When Varnish Was Common in Massillon

Penn Central was still running passenger trains through Massillon, Ohio, in the late 1960s. Here is the westbound mid-afternoon Fort Pitt with PC 4292 on the point racing through the super-elevated curve, which actually comes through the bridge over the Tuscarawas River.

I believe it was October 1969 and the red “P”/white “”C” had only been painted on a handful of E units, making this a rarer photo.

Today a Norfolk Southern office car special sometimes gives a similar scene, but it is hard to imagine even in the late 1960s passenger trains such as this were somewhat common on this line.

Article and Photograph by Robert Farkas

Tags: Fort Wayne line, Massillon, Massillon curved railroad bridge, passenger trains, PC passenger trains, PC's Fort Pitt, Penn Central, Penn Central 4292, Penn Central passenger trains, Robert Farkas photography, The Fort Pitt