Nostalgia & History > Fond memory of Griffith, IN

It was Saturday April 14, 1973 and I, with two other fans from Memphis, was on my first trip to Chicago (I was a junior in high school).  A local fan gave us a guided tour of all the major yards and junctions in Chicago and toward the end of the day we ended up at Griffith, Indiana.  As expected, there was a fine show of trains.  Here an EL train with two of their SDP45's rolls past the tower as the sun is getting very low in the sky.  

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Nice! Having grown up in Fairlawn, NJ my long time pal & fellow 80's KS Gangster Dave Franz (monaddave on TO) introduced me to the EL up close & personal via his own slide collection. Since then I've always thought that EL's pre-Conrail paint scheme was a very handsome, even classic RR scheme for the 1970s...

Lance/199

I agree w/Lance about that paint scheme, and your shot portrays it perfectly!

Fantastic image!  That paint scheme really popped in that kind of light. EL 3639 went on to become CR 6670 and as far as I know is still stored down in Roanoke,VA. in the VMT collection. Hopefully someday,  it may again get the chance to look like it did that day at Griffith,IN.

What an outstanding photo!  Tracks all over the place @ Griffith!

Oh, WOW!
Thanks for posting this.
Bob

santafe199 Wrote:
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Since
> then I've always thought that EL's pre-Conrail
> paint scheme was a very handsome, even classic RR
> scheme for the 1970s...
>
> Lance/199

I agree, it was one of the nicest schemes in the northeast. 

For that reason, I was very happy to see NS 1700, an SD45-2 painted in the EL scheme passing through Pittsburgh last year.

Great catch of a great scheme at an ever greater location (at the time that is).
JB

          Great place to spend the day. Lead truck of the EL 3639 is on the EJ&E, EL 3649 is probably partially on the C & O switch that went off south east through the trees. Train is about to cross the Grand Trunk double track main and then in another 100 ft, the Michigan Central single track. 

Thanks - I had forgotten the track layout there.  Remembered the railroads, but not who was where.


dcfbalcoS1 Wrote:
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>           Great place to spend the day.
> Lead truck of the EL 3639 is on the EJ&E, EL 3649
> is probably partially on the C & O switch that
> went off south east through the trees. Train is
> about to cross the Grand Trunk double track main
> and then in another 100 ft, the Michigan Central
> single track. 

WOW!  Great shot!!  That's IOTD material.

I like the clean D & H boxcars too!

CNW8531 Wrote:
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> WOW!  Great shot!!  That's IOTD material.

2nd that! Griffith is still a neat place to see today but man that would be over the top to go back there in the 1970's.

Jim