B&O GP40-2 Heading West in Akron

Baltimore & Ohio GP40-2 No. 4325 is westbound in Akron in July 1981 with a load of auto racks and boxcars among other things. The image was made near Voris Street. The 4325 was built in February 1979.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

EL Monday: Life in the Conrail Era

Conrail SD40-2 No. 6479 is on the point of a westbound on the former Erie Lackawanna in Akron on May 3, 1980. Above the second unit is the light tower for the EL’s McCoy Street Yard.

At the same time an eastbound Chessie System freight with a caboose has just passed the 6479.

Note the former EL boxcar behind the motive power. The bridge in the background is Thornton Street. Today there are just two tracks at this location near Voris Street.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Steam Saturday: On its Way to the CVSR

Central of Ohio 4-6-2 No. 1293, which you probably better know as Ohio Central 1293, is heading north in Barrs Mills on Sept. 6, 2012, on its way to the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad’s Steam in the Valley 2012. It would be the last time this locomotive ran on the CVSR.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

One Day in Downtown Akron

It is a summer morning in the late 1960s in Akron. Baltimore & Ohio’s Diplomat has stopped at the Akron Union Depot, which is out of sight to the right.

The train stretches under the station’s concourse, which also connected to the Greyhound Bus depot.

The Erie Lackawanna passenger station is to the left of the B&O E9A locomotive.

The EL’s westbound Lake Cities is barely visible at the station. Soon the Diplomat will be headed west to Chicago.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Division Change Point

Until the latter years of Conrail, the west edge of the Berea interlocking plant was the boundary of three divisions. The Dearborn Division had the Chicago Line west of CP 194 while the Indianapolis Line west of Berea was in the Indianapolis Division. The interlocking plant itself and everything east of it was in the Pittsburgh Division.

Shown in the top image is the division sign on the Chicago Line reminding crews that they have crossed into the Dearborn Division. As seen in the bottom image, the other side of that sign read “Pittsburgh Div.”

The Dearborn Division would later take over all of Conrail’s tracks in Cleveland and the Pittsburgh Division didn’t begin until near Ravenna. However, until the end of Conrail operations here in 1999, the Indianapolis Division continued to end at the west edge of the Berea interlocking plant.

Photograph by Craig Sanders

Harrisburg Area Two for Tuesday

Here are two from Pennsylvania made a decade apart. In the top image, the remains of Penn Central EP-5 No. 4976 are in Harrisburg on Aug. 22, 1978. The unit was built for the New Haven by General Electric in April 1955.

In the bottom image, a bevy of Conrail locomotives are leading a freight west on the Rockville Bridge over the Susquehanna River in Marysville on June 27, 1988. Note that one of the units is a Norfolk & Western locomotive in, perhaps, a bit  of foreshadowing of what would happen to Conrail a little over a decade later.

Photographs by Robert Farkas

EL Monday: Doing What it Does

It is July 2, 1976, in Akron and thus only a few months into the Conrail era. Former Erie Lackawanna NW2 No. 410 is doing what it does best. Conrail would later renumber the switcher No. 9217. It was built for the Erie Railroad in January 1948. Note that No. 410 is switching an EL gondola.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

It’s No Longer Penn Central

Appearances to the contrary, this is an early Conrail photo made in Akron. Penn Central F7A No. 1782 is westbound on June 5, 1976. Very soon the train will arrive at Conrail’s ex-Pennsylvania Railroad South Akron Yard. The unit was built by EMD in November 1951 for the New York Central.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Steam Saturday: N&W 611 in Virginia

Paul Woodring, Jim Bacon, and I were chasing some of newly-restored Norfolk & Western 4-8-4 No.  611’s very first fan trips in early September 1982.

Some locations are easy to identify while others are almost impossible. N&W 611 is on one of her first fan trips somewhere in Virginia.

This image might have been the Independence Limited, which operated on Sept. 4 between Roanoke and Norfolk, or, if it was made on Sept. 6, running between Roanoke and Alexandria.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

In Newton Falls in the Early CSX Era

The wayback machine has us in the early CSX era in Newton Falls. GP15T No. 1523 leads an eastbound in June 1988. The unit was built for the Chesapeake & Ohio in December 1982. Note the variation in motive power liveries of this lash-up.

Photograph by Robert Farkas