Conrail C40-8W No. 6069 leads an eastbound intermodal train through Alliance in the fall of 1998. The train is on the connection from the Cleveland Line to the Fort Wayne Line and this is the classic Alliance view of an eastbound taking this well-traveled path. Today these tracks are owned by Norfolk Southern and the major of eastbounds coming into town on the Cleveland Line use this same connection.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
The photographer is standing on the Amtrak boarding platform in Alliance to capture Conrail SD60M No. 5548 leading an eastbound in Alliance on Oct. 19, 1996. On the other track is a westbound intermodal train. Both trains are on the Fort Wayne Line.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
We’ve dialed the wayback machine to the early Conrail era for the Fort Wayne Line. Here we see Conrail helpers 7034 and 2420 awaiting their next assignment. They are in the Conrail yard in Canton on June 29, 1978.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
Conrail GP38-2 No. 8150 is on the point of an eastbound in Sebring in October 1988. This is the former Fort Wayne Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad, a moniker that current operator Norfolk Southern has retained.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
Conrail 7792, 7746, 1689, and another two F-units are westbound near Marshallville, Ohio, on March 19, 1978. They are on the long-ripped-out Cleveland, Akron & Columbus trackage that ran between Warwick and Orrville.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
Conrail CP38-2 Nos. 8218 and 8209 lead a westbound at CP Mace in Massillon in spring 1997. The train appears to have a load of garbage containers.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
Conrail caboose 21126 is in Akron on June 21, 1977. It appears to be attached to an intermodal train that is operating on the former Erie Lackawanna.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
Conrail SD50 No. 6775 is westbound in Smithville with a manifest freight on May 3, 1985. The unit was built in in May 1984. Conrail once had another No. 6775, an Alco C630 built in December 1960 for the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
It is May 31, 1999, the last day of Conrail operation. Come Monday Norfolk Southern and CSX will take over operating their respective segments of Conrail.
The last day of Conrail fell on a Sunday and I spent much of the day in Berea watching Conrail trains for the final time.
My recollection is traffic on that day was less than normal. Much of what what ran were intermodal and auto rack trains.
Show above is a three-image sequence of a westbound auto rack train. In the top image the train is about to cross Front Street. In the bottom image the rear of the train is passing the former Big Four passenger depot.
You may notice in the middle image that the motive power consist includes units of CSX and NS. The Conrail lead unit has already been patched for the railroad that will take it over.
The next time I would visit Berea the tracks shown here would be CSX property.
Article and Photographs by Craig Sanders
Here are two Conrail photos from the now-treed-in west side of the tracks in Massillon on March 24, 1996. Sadly, the old signals have been replaced or removed by Norfolk Southern. Conrail 6781 is westbound while Conrail 5607 is eastbound.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
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