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
Here are two images of locomotives carrying roster number 7598 taken at different times in Akron. In the top image Baltimore & Ohio SD40 No. 7598 is eastbound on May 5, 1979. In the bottom image CSX C40-8 is westbound on Aug. 2, 2010.
Photographs by Robert Farkas
Still wearing its Chesapeake & Ohio livery, Chessie System GP35 No. 3524 is working in Akron on June 22, 1980, in the top image. In the bottom image, C&O SD40 No. 7515 is in Warwick on Oct. 18, 1984.
Photographs by Robert Farkas
Mike Ondecker photographed this Baltimore & Ohio locomotive at Akron Junction in Akron in the mid-1968. We couldn’t make out the roster number and were thus unable to determine the model of this unit.
Photograph by Mike Ondecker
It is Dec. 17, 1967, and Baltimore & Ohio No. 3836, Reading Lines No. 3615, and B&O No. 6578 are heading east through Akron. For some reason, the E units have cut off from the westbound Erie Lackawanna’s Lake Cities, which is seen on the other side of the platform.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
Baltimore & Ohio GP40-2 No. 4114 is in Akron on May 18, 1977. The unit was built in September 1972. It would later become CSX 6014.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
I am standing on the Erie Lackawanna passenger station platform in Akron looking across the tracks to an eastbound Baltimore & Ohio train headed by B&O 4496 as it begins to go behind the boarding platform at Akron Union Depot. The image was made in the late 1960s/early 1970s.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
A motive power consist of all first generation diesel motive power passes a boarding platform of Akron Union Depot and the Erie passenger station in mid 1968. The lead is Baltimore & Ohio GP9 No. 6467 would work for a number of other railroads in later years and be converted to a GP10.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
The wayback machine is set for Aug. 18, 1968, in Akron at Union Depot.
In the top image, Baltimore & Ohio E9A No. 1455 has cut off from the westbound Diplomat in order to, most likely, add or remove a mail car.
Across the tracks the Erie Lackawanna’s westbound Lake Cities is sitting at its station.
In the middle image the Lake Cities can be seen pulling away from its station platform. It was not unusual for both passenger trains to be in Akron at the same time.
In the bottom image notice the family standing and watching trains on the EL platform.
Can you imagine joining this family and watching trains? I said “watching” because that is the dark side for morning photography.
Yet if you look carefully, the man appears to have a camera around his neck.
If you decide to use your own wayback machine and join me for taking pictures on this day, tell me seeing my photos 53 ahead in the future inspired you to join me to photograph Akron. I’ll believe you.
Article and Photographs by Robert Farkas
In the top image CSX AC44CW No. 7004 leads a westbound in Akron on June 16, 2021, near Voris Street. In the bottom image Baltimore & Ohio GP30 No. 6913 leads a westbound passing an eastbound Erie Lackawanna train at nearly the same location on Jan. 14, 1973. What a difference a few years makes.
Photographs by Robert Farkas
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