Night Express, marking the end of Wheeling’s direct overnight rail service to Chicago. Its legacy endures as part of Wheeling’s rich railroad heritage, remembered for linking the city to one of America’s great urban centers.
To learn more: Chicago Night Express - Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/scmejn37), West Virginia Night Express – Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/y6j9zcwn), Trains and Railroads – West Virginia Night Express (https://tinyurl.com/dtjppcma), Ohio County Public Library – B&O Railroad in Wheeling (https://www.ohiocountylibrary.org/history/baltimore-and-ohio-railroad-in-wheeling/5273), WV Explorer – B&O Railroad completed to Wheeling (https://tinyurl.com/3z5rmpv2), YouTube – History of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (https://tinyurl.com/57vcjwan)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wikimedia Commons
The Chicago Night Express, later renamed the West Virginia Night Express and often referred to locally as the Wheeling Night Express, was a premier passenger train operated by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O). Beginning service on June 24, 1912, the train provided overnight travel between Wheeling, West Virginia, and Chicago, Illinois, reflecting Wheeling’s importance as a regional rail hub. Departing from Wheeling’s B&O Passenger Station, the train followed a streamlined route through Zanesville, Newark, Mansfield, and Willard, Ohio, before crossing into Indiana with a stop at Gary’s B&O station, and finally arriving at Chicago’s Grand Central Terminal.
Equipped with Pullman sleeping cars, coaches, and dining service, the Wheeling Night Express offered comfort and efficiency for business travelers, families, and tourists. For Wheeling residents, the train symbolized direct access to Chicago’s industrial and cultural opportunities, strengthening ties between the Ohio Valley and the Midwest. The service was especially valued by Wheeling’s business community, who relied on overnight rail connections for commerce and industry.
By the mid-20th century, however, passenger rail faced steep decline due to the rise of automobiles and commercial aviation. On December 1, 1956, the B&O discontinued the Wheeling Night Express, marking the end of Wheeling’s direct overnight rail service to Chicago. Its legacy endures as part of Wheeling’s rich railroad heritage, remembered for linking the city to one of America’s great urban centers.
To learn more: Chicago Night Express - Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/scmejn37), West Virginia Night Express – Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/y6j9zcwn), Trains and Railroads – West Virginia Night Express (https://tinyurl.com/dtjppcma), Ohio County Public Library – B&O Railroad in Wheeling (https://www.ohiocountylibrary.org/history/baltimore-and-ohio-railroad-in-wheeling/5273), WV Explorer – B&O Railroad completed to Wheeling (https://tinyurl.com/3z5rmpv2), YouTube – History of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (https://tinyurl.com/57vcjwan)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wikimedia Commons
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