On a summer August afternoon in 1976, Edward Hodges photographed Conrail locomotive #8922 leading the northbound “Clinton Local”, nearing Staib Road between Tecumseh and Clinton, Michigan.
Conrail is already four months old at this point, but on this remote branch line things haven’t changed much. The livery and logo of predecessor Penn Central adorns the EMD SW9. Built in 1951 as New York Central #8922, the unit eventually received Conrail blue paint, and was still in existence in a 1997 photo.
Behind the locomotive is a covered hopper. Most likely this is bound for the Smith-Douglas fertilizer depot located at Staib Road. The second car, a load of lumber, is destined for the Pallox Company, a pallet manufacturer in Clinton. Following this are auto parts boxcars for the Budd Company in Clinton.
All is well on this summer day, as freight keeps moving up and down the line as it has for the last 123 years.
Postscript added 29 May 2025:
Reader William Ayars kindly supplied additional information on the fate of this locomotive:
“8922 remained in the area until last summer. Conrail sold the locomotive to BASF in Wyandotte when she reminded until last August. This is her(in surprising original condition including intact class lamps, green cab paint, and a brass Leslie single note) on August 2, 2024 waiting to transfer out of River Rouge yard to Livernois and then on to Rougemere. A twist of irony is the locomotive that hauled her to Rougemere and off Conrail/the NYC for the last time was NS 1641, built for N&W is the most originally equipped(non updated) SD40-2 on the NS roster. The blues song “broke down engine” started playing on the radio as she went by Delray tower. Hated to see her go.
“his was the last SW9 purchased by NYC. It was built in the Cleveland plant, not La Grange. And spent, as far as we can tell, its entire life until last year between Detroit, Jackson, and Toledo.”
Rouge Steel 8922 at River Rouge yard on August 2, 2024. Photo by William Ayars.
Leave a Reply