All by Its Lonesome

A New York Central gondola sits by itself in an unidentified location in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Notice how battered it is, which goes to show the tough life that gondolas have on the railroad.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Stored at Collinwood

New York Central 4106, 4017, and two other E7 passenger diesels form an E7B/E7A/E7B/E7B lash-up of stored units at Collinwood Yard in Cleveland. The image was made somewhere between 1967-1969. Behind them appears to be a damaged EMD Geep.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

WMSR Acquires ex-NYC Dining Car

Tourist railroad Western Maryland Scenic has acquired a streamliner era dining car.

The former New York Central grill diner was part of the Chattanooga [Tennessee] Choo-Choo hotel complex for more than 50 years.

WMSR officials said they hope to have it begin serving meals on their railroad during Memorial Day weekend 2023.

The dining car is expected to supplement a cafe lounge car that railroad officials said is often overwhelmed by demand for food and beverages.

The ex-NYC car, No. 456, has a seating capacity of 42. It was built by Budd in 1948 and typically operated on such trains as the James Whitcomb Riley, New England States, Ohio State Limited, The Pacemaker, Southwestern Limited and Twilight Limited.

The car became surplus when the company operating the Chattanooga hotel began a redesign and renovation project that will relocate some cars elsewhere on the property.

Four cars are being relocated to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum and two others, including ex-NYC 456, are going elsewhere.

NYC Geep in the 1960s

It is 1967-1969 in either the late New York Central or early Penn Central era. I don’t remember this location, but it likely was between Cleveland and Painesville. NYC Geep 5790 sits beside what looks to be a freight house.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

NYC Geeps in Painesville

It’s been a while since the wayback machine has taken us back to the New York Central in Painesville. A pair of GP7s, Nos. 5740 and 5757 are in Painesville waiting their next assignment in February or March 1968. This was during the transition to the Penn Central era.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

CR&I Two for Tuesday

Here are two photos of New York Central No. 8407 (ex-Chicago River & Indiana) taken in a scrapyard in Cleveland.

The unit is a Lima-Hamilton 1,200 horsepower locomotive that was scrapped after the second photo was taken. The images were made on June 29, 1968, and July 22, 1973, respectively.

Photographs by Robert Farkas

Special Time in Cleveland Railroad History

Sometimes a scene captures a special time in history. It is Feb. 24 or 25, 1968, in Cleveland. The Penn Central era had begun less than a month (Feb. 1) prior to this photo.  New York Central No. 1049, an Alco FA-2, sits near the diesel shop at Collinwood Yard. In the far background are a few PC boxcars. Had these not been there, this would look like a NYC photo.

Article and Photograph by Robert Farkas

Mighty Oval Two for Tuesday

There is some interesting variety in these two images of an eastbound New York Central train caught east of Cleveland in 1967 or 1968. Here we see the train coming and going. John Woodworth was with me when I made this image.

Photographs by Robert Farkas

Wanna Go for a Ride?

It is 1967 or 1968 in what looks to be Painesville. New York Central E8A No. 4079 is on the point of this westbound passenger train. Care to take a ride?

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Owner to Renovate ex-NYC Depot in Delaware

A former New York Central station in Delaware, Ohio, is undergoing renovation after it was sold to a private company.

Riverwest purchased the depot from CSX in 2019 and has begun to develop it into a restaurant with retail space.

The firm said it would rehabilitate the exterior of the building in accordance with its historical character.

That includes replacement of the roof with new asphalt shingles that match the existing color and dimensions of the existing shingles.

Plans also include replacement of the wood windows and doors, masonry restoration of the east roof overhang, and restoration of the wood trim on the building.

The depot is currently vacant and has seen occasional retail use, including as a flower shop.

In 2018 it was placed on the list of Ohio’s most endangered historic sites.