A brace of Erie Lackawanna locomotives lead a westbound train through Akron in April 1973. On the point is U25B No. 2518. Other units in the motive power consist are the 2552, 7092, and 7123. The train is approaching Voris Street and ducking beneath Thornton Street.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
Erie Lackawanna GP35 No. 2559 is westbound in Marion on Dec. 30, 1972. The unit later became Conrail 3665. The train is crossing the Norfolk & Western line between Columbus and Sandusky. At one time that line was owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Despite passenger service having been gone for more than a year, the platforms remain in place for Marion Union Station.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
I was using Agfachrome film when I photographed Erie Lackawanna Alco S2 No. 500 in Akron in September 1972.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
Erie Lackawanna F7A No. 7131 passes the former Erie passenger station in Akron on Aug. 25, 1968. Built in March 1961 as Erie 807A, it was later renumbered by the Erie as 713A. At the time this image was made the station was still being used by EL’s Lake Cities between Chicago and Hoboken, New Jersey.
Photograph by Mike Ondecker
Erie Lackawanna SW8 switcher No. 368 works in Marion in late December 1967. The switcher still bears Delaware, Lackawanna & Western markings and was built for that railroad in June 1957
The photographer had photographed this same switcher in Marion the previous summer. The switcher would work for Conrail as No. 8697.
Photograph by Mike Ondecker
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
Erie Lackawanna E8A No. 826 works in Akron in 1973. By then passenger service had been gone for three years and passenger locomotives had been redeployed into freight service. The 826 was built in February 1951 for the Erie Railroad and carried the same roster number. If you look around the edges you can see tiny slivers of the Erie passenger and freight stations.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
EL F3A No. 8044 and its train are being passed by a westbound in Erie Lackawanna’s Kent Yard in the late 1960s/early 1970s during the winter months. A third train on the far track has a mixture of intermodal and manifest freight during a time long before anyone had ever heard of precision scheduled railroading.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
An F3A, F3B, F7B set of Erie Lackawanna F units is westbound in Kent in the late 1960s/early 1970s. The train also has an EL boxcar right behind the power. That tie at the end of the stub track on the left might not stop a unit but it will knock it off the rails.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
Sometimes I just like a scene. It’s Sept. 4, 1972, in Akron. The power for a westbound train has cut off and left the train in the Erie Lackawanna’s McCoy Street Yard.
Soon a switcher will add/remove cars, and this power will back on to its train and leave town. EL 2452 is an Alco C425 coupled to what appears to be a former EL passenger unit now working in freight service.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
