EL Monday: Still Celebrating

To celebrate America’s 200th birthday many railroads painted or more of their locomotives in a special bicentennial livery, often featuring the colors red, white and blue.

The Erie Lackawanna was no exception. It transformed SD45 No. 3638 into a bicentennial scheme.

This image was made in Akron on June 14, 1979. The bicentennial is long over and the EL has vanished, with some of its components being folded into Conrail.

Shown leading a westbound Conrail manifest freight, the 3638 has since been renumbered 6669 and has had its EL identity either painted over or obscured. Note the “CR” initials toward the rear of the unit.

The train is on former EL track and passing a building once used by the EL and the Erie Railroad.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

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