I’m not sure if the late Mike Ondecker was with us this time, but John Woodard and I found former Pennsylvania Railroad 6703, a Fairbanks-MorseTrain Master, in the scrap line in East Altoona, Pennsylvania, in what was most likely was 1969. If we had not been forbidden to climb on the locomotive, we would probably have closed the doors.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
Here are two photos from nearly the same location in Clinton (Warwick). This is the now-removed east leg of the wye that was in Warwick. As I recall the east leg was ripped out in the early 1990s.
In the top image, it’s 1968 or 1969, and a trio of Pennsylvania Railroad locomotives are heading toward Massillon.
In the bottom image, it’s May 20, 2021, and very little is left to suggest a railroad once ran through here.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
It was 52 years ago that the photographer and a group of friends found Pennsylvania Railroad E7A No. 4223 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on May 30, 1969. The unit already has its new Penn Central roster number.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
Dennison, Ohio, was a key point on the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Pittsburgh-Columbus line. In this series of images. most of which were made in summer 1967, we visit the Dennison yard during the final hours of Pennsy operation.
The top image shows the roundhouse in an image made with a Mamiya C# twin lens reflex camera. That is the late Mike Ondecker standing in front.
Next up are some facilities that were still in place that once serve steam locomotives. What you see might be double sanding towers as I have never seen concrete water towers.
The next image is looking west toward Columbus. Dennison saw all of the PRR’s elite New York-St. Louis passenger trains, including the Spirit of St. Louis.
Continuing on we get another view of the roundhouse, which looks to be in rather rough condition.
Let’s step back a year. “I made the next image from the side window of my parents’ 1965 Ford as we passed the yard in 1966. I was using my Minoltina 35mm rangefinder.”
Moving back to 1967, we know you want to see some Pennsy trains so here are a couple. In the first image we see an eastbound passing the yard.
You have to wonder if any of those locomotives and boxcars visible on this train are still around. They sure don’t look like anything you’d see today.
Finally, we view PRR U25B No. 2608 switching the yard.
Photographs by Robert Farkas
Everything about this scene says The Pennsylvania Railroad from the Keystone herald on the locomotive nose to the position light signal giving the train a clear indication.
It is 1967 in Dennison on the former Pan Handle line between Pittsburgh and Columbus and we’re watching an eastbound saunter through town.
In less than a year this will all become part of Penn Central and today the rails are operated by the Ohio Central.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
Penn Central was less than a month old when the photographer visited Collinwood Yard in Cleveland to photograph the engine house. It is Feb. 24 or 25 and the motive power still has a New York Central feel to it. But if you look around you’ll see a Pennsy geep has invaded “enemy territory” There will be much more of this mixing of power to come.
Penn Central No. 8123, a Baldwin S-12, was still in full Pennsylvania Railroad paint but had a PC roster number as it worked in Akron in the late 1960s.
It is late 1968 in Conway Yard neard Pittsburgh. It’s appropriate that this Baldwin DS44-660 switcher still has Pennsylvania Railroad markings because Conway way, after all, built by the Pennsy.
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.
It may actually be Penn Central EMD FP7A No. 4332 but it is still wearing its Pennsylvania Railroad markings. The image was made in Collinwood Yard, a former New York Central facility, in Cleveland on Nov. 11, 1968.
In the bottom image, PC GG1 No. 4924 also still has its PRR paint as it sits in is in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in the early PC era.
This may have come from the Memorial Day weekend 1969 trip that John Woodworth, Mike Ondecker, and I took. I’m not certain.
