Archive for the ‘Railroading as it Once Was’ Category

N&W Two for Tuesday

June 6, 2023

Here are two images of Norfolk & Western motive power in two different decades. In the top image a former N&W unit leads a brace of former Southern units southeast of Harmon on Feb. 9, 1985. This is a Norfolk Southern train but today these tracks are part of the Wheeling & Lake Erie.

In the bottom image a trio of N&W units leads a northbound (railroad westbound) train on the Sandusky District in Marion in June 1973. Today this line is operated by Norfolk Southern.

Photographs by Robert Farkas

EL Monday: F7A 7111 in Action

June 5, 2023

Here are two images of Erie Lackawanna No. 7111 from the same slide taken by an unidentified photographer in an unidentified location and processed in October 1972. The F7A began life as Erie Railroad 711A after being built by EMD in January 1950. The bottom image is a cropped version of the top image. The image is from the collection of Robert Farkas.

One Day in Brownsville

June 3, 2023

It is late 1968 or 1969 in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, where John Woodworth and I found Monongahela No. 1210, a Baldwin RF16A, sitting in the sun. Unfortunately, I could not get all of the next unit in the frame as well since this was Monongahela No. 3708, the railroad’s only Baldwin RF16B unit.

Article and Photograph by Robert Farkas

Steam Saturday: Cruising at Lowellville

June 2, 2023

John Woodworth and I found Chessie System 4-8-4 No. 614 eastbound in Lowellville on June 27, 1981.The Greenbrier-type locomotive was pulling a roundtrip excursion between Akron and Pittsburgh as part of the Chessie Safety Express program.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

High Nose in Ludlow

June 2, 2023

Charlie Wilson and I found high nose Southern Geep 8271 in Ludlow, Kentucky, on Dec. 28, 1972.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Waiting to Return to Downtown Cleveland

May 31, 2023

It is the late 1960s or early 1970s in Cleveland. Shaker Heights Rapid Transit car 72 and other PCC cars are sitting inside the Van Aken loop in Shaker Heights. Soon these cars will be called for rush hour service to downtown Cleveland. Today this is the Blue Line of Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority.

Photograph by Robert Farkas.

Chessie System Two for Tuesday

May 30, 2023

For two for Tuesday we’ve asked the wayback machine to take us back to see some Chessie System motive power. In the top image we see Baltimore & Ohio No. 6614 in a Chessie livery and B&O No. 6558 in its original scheme. The train is in Akron on July 2, 1976. In the bottom image B&O No. 4331 is eastbound in Greenwich in the fall of 1986.

Photographs by Robert Farkas

EL Monday: One Day at Brier Hill Yard

May 29, 2023

George Cheatwood caught Conrail No. 2489 still in Erie Lackawanna colors in the ex-EL Brier Hill Yard in Girard on April 22, 1978. The unit once wore EL roster number 2415. 

Steam Sunday: Photo Charter at Cass

May 28, 2023

Western Maryland No. 6 is shown in two views on May 11, 1985, on the Cass Scenic Railroad in West Virginia. No. 6 was ;leading a photo charter from Cass to Durbin on the former Chesapeake & Ohio Greenbrier Subdivision, which washed out in November 1985 and is just now being reopened after years of being rebuilt. This actually is the same image with one view showing the full scene and the other being a cropped version of that scene.

Photograph by Paul Woodring

Conrail Two for Tuesday

May 23, 2023

In the top image Conrail No. 3218 is using the wrong main as it goes through Louisville near Alliance in January 1985. In the bottom image, Conrail 2016 is part of a helper pair in Limaville on Aug. 19, 1986.

Photographs by Robert Farkas