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
On Jan. 21, 1973, Erie Lackawanna E8A Nos. 820, 814 are on the point of a trailer train heading east in Akron. Today the scene would show an expressway ramp and two CSX mainlines. Missing would be the Penn Central branch track closest to the viewer and tracks four and beyond which belonged to the EL. The building and the Voris Street grade crossing are gone.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
An unidentified photographer shooting Agfachrome film and standing on the walk bridge over the Erie Lackawanna’s McCoy Street Yard in Akron is looking south toward the East Thornton Street bridge. He caught an EL switcher working in May 1971.
Collection of Robert Farkas
Here are three early digital images of BNSF SD70MAC No. 9505 in the “Grinstein green” livery leading a westbound train on CSX in Akron on June 20, 2004.
The top image was made north of East Thornton Street at MP 130.4. In the middle the train is approaching me before passing under the East Thornton Street bridge.
In the bottom image the train, having passed under the East Thornton Street bridge, is approaching Voris Street. The bridge in the background carries Interstates 76 and 77.
Photographs by Robert Farkas
Let’s crank up the wayback machine again and look for locomotives wearing the livery of the Western Maryland. In the top image, WM No. 3797 is westbound in Akron on Oct. 16, 1976, during the Chessie System era. In the bottom image, WM 7548 might be wearing WM paint, but it’s a Chessie System locomotive working in Akron on Dec. 24, 1976.
Photographs by Robert Farkas
Maybe we should call this former Erie Lackawanna Monday. Conrail SDP45 No. 6686 is working in Akron on Aug. 3, 1976. It may be a Conrail unit, but it still wears its EL colors. Note that the unit now has Conrail initials on its nose and flanks.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
Penn Central 1722, 3808, and 1718 are on the point of a train heading to Hudson and then to Motor Yard in Macedonia in the early 1970s. The image was made in Akron.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
I’ve rarely caught Akron Barberton Cluster GP40-3 No. 4005 on the road. Here are two photos of it from Akron.
The ABC uses CSX to interchange with the Wheeling & Lake Erie and to work a small yard in Akron. Both photos were taken from a location that is no longer safe. A friend was held up there. The top image was made going westbound on CSX on Jan. 15, 2020. The bottom image was made eastbound on CSX on May 5, 2021.
The 4005 was acquired by the W&LE in July 2019 and rebuilt at the Brewster shops. When released, it had been lettered for the ABC. The heritage of the locomotive is Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern.
Photograhs by Robert Farkas
Last Saturday I caught the Wheeling & Lake Erie Train 262 at Akron. The 262 is a daily train between Akron and Brewster.
On Saturdays it ferries locomotives to Brewster that need maintenance and it can have a large lash-up. Saturday’s train did not disappoint with 12 engines total.
They included Nos. 7012, SD40-3, ex Milwaukee Road; 7011, SD40-3; 7024, SD40-3, 30th Anniversary unit; 7015, SD40-3, unrecorded, SD40-3; unrecorded, SD40-3; 6997, SD40-3, ex Union Pacific still in UP paint; Akron Barberton Cluster 4005, GP40, ex-Rock Island; 4602, GP9R, ex-Grand Trunk Western; 303, GP40, ex-Rio Grande still in D&RGW paint; 108, GP5, high hood ex-Southern; and 301, GP40, ex-Rio Grande.
I chased this train south but due to shadows I really didn’t get any better photographs than I did at Akron. Still, it was an interesting train.
Article and Photographs by Todd Dillon
Here is a series of images made on June 17, 2022 in Akron where Akron Barberton Cluster Railway EMD SW1500 No. 1501 is working a shipper. The series shows the train about to back up into the company, working the company and making up a train to head back to Barberton. The crew will back up the two boxcars, run around them, and head back to Barberton.
Photographs by Robert Farkas
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