Central Ohio Railroad

It was realized that a railroad from Bellaire on the west side of the Ohio River across from Wheeling would be a valuable franchise for moving goods to and from the east coast.

Obstacles included the Muskingum River at Zanesville, 700 feet (210 m) of excavation through the hard sandstone of the Blackhand Gorge along the Licking River between Zanesville and Newark, and large quantities of fill and trestle work along the Big Walnut Creek.

The railroad entered Columbus from the east passing near what is now Port Columbus Airport, crossed Alum Creek and Nelson Road south of Fifth Avenue and past the Barracks where it swung around southwestward to enter Union Station.

The poorly constructed line had an unballasted roadbed, and damage to engines and cars due to derailments was expensive and frequent.

In 1871 a stone and steel bridge crossed the Ohio River between Bellaire and Wheeling, greatly improving service.