In the 1970s and 80s, Detroit Edison ran unit coal trains from Detroit, Michigan to the coal fields of West Virginia, to procure coal for their various electric power plants. These trains were often routed through Youngstown, Ohio on the former Pennsylvania Railroad and on the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie (P&LE) tracks.
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The images from the 1970s were scanned from 35mm Kodachrome slides.
Recent images were shot digitally with a Canon EOS 70D.
Click on the images to see them at full size.
January 4, 1975, 2:34 pm – Detroit Edison SD40s 001, 015 and 017 lead a unit coal train across the Mahoning River in Struthers, Ohio. The P&LE Gateway Receiving Yard is at the right. Today, the only thing remaining in place here is the bridge.
MARCH 2019 - This is the same location as in the previous photo. The Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company Campbell Works and the P&LE (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie) Receiving Yard used to dominate this scene. Today they are all gone.
June 1975 - General Electric U30C 007 leads a a Detroit Edison unit coal train westbound on the former PRR at Center Street in Youngstown, Ohio. Today, everything you see in this image except the railroad, is gone.
This is the same the former PRR Center Street location as in the previous photo, taken in July 2020. Mother nature has taken reclaimed the land. There is no sign that a steel mill was ever here.
June 1975 - General Electric U30C 007 leads a a Detroit Edison unit coal train westbound on the former PRR, just east of Center Street in Youngstown, Ohio. Today, everything you see in this image except the double track PRR main, is gone.
JUNE 1975 - In an unusual mixed consist, Detroit Edison SD40 015 is flanked by GE U30Cs #007 and 021. They are spotted at the east end of the P&LE Departure Yard in Lowellville, Ohio.
June 1975 - Detroit Edison SD40 002 leads a unit coal train westbound on the ex-PRR in Girard, OH. The double track curve at the left is the Erie RR main line to Chicago.
June 1975 - This is the "away" shot of the previous photo. Detroit Edison unit coal train WB on the ex-PRR main in Girard, Ohio. This is now the Norfolk Southern Lordstown Secondary, which runs between Youngstown and Niles, Ohio.
March 1975 - P&LE Gateway Yard - Struthers, Ohio. The Detroit Edison Unit Train is coming off the River Track on to 4 main. The P&LE ore train is Eastbound on 1 main.
March 1975 - A few moments after the previous photo was taken, P&LE Gateway Yard - Struthers, Ohio. The Detroit Edison Unit Train is entering the west end of the departure yard. The P&LE ore train is Eastbound on No. 1 main.
January 4, 1975 - Detroit Edison SD40s Nos. 001, 015 and 017 are eastbound on the LE&E at Center Street in Youngstown, Ohio. Today this railroad is gone.
July 1975 - Five brand-new General Electric U30C diesels nos. 018, 019, 020, 021 and 022 are spotted in the ex-PRR Haselton Yard in Youngstown, Ohio. They are on their way from the GE locomotive plant in Erie, Pa to Detroit, Michigan and their new owner, Detroit Edison.
June 1975 - Detroit Edison SD40 002 leads a unit coal train westbound on the LE&E Railroad at Division Street in Youngstown, Ohio. Today, this former double-track, CTC railroad is entirely ripped up and gone.
March 1975 - Detroit Edison SD40s Nos. 002, 006, 016 and 017 are spotted on the head end of their train at the the east end of the P&LE Departure Yard in Lowellville, Ohio. It was unusual to see four units on these trains. They usually ran with three units on the head end and two slave units mid-train.
March 1975 - Detroit Edison SD40s Nos. 002, 006, 016 and 017 are spotted on the head end of their train at the the east end of the P&LE Departure Yard in Lowellville, Ohio. It was unusual to see four units on these trains. They usually ran with three units on the head end and two slave units mid-train.
March 1975 - At the P&LE Gateway Yard, Struthers, Ohio. Detroit Edison SD40 001 leads a Detroit Edison unit coal train under the hump from the River Track to #4 Main.