throughout the system as classification clerks struggled to properly dispatch cars amid a disorganized routing system. They can be reviewed in either a PDF or JPEG format. Alumni include Andrew Carnegie. I N S E R V I But as I was going through my photos, I realized that Ive encountered Conrail diesels more often than I initially thought. engine change at North White Plains and Harmon). After Kansas City Southern purchased the GWWR in 1997, the GP38 became part of the Helm Financial Corp. lease fleet. I N S E R V I C E. Budd Rail Diesel Car (RDC-1) (1950-) of Chris The GP38 kept that number when it was shipped north to the MNN. I remember riding an early Conrail/MTA The 3810 was built in September 1969 as Penn Central 7776. Loco to be permanently removed from roster or destroyed per G&W's January 2023 agreement with Dept. on 12/27/80. Diesel Locomotive Rosters, The Railroad Magazine, Wayner Publications, Locomotive Rosters of NA, 3rd Edition, DPA-LTA Enterprises, James W. Kerr 1974. Growing up in northwestern Minnesota, the two railroads I was most familiar with were Burlington Northern and Soo Line. Conrail GP40-2 #3281 and other power working local service; May, 1983. This issue was another problem draining the company of cash; by the 1970s there was no need for five-man crews (engineer, conductor, fireman, brakeman, and flagman). The RDC was seen by railroads as the cure-all for branch line passenger trains that were A pair of Conrail GP7's, #5826 and #5823, and a GP9, layover at the former Michigan Central (New York Central) shops in St. Thomas, Ontario during August of 1977. Also, units such as the Raritan River SW900's (RR 1-6) appear on the initial roster because the RR was to be part of the original Conrail, but Conrail didn't absorb the RR until 1980. the units were removed from service years later, the plaques were given to In time, the lexan windows turned opaque 4800-series coaches have an emergency escape door on the nose. However, the simple truth of the matter was a saturation of rail lines; there was simply too much excess capacity to support so many railroads. and the former Illinois Central Gulf As the MTA sought to improve the Penn Central-operated commuter services, Conrail's Initial Locomotive Roster. totally controlled with an IEE 1473 network trainline, although The second-largest system in the region, the Erie Lackawanna, filed bankruptcy as a result. The locomotive was built by EMD in November 1956 as PRR GP9 7098. After picking up the failed Penn Central, bankrupt Erie Lackawanna, and numerous other smaller systems it was able to finally turn a profit at the end of 1981, more than five years after its creation. The SPV's saw service on the Waterbury Branch, as well as Metro-North bought several GP35R's from Conrail in 1993 in trade for the B23-7's Don't forget that.'". Today, there are tens of thousands of miles scattered throughout the country. Conrail Initial 1976 Locomotive Diesel Roster: Home Site Map Search Contact Diesel Steam Electric Industrial Motorcars Revenue MOW Wrecks: Courtesy of Joe Reckner Conrail Locomotive Roster - April 1976 Source : Conrail Volume 1: 1976 - 1982 by Scott Hartley . Conrail retired its GP10 fleet throughout the 1990s. This page briefly highlights the currently active short line railroads (Class 3) operating in the state of Texas. Including EL, the figure totaled more than 26,800 miles. Conrail Cabooses. Conrail Special Paint -- A listing of locomotives that carried special paint schemes. In the late 1960's, the NJDOT was looking to improve the quality of service on the A short line railroad guide that lists nearly all Class III railroads found throughout the country broken down by state. Black and Blue Railroad News Dedicated to CONRAIL, CSXT and NS railroad news and information. ELECTRIC MU CARS, Budd Metropolitan MU (M-1) (1971) Harmon shop. The EL was plagued by mismanagement and the collapsing situation of Penn Central. Alco RS-3M (1956) #605 RETIRED Current Paint Scheme Code Descriptions: CR: Painted blue with white Conrail "can opener" logo and lettering. Initially, trustees believed Penn Central could be reorganized in the traditional sense once a good president and efficient management team was found. Metro-North engine 750, a GP9, is one of the last engines in the By the mid-1980's, Conrail had become its own railroad instead the previous pastiche. After RailAmerica sold the MNN in August 2000, the 3810 was reassigned to the Mackenzie Northern Ry. I might look at putting one of these locomotives on my roster. Conrail unit still in blue, ICG later M-N units are equipped for extended If you are researching anything EMD related please visit this page first. above. "keep-it-moving" days of 1983. Photos. There were many things Penn Central required, ranging from regulation relief to emergency loans. Perhaps there was no greater example of this than outright abandonment. Locomotive 807 was built as Penn Central 8007 under order number 7354 in August 1972. Sign-up for email today! This EMD SD40 was built under order number 7862 in February 1966 as Pennsylvania RR 6042, carrying that number into the Penn Central era. EMD F-unit models included F3s (A and B), F7 (A and B), and FP7 units that became Conrail roster members. losing money. Up for grabs were various rebuilt former Pennsy, By then, every other major railroad from New Jersey to Buffalo had filed for reorganization including the Lehigh Valley, Reading, and Central Railroad of New Jersey. Get this historical book on the late Allen McClelland. (3) Strangers in Hinsdale, MA. electric operation was plagued with problems. All SD60Is. to Amtrak and Metro-North. Conrail/MTA purchased a few of With the N&W backpedaling, Chessie was offered the Erie Lackawanna during July of 1975, which became known as the "Two Systems East" plan. Pittsburgh & Lake Erie acquired the GP38 and renumbered it 2038. In the late 1990s, the SD40 was renumbered 6419. Tokyu M-4 (1988) switchers until about 1991, when Amtrak vacated for Penn Station. installed to replace the steam generator. Through the 1970's, major railroads the "Dover Plains Shuttle" between Brewster and Dover Plains. The Consolidated Rail Corporation, better known as Conrail, was governments answer to the Northeastern rail industry's collapse during the 1970s. ), 1100-1128 (Former PRR RSD12s and RSD15s, converted as slugs. Because such at the former New Haven FL9's. Amtrak General Electric Pullman-Standard ACMU (1956) Even more impressive is that planners at the USRA expected Conrail to carry "a negative cash flow until at least 1990" (from the article "Kneiling vs. USRA," by John Kneiling, featured in the September, 1975 issue of Trains Magazine). Most older locomotive classes were sold or scrapped. In the wake of EL's request, Congress passed the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act, or 4-R Act, on January 28, 1976 that included approval of theFinal System Plan, creating Conrail and extending USRA's existence to oversee the railroad. "Shoreliners" by Metro-North, since they would be serving on the Hudson and New M-N uses the steam to ALCo - RS and C Series Including Rebuilds and Slugs. wagon" cab diesels produced by General Motors EMD. More than a dozen locomotive rosters have been assembled here for review; these rosters were produced by several Class 1 railroads and one shortline railroad; a few were published nearly four decades ago. 2012. 3,000 hp turbo charged EMD diesel. Unit # Notes Model Serial # Pictures : CR 2168: Ex-RDG 5520: GP30 It was another holdover from the days of steam locomotives. Due to legal complications of on 12/27/80. There were many reasons for the widespread collapse ranging from insufficient traffic to suffocating regulations. The New York Central purchased a fleet of 19 RDC's, which they called However, Don Strack rescued the data and transferred it over to his, If you are researching anything EMD related please visit, If you are researching active or abandoned corridors you might want to check out the, Texas Short Line Railroads: Complete List (Active), Short Line Railroad Listings (USA): A Complete Guide, New York Short Line Railroads: Complete List (Active), 1000-1023 (Former PRR RS11s, converted as slugs. The roster appeared in the first employee timetable and listed locomotives by their Conrail numbers and respective predecessor numbers. The 1980's saw many changes to Conrail's roster. The book is one of my personal favorites and Loving provides a detailed look at management and operations (and their fundamental problems Under PC, the four-axle road unit became the 7396, a number that it wore for the first two years of Conrail. The cars are being used to replace the Comet I series, seen and flaws) while also keeping things very interesting and not just a They have only four wheels (two axels) and 600 Shared Assets Area, Conrail Locomotives to be acquired by Norfolk-Southern, Conrail Locomotives to be acquired by CSX, Reading Co. Technical & Historical Society, Pennsylvania RR Technical and Historical Society, Walker Transportation Collection Web Site, Chicago & North Western Historical Society, Jersey Central Railway Historical Society. Enjoy 283 full-length articles, each with large, detailed track plans. Revenue Historic Equipment The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. When I caught up with GE Transportation Systems CW40-8 7371 in May 2018, the unit was looking a bit tired. Most older locomotive classes were sold or scrapped. November 10, 2010. 1066-1099. However, in the coming years many additional miles were either abandoned or sold. NS: Number of units currently active I love Conrail memorabilia. It was named forHarley Staggers, a U.S. Representative from West Virginia, who chaired the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Showing Locomotive model SD60I. passenger engine equipped with an MTU12V4000R33 Another proposal was to have EL acquired by Norfolk & Western while Chessie System would takeover much of the Reading and Jersey Central to reach the Port of New York. Awesome write up Cody. The Rail Services Planning Office (an agency which would oversee and evaluate USRA ideas). After my visit, the 1427 was painted in an eye-catching red-and-gray scheme. Click on a locomotive to view pictures. This is the personal Members enjoy 15% off any purchase in our store. Feature Story, Updated 01/13/98, Conrail Cadillacs - The SD80MAC interesting for this roster, as well as with other locomotive rosters / summzries. It is an excellent resource with thousands of historic maps on file throughout the country. they assumed control of the NJ. Since retirement, the four-axle locomotive has been on quite a journey. The New Haven also had a substancial fleet of RDC's. While a complete photo directory, no biographical information is included. American Locomotive Company. Morrison-Knudsen M-6 (1992). As the group pondered what to do with EL time ran out and one gigantic system emerged. train service. in Niagara Falls, NY. ), The United States Railway Administration (operating under the auspices of the Department of Transportation). Wrecks, Click here Early models had a small Metro-North Brookville Passenger/Road Switcher 9300 ex Detroit Terminal 115 . Roster of Equipment The GP38 was retired by Conrail on September 26, 1984. Conrail . Abbreviations: ALCO B = American Locomotive Co - Brooks Works ALCO M = Montreal Locomotive Works . As Loving points out to get Washington's attention the trustees planned to shutdown Penn Central if the unions struck. Bombardier Shoreliner coaches (1983) CR FORMER NUMBER NUMBERS MODEL BUILDER OWNER(S) OF UNITS 1639-1650 F7A EMD PC (NYC) 3 . devised by the late Roch Gladulich, and are numbered in the 100 series. Amtrak also purchased a few When the company was formed in 1976 it initially shed thousands of miles of unprofitable lines. The locomotives were put into BNs 2155 through 2189 series and given a new classification, GP38X. M.U. Photos for personal use only. This for its Connecticut services. The proposal of low-interest government loans and even a free $500 million to turn around each moribund property did not interest the N&W (wary that it was not enough) while the Chessie System, led by Hays Watkins, was more receptive. Interestingly, this large reduction only cost the railroad a mere 1% of its traffic and 2% of its total profits. Reproduction or redistribution in any form without express written permission is Ex-OHCR 3185 : CSX 3185 Conrail 2030 MGA 2300 ; nee WP 2254 (4092) . 2,250 hp prime mover and head end power unit. SW1200 9347 & 9349 . Built 1956-1960 for the New Haven Railroad. In 2002 the locomotive was reassigned yet again, this time to the Cascade & Columbia River RR in Washington. but could not shunt the signals properly with only Alas, the issues proved far more complex than any of them realized. This high and wide, double-tracked pike was the other major trunk line to Chicago. prohibited. Welcome to the Indiana Harbor Belt archive. reserved by original owner of image. these locomotives put in ten years of dedicated service. While its creation and monopoly has been questioned, and shunned, by some the ultimate success of the carrier cannot. In 1993, they were cycled back to They will most likely be sold off as de-motorized coaches. When Metro-North expanded service on the Danbury branch to include more direct More than 80 GP38-2 diesel locomotives were part of the Electro-Motive Division Leasing fleet. colors. Metro-North picked up several B23-7's from Conrail in 1983 for use in work serving family. at the Peducca Shops in the 1970s and had a head end power unit The FL9ACs could operate at maximum What would truly make the company profitable was the intermodal revolution. It continued to lose roughly $1 million a day, just like Penn Central. oasis of luxury of a time past in a desert of decay. During the rebuild, it was renumbered 7553 and reclassified a GP10. The four-axle road unit was scrapped in October 2001. This created a surplus of then The locomotive became part of the First Union Rail (FURX) fleet in the early 2000s, trading in its blue paint for green and silver. At this time, Anytime this was attempted stiff local opposition resulted while the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) almost always refused the requests. The CSX lettering on the long hood and nose was hastily crossed out with some black paint and a roller. (5), Afternoon at Iona Island on 10/24/98. should not be used without permission and/or proper credit. on 3/14/81. The unit kept that road number through its Conrail career. Bombardier purchased the old Pullman-Standard design used on coaches built for Erie series, only two remain in standby service), four rebuilt AC units worked on the LIRR Electrics. It continues to do business as an asset management and network services provider in three Shared Assets Areas that were excluded from the division of its . operating in Grand Central Terminal). The Dash-7 and Dash-8 models from GE also arrived in large numbers. There were many problems to iron out, ranging from a decrepit network to the ongoing war between ex-PRR and NYC officers. commuter services operated by the Erie Lackawanna out of Hoboken, New Jersey. Note that not all units were allocated to CSX/NS, transferred to the joint NS/CSX switching/local service roads, or sold for scrap. observer on the cab cars and the door was removed next to the The IHB operates as an independent road even though it is jointly owned by Conrail Shared Assets (51%) and Canadian Pacific (49%). It eventually passed both chambers of Congress; known as the Regional Rail Reorganization Act, or 3-R Act, it was signed by President Richard Nixon on January 2, 1974. By the end of 1981 Conrail was finally in the black and turning a profit for the first time since the early days of Penn Central in 1968, over thirteen years earlier! ultimate sale to Norfolk Southern and CSX I strongly recommend "The Men Who Loved Trains: The Story of Men Who Battled Greed to Save an Ailing Industry," To understand how Conrail was formed one must look back at the Northeastern railroad market of the 1970s. Conrail went from a money-losing government bailout to the fourth-largest U.S. railroad. Photo by Larry Johnson. Model Type Road Number Date Built Quantity; MT-4: 1000-1023 (Former PRR RS11s, converted as slugs.) Electro-Motive Division F-10 (F-3) (1946) Ex-NS 2557-2580 ; nee Conrail 2557-2580 SD70M 2581-2590 996173-1 to 10 10/00-1/01 #2583, 2584 & 2587-2589 off roster; ex-NS 2581-2590 2591-2623 20016371-1 to 33 . (2), Afternoon at Iona Island on 10/24/98. This was well over half the network. As Loving points out nothing magical happened in the beginning. The Southern was a disciplined, well-oiled machine. Model modern Amtrak passenger train consists. All These locomotives carry a paint scheme It is not affiliated with, sponsored Conrail was created as a result of bankruptcy that swept through, in the seventies, many eastside american railway companies, including Central Railroad of New Jersey, Erie Lackawanna, Lehigh & Hudson River, Lehigh Valley, Penn Central (ex New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroad), and Reading.This huge new Class 1 railroad operated 17.000 route miles, had 95.000 employees and owned 5.000 . Wade Massie photo. Ironically, Langdon, himself, wound up at the helm in January of 1973. The Model Railroaders Guide to Bridges & Trestles. By the mid-1980's, Conrail had become its own railroad instead the previous pastiche. the units broke down frequently and were maintenance were cutting back on their long-distance passenger trains. in 1956, but did not buy into the concept (though they liked the idea of eliminating the They were with your friends: Although not an The four-axle road locomotive retained that road number when it became part of the Conrail fleet in 1976. Original Slide Jersey Central CNJ SD-40 #3067 Elizabethport, NJ 3-27-1976. Then I noticed the recessed red marker lights above the number boards. Morrison-Knudsen GP40PH-2 (1988) However, by 1980 there appeared no end to the losses. Rosters from the early years of Conrail, from the initial roster of April 1, 1976 through to 1979. engineer's control stand. . Total From RailroadfanWiki. How To Prototype Railroads Conrail diesel locomotive graduates, In this special installment of Trackside Finds, Cody Grivno introduces you to nine former Conrail units that found new homes. also given high marks by the leading industry magazine, Trains from The so-called Preliminary System Plan, in its original incarnation,would include lines of Penn Central, Reading, Lehigh & Hudson River, Jersey Central, Ann Arbor (a long-time PRR subsidiary it was soon sold, outright, to the state of Michigan in 1977), and the Lehigh Valley. CenterDoor. The The rest toiled for MN and CDOT, before . have been retired from service. Just type in a town or city and click on the timeline of maps at the bottom of the page! With a secondary crisis developing the idea ultimately worked as many leaders realized the great economic harm resulting from the stoppage in rail service. Detroit's commuter carrier SEMTA (operating the last remnant of the former Grand more reading on the railroad, its creation, years of operation, and These cars have a purple stripe, similar to the NJT modernization of the old FL9. American-Rails.com collection. In 1978, Illinois Central Gulf (ICG) rebuilt the GP9. This site is an activity of the Conrail Historical Society, the only organization dedicated to preserving Conrail's History. DieselSteamElectric The Staggers Rail Act was passed into law by President Jimmy Carter onOctober 14, 1980. Thank you for the information. GP35R #105 Budd Cosmopolitan MU (M-2) (1971) of Justice & Environment Protection Agency for alleged non-compliance. Photo by Pat Yough. Originally MGA S23-7B, rebuilt by Conrail, Units were built to NS specs - not wide cabs, Some converted to SD40-2; 6656 & 6660 sold. nor supported by Norfolk Southern Corporation. The observation car from It is difficult to truly articulate just how much material can be found at this website. As they began their fourth decade of service, word came down that the With this legislation now law the difficult work began of creating a profitable railroad from the bankrupt shells. Displaying 1 - 60 of 10003 images in this gallery CR 1986 west in Middlefield, MA. As Conrail grew evermore profitable, not surprisingly CSX and NS once again came calling. the 1100 series, they are true MU cars, as they could be operated in Photos for personal use only. These GP35's were rebuilt from former Pennsylvania Railroad engines at