Somewhat rare in our neck of the woods, at least for now, are the Norfolk Southern rebuilt SD60Es. Train 961, a light engine move, had four of them on Wednesday, Aug. 22nd.
NS 6911 led three other SD60E units and three “normal” units seen climbing up Westinghouse Hill just west of Bridge 1 in downtown Cleveland.
The Key Bank building and Terminal tower form a backdrop in this photo.
The trailing three units would be set out at Rockport Yard. No. 6911 was rebuilt from NS SD60 6600.
The Akron, Barberton Cluster Railway job rolls through downtown Kent en route to Brittain Yard in Akron on Friday, Aug. 24.
It was the Akron Railroad Club meeting day and club president Craig Sanders had the day off. The weather was beautiful and he had to get out and catch some train action. To read Craig’s account of his railfanning in Brady Lake, Kent and Alliance as well as to view a gallery of photographs, click on the link below.
https://akronrrclub.wordpress.com/trackside-tales/railfanning-on-arrc-meeting-day/
The Norfolk Southern CNJ heritage unit made a daylight trip through our area on Thursday on train No. 553, empty WEPX hoppers to load at Kensington on the Cleveland Line.
I finished up work and headed for CP 107 in Bedford. The wait was short as this train was moving right along.
I also managed to grab a photo of the “NS NS” unit leading 60T from my “office” last week, also at CP 107.
Norfolk Southern heritage locomotive No. 1071, the Central Railroad of New Jersey tribute unit, passed through Cleveland Thursday afternoon on the head end of a coal train. NS train 553, bound a mine along the Cleveland Line passed by Berea after 1 p.m., changed crews at West Park and then departed about 2:30 p.m.
The views seen here are in Bedford just south of the Glendale Street crossing at 3:12 p.m.
Here are some photographs of the Norfolk Southern 8025, the Monongahela heritage locomotive, that I took on Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012.
It was leading a very short No. 170 eastbound. We were down in the Conway area to catch and ride the 765 trips, but got word this unit was behind 16E and not in the yard yet.
Even though it was almost 9 a.m. and time for the first 765 run, we decided to gamble. In a moment of perfect timing we saw it drifting down main No. 1 toward Rochester as we rounded a curve on Pennsylvania Route 65.
I managed to nail it just west of CP Rochester, passing under the classic Pennsylvania Railroad signals on the east side of CP Rochester and then at East Conway.
Between the last two photos we bagged a slightly late running 765 blasting east at East Conway.
Cleveland Harbor Belt Railroad No. 2369 and Cleveland Commercial Railroad No. 2377 at Bedford earlier this summer.
The Cleveland Harbor Belt is a new railroad operation that will provide switching services at the Port of Cleveland behind Cleveland Browns Stadium.
This GP39-2 started life as a Missouri-Kansas-Texas unit and was lettered for the Cleveland Commercial Railroad just prior to getting its new CHB lettering.
For now the unit is being used on the regular afternoon CCRL train out of Falls Junction (Glenwillow) near Solon. This unit is due into the Port any time now, and I’m guessing photos of it will be tough to get after that.
Roster view of the 2369 at Bedford.
CCRL 2369 and 2377 at Bedford earlier this summer before the 2369 was lettered for the Cleveland Harbor Railroad.
Leading the afternoon scrap empties at Bedford through a tunnel of trees.
Taking the connecting track to the scrap dealer at East 93rd Street.
Eli Rantanes (right) is shown at the July 2011 Akron Railroad Club picnic.
Akron Railroad Club member Eli Louis Rantanes died Saturday. He was 87.
Born May 15, 1925, in Warwick, Ohio, he was the son of Christ and Mary Rantanes.
He was a civil engineer who began his career with Bethlehem Steel. He eventually became chief engineer for the company for which he worked for 30 years. Mr. Rantanes was knowledgeable about steam and diesel engines of Great Lake ore boats.
This knowledge led to him being commissioned a captain in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
Mr. Rantanes had a particular passion for model railroading. He built a large layout in his home that he enjoyed operating during open houses.
He belonged to and was a charter member of the U.S. Merchant Marine WWII Veterans Hall of Fame Chapter in Canton and the National Model Railroad Association. Division I Mid Central Region
He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Althea, a niece, Martha Price; step sisters, Margo Rupe and Joanne Howard; step daughter, Evonne Lent; step granddaughters, Cecily and Chelsie Lent; step sons, John M. Lent and Craig Lent; daughters, Lisa and Karin; a son, Louis; and several grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Inga; a daughter, Lydia; and a brother, Marc Sparko.
Services will be held at Auble Funeral Home in Orrville on Thursday at 2 p.m. with Judge Todd McKenney officiating. Burial will take place at St. Michael’s Cemetery near Marshallville.
Friends may call at the funeral home on Thursday, from noon until prior to the funeral.
Smoke billows out of the stack as Nickel Plate Road No. 765 passes through New Brighton, Pa., on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2012. It was the most impressive show of smoke that we would see during the day and one of best I’ve seen from the 765 on any trip.
A number of Akron Railroad Club members ventered to Pittsburgh on Saturday (Aug. 11, 2012) to photograph Nickel Plate Road No. 765 pulling a series of Norfolk Southern employee appreciation specials.
Craig Sanders has filed a report on the most memorable runby of the day that he witnessed. To read his story and see a gallery of photographs of the 765’s day in the Steel City, click on the link below.
Returning from the turn at the OC Bridge in Pittsburgh, the NKP 765 passes beneath the westward home signals of CP Leets in Leetsdale, Pa.
Rounding a curve at Leetsdale going east. This is the former mainline of the Pennsylvania Railroad between Pittsburgh and Chicago.
More than likely, Track No. 1 had been reopened at a week or more before I got to Kent to check it out. Work continues on removing a replacing ancient wood bridges over the tracks in Medina County.
The work in Kent had begun in April when a section of Track No. 2 was removed for lowering. After that was completed, work began to lower Track No. 1. During the project, CSX had single track between FS and CP 120.
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