A Conrail RoadRailer Memory

It’s a cloudless afternoon that is perfect for railroad photography. Conrail B36-7 No. 5010 leads a RoadRailer train out of Massillon on July 20, 1996.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Passing Beneath the Wheeling in Orrville

Our Conrail wayback machine has taken us to Orrville just in time to witness the passage of an eastbound on the Fort Wayne Line as it passes beneath the Wheeling & Lake Erie bridge. On the point is SD60M No. 5507. The image was made on May 25, 1996.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Conrail in Massillon

A westbound Conrail manifest freight crosses the Tuscarawas River in Massillon on Aug. 25, 1988. The smaller (now-removed) bridge carried the line used by the Nickel Plate Road/Norfolk & Western/Norfolk Southern trains to reach their freight station and team tracks along with a few industries.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Conrail 2 for Tuesday in Alliance

How about a Conrail two for Tuesday. Yeah, we thought you would like that.

In the top image, B36-7 No. 5040 leads an eastbound on the Fort Wayne Line in Alliance on Jan. 17, 1987. The train is crossing the Cleveland Line. Visible to the right is the double-track connection from the Cleveland Line to the Fort Wayne Line.

In the bottom image CR GP40-2 No. 3328 leads an eastbound in Alliance on Aug. 14, 1984.

Photographs by Robert Farkas

Adventures at the 1985 NRHS Convention

An Amtrak Metroliner set passes through Lancaster station.

At the Strasburg Rail Road.

At Mt. Holly Springs

Steamers at the Gettysburg Railroad.

Two favorite destinations of mine over the past few years have been the Strasburg Rail Road with the visit of Norfolk & Western 611 and Horseshoe Curve near Altoona.

Way back in August 1985 when I visited these places they had a very different look.

The event was the 1985 NRHS Convention based out of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Of the four 4 steamers in operation during our venture, only one will eventually be steaming again, hopefully. Two of the locomotives in operation at Strasburg from the collection of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania were Pennsylvania Railroad 4-4-2 No. 7002 and PRR 4-4-0 No. 1223. They were the stars of the convention.

A few years later they were returned to the collection across the street at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

Another trip was an excursion on the Gettysburg Railroad. Steamers at the Gettysburg were Canadian National 2-8-2 No. 3254 and Huntingdon & Broad Top 2-8-0 No. 38.

The 3254 was traded to Steamtown National Historic Site for Canadian Pacific No. 1278.

H&BT No. 38 is now at the Everett Railroad. It is the locomotive to be restored, hopefully, in the near future.

The convention concluded with an Amtrak special from Lancaster to Horseshoe Curve/Gallitzin and return.  As you can see this was during the Conrail years.

Article and Photographs by Edward Ribinskas

Conrail at Mace

Conrail SD40-2 No. 6470 leads an eastbound trailer train through Mace in Massillon in May 1979. The 6470 was built by EMD for Conrail in 1978. The trailing unit appears to be a GP40 still in Penn Central black with minimal Conrail markings.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Working for Conrail at the Time

At the time this image was made, this Canadian National unit was leased to Conrail. It is working in Stanley Yard in Toledo on Oct. 14, 1977.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

It Only Looks Like Conrail

I shot a newly painted Conrail GP10 Monday morning in Cleveland.  Well, actually, it is a former Illinois Central Geep painted to look like a Conrail engine.

It was painted at the West Third Street  roundhouse of the Midwest Preservation Society and will go to the Cincinnati Scenic Railway.

That group operates dinner trains, excursion trains and the Ohio Rail Experience.

Photographs by Todd Dillon

When Conrail Still Served Akron

How is this for an early Conrail era scene? GP9 No. 7074 still wearing Penn Central paint leads another GP9 that has received Conrail blue near Voris Street in early 1979. Note the former Pennsylvania Railroad cabin car in the consist.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Switcher Sunday: Conrail Pair in Alliance

Conrail 8865 and 9095 are back-to-back in Alliance on Aug. 19, 1986. No. 8865 is an SW7 while the 9095 is an SW9. They are sitting in the yard adjacent to the Fort Wayne Line where it crosses and connects with the Cleveland Line.

Photograph by Robert Farkas