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Chessie (mascot)

Chessie was a popular cat character used as a symbol of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. Derived from an etching by Viennese artist Guido Gruenwald, the image first appeared in a black and white advertisement in the September 1933 issue of Fortune magazine with the slogan "Sleep Like a Kitten." The advertisement makes no mention of the cat's name.

When the ad generated a positive response, the railroad developed an advertising campaign around the image and chose the name Chessie as a derivation of the railroad's name. The promotion proved widely popular and, in addition to national print advertising, grew to include calendars, clothing, and even two children's books about the character. Chessie acquired two kittens named "Nip" and "Tuck" in 1935, as well as a mate named "Peake" in 1937. During World War II, the Chessie character was used to promote War Bonds and support for the war effort, depicted as working on the home front to support Peake, who was off to war. The Chessie image continued to appear in advertising until 1971 when passenger train travel was consolidated under Amtrak.

When in 1972 the C&O merged with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and Western Maryland Railway, the newly formed company was named the Chessie System after the popular image and adopted the "Ches-C" logo, which incorporated the silhouette of the kitten into the "C" of the railroad's name. The Chessie System later merged with other railroads to become the CSX Corporation. Though the Chessie logo is no longer found in advertising and was phased out of usage on trains, Chessie is still the mascot of the CSX Corporation, and there are many examples of rolling stock that still feature the kitten logo, having yet to be repainted.

Chessie

The term Chessie has several meanings including:

  • Chessie (sea monster), a legendary monster supposedly living in the Chesapeake Bay, United States
  • Chessie System, former holding company of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
  • Chessie (railroad mascot), kitten mascot of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
  • Chesapeake Bay Retriever, breed of dog
  • Chessie (band), American experimental music group started in 1993
Chessie (sea monster)

Chessie is a legendary sea monster said to live in the midst of the Chesapeake Bay. Over the years there have been many alleged sightings of a serpent-like creature with flippers as part of its body. Most sighting reports describe it as a long, snake-like creature, from to long. It is said to swim using its body as a sine curve moving through the water. There were a rash of sightings in 1977 and more in the 1980s, with occasional reports since then.

Although there are alleged photographs of Chessie, there is no genuine evidence of its existence. Speculation to explain sightings has included a "mutant eel" theory, large river otters, prehistoric Zeuglodons, and South American anacondas escaping from 18th- and 19th-century sailing ships. At least one report of the monster has been identified as a visiting manatee.

Chessie (train)

The Chessie was a proposed streamlined passenger train developed by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) in the late 1940s. The brainchild of C&O executive Robert R. Young, the Chessie would have operated on a daylight schedule between Washington, D.C. and Cincinnati, Ohio. The train's luxury lightweight equipment was built new by the Budd Company. A revolutionary new steam turbine locomotive would have provided power, including speeds up to . Although the equipment was delivered, a worsening financial outlook led to the cancellation of the train before it operated in revenue service.

Chessie (band)

Chessie is an American experimental music group consisting of Stephen Gardner and Ben Bailes.

Gardner started Chessie in 1994, while he was a member of the Washington, D.C. post-rock band Lorelei. His first full-length as Chessie, Signal Series, was issued in 1998 and was named Best Dance and DJ Album that year by Amazon.com. In 2000 Gardner was joined by Bailes and they have since worked as a duo. While Overnight received critical acclaim and a spot on a New York Times music critic's best-of-2001 list, a follow-up record did not materialize until 2008, when the group released Manifest on Plug Research. The repetitive nature of their music is inspired by trains and railroads.