Southern Region

(If you need a map of the region, click here.)

Cincinnati, Ohio

A northbound PC passenger train awaits its departure from Cincinnati Union Terminal in April 1971. PC 4295 has some of her Pennsy heritage starting to show through on her nose. Tower A, the main interlocking tower for CUT, is at the upper left. Today, the passenger concourse is gone, but Amtrak still stops here and Tower A is the home of the Cincinnati Railroad Club. Photo by John Swift, Jr. (97 K, 5/17/02)

Hamilton, Ohio

A PC U23B leads a set of light units near Hamilton, Ohio. Hamilton was on PC's Richmond Branch, which ran between Cincinnati, OH, and Logansport, IN. Photo by Dave Royer. (79 K)

Dayton, Ohio

PC 3196 heads a train through Dayton, Ohio in July 1974. Note the orange "C" on the long hood of the trailing unit! Photo by Dave Royer. (130 K)

A year later, in June 1975, PC GP38 7882 is on the point of a light engine move through Dayton. Photo by Dave Royer. (91 K)

Miamisburg, Ohio

PC SD45 6179 leads a northbound Cincinnati-Dayton train through Miamisburg, Ohio, about 9 miles south of Dayton on PC's former NYC (Big Four) Galion-Columbus-Cincinnati line. Photo taken in 1975 by Dave Royer. (60 K)

Also at Miamisburg, PC 7719 and two other EMD units are in charge of a general freight in September 1975. Photo by Dave Royer. (98 K)

Main Line, Cleveland to St. Louis (ex-NYC)

Crestline, Ohio

PC 2910 leads a 106 car westbound train over the diamonds at Crestline on the Sunday evening of May 21, 1978. Today the former PRR station (to the right) is gone. Photo by Dennis Bydash. (82 K)

Marion, Ohio

On the last day of Penn Central operations, U33B 2967 and U25B 2554 lead a 30 car eastbound freight through Marion, in the rain, appropriately enough. The next day, April 1, 1976, the locomotives and track will become the property of Conrail. Photo by Dennis Bydash. (122 K)

On August 5, 1973, an eastbound freight, led by GP40 3173, and a westbound freight, led by SD45 6230, meet at Marion while crossing the N&W Sandusky Branch diamond in Marion. Photo by Dennis Bydash. (93 K)

Also on August 5, 1973, a 72-car westbound freight, led by eight locomotives, rolls past Marion Union Station. Photo by Dennis Bydash. (102 K)

One more picture from August 5, 1973, shows a westbound freight, led by GP38 7975, pouring it on across the C&O diamond on track #2, while Erie Lackawanna's Dayton train rolls out on track #3 and, in the background, an EL transfer cut for the N&W rolls off track #1 and onto the N&W. EL's AC Tower, on the left, guards the diamonds. AC was unusual in the fact that while it was built and controlled by the EL, it was constructed on stilts, in a style similar to other Big Four towers along the line. Photo by Dennis Bydash. (113 K)

A GP38-SD45-GP38 lashup bring an 84-car westbound train past Marion Union Station on July 6, 1974. The tracks between Galion and Marion were dispatched by the Erie under a joint facilities arrangement between the Erie and Big Four which dated back to 1901. The arrangement continued into the Erie Lackawanna and Penn Central days. The joint trackage ended just west of the tower at the east end of EL's Marion Yard. Note also AC Tower received a new paint job after the previous photo was taken. Photo by Dennis Bydash. (146 K)

In an unusual move, U33B 2945 leads an 84 car freight up the N&W Sandusky Branch in Marion on November 11, 1973. Check out how cheap the gasoline was back then! Photo by Dennis Bydash. (100 K)

Avon, Indiana

Big Four Yard in Avon is located a few miles west of Indianapolis along the former NYC (Big Four) main from Cleveland to St. Louis. At the engine facility on this day in April 1972, U33B 2915 and SD45 6131 are among the locomotives there. Photo by Joe Trouty, Stephen Foster collection. (92 K)

East St. Louis, Illinois

PC SD35 6088 and an SD45 are about to cross a diamond in East St. Louis. Photo by Joe Trouty, Stephen Foster collection. (92 K)

Peoria Secondary Track

PC's Peoria Secondary left the ex-PRR Pittsburgh-St. Louis main line at Farrington, Illinois, and meandered 176 miles northwest to Peoria. For a 21-mile stretch between Mt. Zion, through Decatur, to Maroa, Ill, the PC used trackage rights over the Illinois Central. In this photo, taken Maroa, PC 1847 and 1731 (the lead unit still in NYC colors) power a freight train in September 1968. Photo by Gary Morris. (100 K)

At the Toledo, Peoria & Western engine terminal in East Peoria, a pair of U23Bs cool their wheels until their next eastbound run. PC 2700 was the first U23B purchased by the Penn Central. The date of this photo is August 29, 1973. Photo by Dennis Bydash. (93 K)

Peoria & Eastern

The Peoria & Eastern ran between Peoria, Illinois; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Columbus, Ohio, and was pulled into the New York Central System's wings early in its life. But due to corporate financing and tax departments trying to sort it all out for tax purposes, they kept their identity long after the physical takeover. Here are two pictures of P&E locomotives still retaining their identity, even under Penn Central and Conrail ownership. Ironically, these locomotives were photographed far from their home, but are being included in the Southern Region Photo Gallery since the P&E was actually included in the Southern Region, at least in PC's later years.

With its New York Central System lettering showing through, P&E SW7 8904 has apparently passed through the Penn Central nearly untouched by the paint shop. Seen here on April 8, 1977, even the folks at Conrail have yet to catch up with her while she rests over at Cheektowaga, New York. From the collection of Dale A. DeVene Jr. (74 K)

Another example of a Peoria & Eastern SW7 is also seen here at Cheektowaga, NY on April 8, 1977. From the collection of Dale A. DeVene Jr. (74 K)

Toledo & Ohio Central

The Toledo & Ohio Central was another road similar to the Peoria & Eastern in terms of a semi-separate identification during the Penn Central era. A large quantity of 40 foot boxcars roamed the system with T&OC lettering to satisfy the tax department. The T&OC had two main lines which originated at Stanley Yard in Toledo and headed south. One went through Findlay, Ridgeway, Marysville, Columbus, and eventually into West Virginia. This was known during the PC era as the Western Branch. The other line, known as the Eastern Branch, went through Fostoria, Bucyrus, and lots of other no-name towns until it ended at Thurston, OH, at a junction with the Western Branch southwest of Columbus. Most of the Western Branch still exists today, while the Eastern Branch, except for a few short segments where it crossed other lines, has been completely abandonded.

A pair of Penn Central GP9's are working an unknown location on the Toledo & Ohio Central in February 1976. Tim Rose photo, from the collection of Dale A. DeVene Jr. (74 K)