Misc. Railroad Pictures
Note: This is a graphics-heavy page, please be patient and wait for all the pictures to load.
Train ALSE seems to provide some of the most interesting motive power on the Lehigh Line, from foreign power to high horsepower Conrail units. On an October 1998 day, Conrail ALSE featured a pair of SD80MACs on the train providing a bit of excitement. These revolutionary locomotives are EMD's bid to retake leadership in the US locomotive market. From their new "steering" HTC trucks to the new AC electricals, these locomotives are state of the art. This is the last power to be ordered and built to Conrail's specs.
Conrail local WPAL-10 runs from Allentown, PA to Manville,NJ and back typically with a set of GP38-2s or GP40-2's or other smaller four axle power, but on February 16, 1999 AL-10 featured an SD70 followed by a C40-8W providing plenty of power to the 30 or so cars.
SD50 6817 heads up the Lehigh Line doubling a train at R Tower at the west end of Allentown Yard in June 1993. Continuing to build its roster of modern six axle heavy freight power, Conrail purchased 135 SD50 locomotives from EMD between 1983 and 1986. The SD50 is Conrail's first unit with the current EMD carbody. The SD50 is also the last EMD model with the 645 Series Diesel engine
SD50's 6753 and 6776 only 3 months old, ready to depart Allentown Yard with a westbound freight on August 31, 1984.
This photo, taken with an Instamatic camera on a scorching July 7, 1979 shows a westbound TrailVan train behind four GP40-2's blasting unassisted around the Horseshoe Curve. The results, however, are pleasing. The sun glints off of the four track rails, and highlights the exhaust blasting out of the locomotives.
Brand new General Electric AMD-103 805 poses on the head end of the northbound Crescent at Washington DC on May 16, 1994. The Genesis is about to hand over the Crescent to another GE product, an Amtrak E60, for the rest of the trip to New York City.
Just east of CP Burn in Allentown, Pa. on April 6, 1996, Westbound Conrail train ALNS led by Conrail B40-8 5066 crawls toward a signal at Burn. While CSX SD40-2 6228 blasts toward the former LV main line leading a D&H coal train. Soon after the last coal hopper clears, the signal clears and ALNS's units come to life and head off to the Norfolk Southern Interchange at Hagerstown, MD.
This photo was taken from East Stroudsburg tower on November 24, 1978. A loaded unit coal train for PP&L's Portland power plant has just passed through town. The East Stroudsburg local (just an ex-EL GP7 and a caboose) takes the siding. The units in the foreground are the helpers which shoved the train over the Pocono grades from Scranton. This is one of last, if not the last, coal train over the Lackawanna main line until January 1997. In just one month this line will be abandoned.
This photo of restored Amtrak GG-1 4935 was taken on a brutally cold January 16, 1980. 4935 is pulling the southbound Silver Star into 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. Once inside, another G was coupled to the head end for the rest of the journey to Washington. Diesels will haul the train to its final destination in Florida.
Conrail's 216 General Electric C40-8W's are the backbone of the present six axle heavy freight fleet. These 4000 horsepower locomotives are used on road freights throughout the system. These are the first units purchased by Conrail with the "comfort cab". This cowl style cab harks back to the elegant cab units of the 1950's. Full width cabs have been specified for all new Conrail road power since the first C40-8W's were delivered in 1990. C40-8W's 6178 and 6152 drift through JU in Bethlehem, Pa. September 1996
Conrail's SD38's were purchased expressly for hump service by the Penn Central in 1970. They are still performing that function for Conrail. Many of these engines serve as "mother units" to Motor Trailers, commonly referred to as "slugs". A slug is a locomotive frame weighted by tons of concrete, with traction motors but no diesel engine. Power for the traction motors is supplied by the mother unit's prime mover. This arrangement provides the adhesion needed to push mile long strings of cars over a classification yard's hump at a steady walking speed. Conrail's MT-6 slugs were constructed from retired American Locomotive Company (ALCO) six-axle road switchers (RSD-12's and RSD-15's) in 1978 and 1979 at the Juniata Shops in Altoona, Pa. All MT-6's, have had their original ALCO tri-mount trucks replaced with EMD trucks salvaged from retired SD's.SD38 6935 and MT-6 1124 humping cars in the Allentown yard. June 1993.
Conrail inherited all 25 of its SW-1001 switchers from the Reading Company. These are thoroughly modern 1000 horsepower switchers delivered to the Reading in late 1973. These units tend to stay close their native territory in the eastern part of Conrail's system. SW-1001 9422 poses at the ex-Reading Company Abrams Yard on the former Reading Main Line. January 22, 1993
Conrail inherited 222 GP38-2's from the Penn Central and purchased an additional 118 units between 1977 and 1979. One hundred of the PC units were leased from GM for 15 years. In July, 1987, GM demanded the return of the locomotives, much to power-short Conrail's dismay. Conrail retaliated by not taking delivery of a single EMD locomotive for over three years. The 2000 horsepower locomotives are used for all sorts of local, branch, and mine run service. GP38-2s 8121, 8174, 8159, and several more of their brethren lined up on a siding at R tower at the west end of Allentown Yard for the weekend. June, 1992.
These 13 20-cylinder behemoths were delivered to the Erie-Lackawanna in late 1972. Their most obvious feature is the massive 5000 gallon fuel tanks which the EL preferred. These units had been based in Cresson, Pa for Allegheny Mountain (Horseshoe Curve) helper service for almost 15 years. They were replaced in 1994/95 by SD40-2's specially modified for helper service. After spending some time leased to the Canadian National, the SD45-2's returned home, and are in the regular road power pool. The SD45-2's are the oldest active road power on Conrail, and, along with 5 GP40-2's from the Reading, the only un-rebuilt road power from the six Conrail predecessors to be present at the end of Conrail. On a visit to Allentown, Pa. SD45-2 6659 on December 27, 1998
Last updated: Sunday August 27, 2000 10:00 P.M.