Winter on Penn Central in Akron

Penn Central U23B No. 2729 is eastbound in Akron in a winter scene captured on Feb. 24, 1973. The train is crossing Voris Street as Interstates 76 and 77 loom in the background.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Penn Central SD45 in Akron

Penn Central SD45 No. 6180 is bound for Hudson and beyond. It is shown in Akron in October 1972. If this image looks less sharp, that is because it is from an Agfachrome slide that had the dreaded black grain. Some Agfachromes were processed properly and the grain was not too bad. Other rolls of Agfachrome had what appeared to be large black grain spots. I had to make this less sharp to get rid of some of the black grain effect.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

On Their Way to Hudson

Penn Central 1722, 3808, and 1718 are on the point of a train heading to Hudson and then to Motor Yard in Macedonia in the early 1970s. The image was made in Akron.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Merger, What Merger?

It’s the late 1960s in Akron. The Pennsylvania Railroad has merged with the New York Central to form Penn Central.

But you might not know it from this scene which could have been made in the early 1960s.

PRR SW9 switcher 9114 is working a cut of cars by the Erie Lackawanna passenger and freight stations, one of which carries an NYC oval herald.

The 9114 was built in December 1952 and would survive long enough to be on the Conrail motive power roster for a while.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Finding a Lost Penn Central Memory

My late friend Mike Ondecker took this photo of a Penn Central train heading north through Akron in the summer of 1968.

The Baltimore & Ohio switcher on the stub track most likely was there to remove a mail car from the westbound B&O Diplomat.

As for the railfan, that’s 21-year old me with my Dad’s (soon to be mine) Mamiya C3 twin lens reflex camera.

It’s amazing what one can find in a glassine envelope that may have last seen light 50 plus years ago.

Photograph by Mike Ondecker, Article by Robert Farkas