[2] [3] The Lake Shore and Tuscarawas Valley Railway Company (LS&TV) was chartered by the state of Ohio on July 2, 1870.

[4] In March 1873, the LS&TV filed an amendment to its charter to allow it to extend its tracks south to Washington Township in Tuscarawas County.

These owners formed the Cleveland, Tuscarawas Valley and Wheeling Railway (CTV&W) to take over the assets of the LS&TV.

They filed a charter on March 1, 1883, to incorporate the Cleveland, Lorain and Wheeling Railway (CL&W), which would assume the assets of the CTV&W.

[4] In June 1886, the CL&W filed an amendment to their charter to extend the line south of West Wheeling to the town of Bellaire, Ohio.

[7] By the time the B&O emerged from bankruptcy in 1901, the Pennsylvania Railroad had obtained a controlling (if minority) interest in the road's stock.

[citation needed] The CL&W Subdivision consists of a portion of the former track of the Cleveland, Lorain, & Wheeling Railway, and as of 2010 was 41 miles (66 km) long.

It continues southeast to Lester, (a small town on Ohio State Route 57 about 6 miles (9.7 km) northwest of Medina), where it connects with CSX's Cleveland Subdivision.

It partially follows Mallet Creek south, then passes below the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway west of Medina (about 0.4 miles (0.64 km) northwest of U.S. Route 42).