The Chessie System was a railroad holding company. Its roots extend back to the earliest days of the nation’s railroad infrastructure in the mid-19th Century. Originally established as the “Louisa’ rail line in 1836, its main mission as a freight carrier was to help transport coal from the mines in West Virgina. As the nation’s dependency on coal for heat and energy grew, the railroad expanded linking the east coast with the west with both people and cargo.

Partnerships between various local railway systems eventually led to this railroad line becoming the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) and by 1972 known simply as the Chessie System with its iconic “C” logo.

As for Chessie’s Restaurant in Barrington, the town and the restaurant’s location itself is rich in history. Barrington held its first township meeting in 1850. Known originally as Barrington Station it became the Village of Barrington in 1863. Two train lines converged: the Illinois and Wisconsin railroad (today’s UP-Metra Northwest line) and the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railroad (today’s Canadian National).

Chessie’s resides in the village’s original railroad station, built in 1910. It was transported on wheels across town to its present location adjacent to today’s Ice House in 1978.

The Ice House was originally a Bowman’s milk processing plant constructed in 1904 before its transmogrification into an ice house. In 1976 it became a shopping mall. Two years later the train depot was established as a restaurant and disco under the name Tuxedo Junction along with its present day 1927 Illinois Central railroad car. The original owner was Jim Hough who maintained it until Warren Shaw acquired it in 1987 before eventually being acquired by its present owners, Jim and Eleanor Nelson.