The late Mike Ondecker seldom took photographs of railroad operations but he enjoyed traveling to view them.
Except for using a Kodak Instamatic in 1967 and his aunt’s nearly 30-year-old 120 medium format roll film camera in 1968, I doubt Mike took another railroad photo after that.
He, John Woodard, and I had some amazing trips together. Mike was a great friend, first-class driver, and the person who got photographic permission.
Here are some of his Instamatic photos from what I believe to be the Erie Lackawanna yard in Marion in 1967.
There are a variety of scenes including locomotives, rolling stock of various railroads, the coaling tower, the hump and the hump tower. The selection also include some cars damaged in a derailment.
Erie Lackawanna No. 7091 sits at the engine house in Marion in December 1967. The unit was built by EMD in February 1949 for the Erie Railroad where it has roster number 709A. It was later converted to an F7A and given EL roster number 7101.
There is some variety in this intermodal train on the Erie Lackawanna that is running eastbound through Akron on Sept. 4, 1972. The motive power consist includes EL 3640, 3668, 2562 along with Delaware & Hudson No. 602.
The late Mike Ondecker and I were at the Erie Lackawanna Kent yard in 1967 or 1968 where I photographed this eastbound during a crew change. The units include 2554 (EMD GP35), (unidentified) (EMD F7B), 7063 (EMD F3), 2501 (GE U25), 7081 (EMD F3A), and 7254 (Alco FALCO FA-1).
Erie Lackawanna RS3 No. 1019 leads a movement through the interlocking plant in Marion in mid 1973.
No. 1019 was built for the Erie by Alco in April 1951. Given that there is a caboose behind the locomotive this might be a local job.
It is crossing the Norfolk & Western and tracks by AC Tower in front of Marion Union Station. Although passenger service by Penn Central had ended two years earlier, the platforms are still in place.
The late Mike Ondecker used an Instamatic camera to photograph Erie Lackawanna Alco FA2 No. 7391 and Alco S1 switcher 307 in Marion in 1967 or 1968.
No. 307 still wears its Erie Railroad livery and it should feel at home with No. 7391 because it, too, is of Erie heritage.
A website that tracks the whereabouts of former EL locomotives reports that No. 307 is still around and was last owned by the New York Cross Harbor Railroad.
Although No. 7391 did not survive, you can buy an HO scale model of it from Walters.
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