And so it was that Watkins and Osborn announced to the world that “CSX is singularly appropriate. C can stand for Chessie, S for Seaboard and X, the multiplication symbol, means that together we are so much more.”

The name CSX is a "placeholder that stuck," originating from the 1980 merger of the Chessie System and Seaboard Coast Line Industries. When the two rail giants merged, they needed a temporary name for the legal proceedings with the Interstate Commerce Commission. They chose "CSX" where the C stood for Chessie, the S stood for Seaboard, and the X was initially intended to be a mathematical symbol representing "multiplication," signifying that the combined company would be more than the sum of its parts (some also claim the X stood for "Consolidated"). While intended to be temporary, the name tested well for its modern, corporate feel and was officially adopted for the transportation company in 1986. Today, CSX Transportation is a Class I railroad that operates a massive 21,000-mile network across the eastern United States and parts of Canada. You will see "CSXT" on the locomotives, where the 'T' specifically stands for "Transportation," helping to distinguish the railroad itself from the broader CSX Corporation holding company.