In the spring of 1977, Conrail SW9 switcher #8987 was photographed standing next to the CR freight office in Adrian, Michigan. The unit still wears its Penn Central paint, having not yet received Conrail blue.
Photos of Conrail trains in the city of Adrian are rare, as Conrail only served the city from April 1, 1976 until September 30, 1977. The section of the “Old Road” line from Adrian to Lenawee Junction was due to be abandoned with the formation of Conrail. However, the State of Michigan stepped in and started to subsidize the operation of the line with Conrail as a designated operator. This arrangement lasted until the creation of the Lenawee County Railroad Company, which started operations on October 1, 1977 as the new operator.
This locomotive was built for the New York Central Railroad in January of 1953, and was already 24 years old at this time. It would survive into the 1980s, and later received Conrail blue paint.
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