Cincinnati Northern Railroad (1894–1938)

[citation needed] The line was built to 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge to connect with the growing Toledo, Delphos and Burlington Railroad (TD&B), opening from Van Wert south to Ohio City on the TD&B in August 1879, to the Mercer County line in January 1880, and to Rockford in September 1880, for a total of 13 miles (21 km).

That company bought the Paulding and Cecil in May 1887, and that year completed the full line from Addison, Michigan south to Carlisle, Ohio.

Throughout this period, the CJ&M attempted to convince the CH&D to acquire it by threatening to buy the CL&N and thus obtain its own line into Cincinnati.

But when the CH&D tried to buy the CJ&M in the early 1890s, the CL&N protested and obtained an injunction due to a state law forbidding anti-competitive mergers.

The new terminal company was renamed the Cincinnati Northern Railroad in December 1894, and bought the CJ&M at its final foreclosure in July 1897.