It is April 1969 in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, where Monongahela Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton RF-16A No. 1210 is sitting in the sun. This unit was built in December 1951 as New York Central No. 3810. The Monongahela had six of these units.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
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.
Article and Photograph by Robert Farkas
The original slide of this image has a greenish-orange cast to it. This is the first time I have been able to get that cast mostly out of the image. Maybe the off-color look was due to a processing problem. Nonetheless what we have are a pair of “sharks,” Monongahela 1216 and Monongahela 1205 in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, in May 1974.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
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.
Article and Photograph by Robert Farkas
Monongahela 1205 is still in its New York Central lettering and markings as it works in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, in early 1969.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
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.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
We haven’t paid a visit to the former Monongahela Railway for a while so let’s got back to July 1, 1971, to Brownsville, Pennsylvania. Hard at work at Baldwin S-12 switchers 424 and 401 in the yard.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
It’s July 1, 1972 in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. One of Monongahela’s newest locomotives, MRY 2000, sits next to ancient work equipment.
It’s March 4, 1969 in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. Four of the last Baldwin Sharks and two Baldwin switchers – the nose of one is barely seen on the left – are in the Monongahela engine facility with a most likely Pittsburgh & Lake Erie GE unit.
Monongahela 1205 and 1216, the last two surviving Baldwin RF16A Sharks, rest in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, on July 1, 1972.
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