Leased Precision 1703, an EMD GP9, is in the Akron & Barberton Belt engine facility in Barberton on March 19, 1977. Both the steam era water tower and the green wooden boxcar with its trucks removed are now long been gone from this location.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
In its early years the Ohio Central used a livery that was reminiscent of a scheme used by the Nickel Plate Road. That was appropriate because tracks used by the OC between Harmon and Zanesville via Sugarcreek and Coshocton were once part of the NKP system.
Shown above is GP9 No. 99 with an excursion train in Dennison on May 24, 1994, sitting on former Pennsylvania Railroad rails. Toward the end of the Jerry Jacobson era of the OC, the railroad had a pair of F9A units painted in a livery similar to the pinstripe livery of the Pennsy from the 1950s.
Article and Photograph by Craig Sanders
Baltimore & Ohio GP9 No. 6548 waits for its next call to duty in Willard on Sept. 2, 1978. Built in July 1967, the unit would survive into the CSX era.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
Penn Central FP7A No. 4333 and GP9 No. 7337 are helpers on a westbound freight leaving Alliance on July 9, 1972. Helpers were often needed to help trains up the hill from Conway Yard near Pittsburgh to CP Wood and on up to a cut about two miles west of Wood. Many trains could have made this jaunt without help, but helper locomotives kept them moving faster on the busy Fort Wayne Line. The 7337 was built in December 1956 for the New York Central
Photograph by Robert Farkas
How about an Ohio Central two for Tuesday. Yup, we thought you might like that. In the top image OHCR GP8 5407 and GP40 No. 3217 are southbound at Beach City in October 1997. No. 5407 was built for the Pennsylvania Railroad in August 1953 as a GP7. It was later rebuilt into a GP8 The 3217 was built in November 1968 for Penn Central and later spent time on the Conrail motive power roster.
In the bottom image GP9 No. 91 and GP38-3 No. 2175 lead a northbound train over Chippewa Creek in Clinton on May 15, 1998, on the R.J. Corman Cleveland Subdivision.
The photographer writes that this image is now much more dangerous to attempt because the bridge on which he was standing no longer has side-of-road white lines. When this image was made there were lines to help keep the drivers in their lanes while at the same time leaving a small walking area.
The 91 was built in April 1957 for the Great Northern while No. 2175 was built for the Louisville & Nashville in June 1971 as a GP38AC.
Not that the 2175 has an early Ohio Central motive power livery.
Photographs by Robert Farkas
I was sitting at a grade crossing in Tolono, Illinois, on the Lafayette District of Norfolk Southern watching an eastbound manifest freight when I spotted this rebuilt Cargill GP9 in the consist (top photograh).
I gave chase but because of the circuitous route I had to take was unable to get ahead of the train in time to be a better closeup shot of No. 614. The best I could do was a going away image just west of Philo, Illinois (bottom image).
Information I found online indicated the unit was interchanged to CSX in Lafayette, Indiana, and was once owned by the Grant Trunk Western.
No. 614 will probably never look any better than it did the day that I caught it.
Sometimes a photo brings a smile. Here is R.J. Corman GP9 No. 9003 heading south on Conrail at CP Mace in Massillon in mid-1997. The 9003 and its train are stretched out in such a way that most if not all of the train is visible which adds to the photo’s interest. The train will be on Conrail for a short time before switching back to its own rails. The 9003 is a former Baltimore & Ohio locomotive.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
A motive power consist of all first generation diesel motive power passes a boarding platform of Akron Union Depot and the Erie passenger station in mid 1968. The lead is Baltimore & Ohio GP9 No. 6467 would work for a number of other railroads in later years and be converted to a GP10.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
Baltimore & Ohio GP9 No. 6454 is westbound in Kent in the late 1960s. The Geep was built in August 1956 and would later join the roster of the Maryland Midland. The photograph was just able to get beneath the pole line.
Photography by Robert Farkas
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
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