Mike Ondecker and I found Erie Lackawanna 617, a Baldwin Locomotive Works S-12) in the Brier Hill engine facility in Girard on Oct. 1, 1972. It was still wearing its Erie Railroad livery. But note the unit behind it is in EL colors and markings.
It’s most likely September or October 1968 in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, where recently purchased Baldwin RF-16A No. 1209 sits in the Monongahela Railway facility. The 1209 was built for the New York Central in December 1951 and initially had roster number 3809.
It’s late 1968 or early 1969 in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. The Monongahela Railway has purchased Baldwin Sharks from the New York Central. Some would go on and be lettered for the Monongahela while the rest would ultimately be used for parts. Two units (Monongahela 1205 and Monongahela 1216) would even escape the scrapper. Here No. 1207 sits between two Baldwin switchers, its fate is already sealed. It would not be one of the survivors.
We’re traveling today to Brownsville, Pennsylvania, in the heart of Monongahela Railway country. On display are Baldwin S12 switchers 401 and 424. The two units were built two years apart in November 1952 and June 1954 respectively. The date of the photograph is July 1, 1972.
John Woodworth and I first saw the Monongahela Railway and its treasures on Oct. 21, 1968. Here is a photo of the MRY engine facility in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. Visible are four Monongahela Baldwin switchers, four ex-New York Central RF16A Sharks, and one ex-New York Central RF16B Shark. Thankfully, two of these NYC 1205 and NYC 1216 (after several owners) still exist in protected storage in Michigan.
Additional information about the movement of a rare Baldwin Sharknose locomotive in Michigan has surfaced and it’s not what many railfans were hoping it would be.
The president of the Escanaba & Lake Superior told Trains magazine that the RF16 was moved to free space in a shop building that will be used to clean covered hopper cars.
Former Delaware & Hudson No. 1216 was moved from a car shop in Escanaba to another shop in Wells earlier this week.
E&LS President John Larkin said he would like to restore the 1216 someday but said it would be a tough project to do.
The 1216 last operated in 1982 when it suffered a broken crankshaft. It and fellow Shark No. 1205 have been stored indoors since then.
It’s early 1969 in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. The Monongahela engine facility has two Baldwin switchers, including recently-purchased ex-New York Central 1210, a Baldwin RF16A. Also visible are small portions of two more Sharks.
Penn Central No. 8123, a Baldwin S-12, was still in full Pennsylvania Railroad paint but had a PC roster number as it worked in Akron in the late 1960s.