Just Hanging Around in Collinwood

Penn Central F7As 1807 and 1756 are among several locomotives in the engine facility in Collinwood Yard in Cleveland in March 1973.

Photographs 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

Author, Railroad Executive Jeremy Taylor Dies

Railroad author and retired railroad executive Jeremy Taylor died on June 23 at his home in Indiana. He was 95.

Taylor was the author of A Sampling of Penn Central: Southern Region on Display.

The book provided photographs and detailed captions of various points on the mainlines and branch lines of the Columbus, Cincinnati, and Southwest divisions of Penn Central as well as the Peoria & Eastern Railway.

His railroad career began in 1952 with the New York Central. In the introduction to his book on Penn Central, Taylor wrote that upon being assigned to the Southern District headquarter in Indianapolis in 1953 he was told to take two weeks to familiarize himself with the railroad.

That included riding the head end of trains and visiting yards and engine facilities at major terminals.

He would later take the same approach to documenting in photographs the operations of the Southern Region of Penn Central.

Taylor published five books, including works focusing on Conrail, the Powder River Basin of Wyoming, and the Clinchfield Railroad.

During his time in Indianapolis, he was in charge of transportation operations for the NYC. After being transferred to New York City for a time, he turned to Indianapolis in May 1967 where he served as general manager of the Southern Region.

Taylor later left PC in 1969 for a job as vice president-operations of the Long Island Railroad where he worked until 1977.

Another Tale From the Penn Central Scrap Line

John Woodworth, Mike Ondecker, and I visited Penn Central’s scrap line in East Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 14, 1970, where we found Penn Central 6976 (BLH AS616) still in Pennsylvania Railroad paint but with a PC roster number.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Still Says Pennsy

It may be the early Penn Central era, but this locomotive still in Pennsylvania Railroad markings is working in what is believed to be Conway Yard near Pittsburgh. The image was made in 1968 or in 1969.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Penn Central F Units in Alliance

Penn Central F7A No. 1772 leads an eastbound passing through Alliance on Feb. 18, 1973. This train is headed for Bayard and then east. It is about to cross the Fort Wayne Line.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Penn Central Lives On Here

You are looking northward on U.S. 31 just west of Bunker Hill, Indiana. This bridge was built during the Penn Central era and featured that railroad’s herald impressed into the concrete. Few railroad bridges today still feature the heralds of the railroads that use them but at one time it was a common practice. Typically the herald was a piece of metal or was painted onto the bridge.

This bridge carried the former Pennsylvania Railroad route that extended from Columbus, Ohio, to Logansport, Indiana. Most of that line was abandoned by Conrail so not only does this bridge pay tribute to a fallen flag railroad it also no longer has railroad tracks.

Article and Photographs by Craig Sanders

Penn Central Helpers in Alliance

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

Showing its Heritage

Penn Central Alco RS11C No. 7603 has its PC roster number but its heritage is bleeding through. The image was made in Cleveland around 1968. The unit was built in July 1957.

Photograph by Robert Farkas