Switch on a Bridge

A Bethlehem Steel-bound Conrail ore train crosses the Lehigh River in Bethlehem, PA. The train is coming from the former Jersey Central main line, and is enteri... (more)

The former Jersey Central main line east of Bethlehem has been unused as a through route since the early 1970's. The tracks between Easton and Freemansburg were ripped up, and the former main line... (more)

In the summer of 1979, Conrail somehow got its hands on a trio of Santa Fe GP40X units, and used them system wide, including a few days in the Allentown area. This may be the only time that Santa ... (more)

22V is led by NS 8104 on home rails through Bethlehem PA.

Conrail’s U23C’s and SD38’s spent most of their time in hump service at classification yards around the system. Occasionally, one of them would get to stretch their legs in the road. Here a ... (more)

A patched Lehigh & Hudson River C420 and a repainted Lehigh Valley RS11 stand on a house track at Bethlehem, Pannsylvania.

Six months into Conrail’s existence, I’m sure that I took this photo to record the former Erie-Lackawanna U33C in Conrail blue, still a rarity at that time. Almost exactly forty-one years late... (more)

What Did They do to You?

Until I came across this forgotten slide, I would have sworn that none of Conrail’s MT4 or MT6 slugs ever locked knuckles with an Alco road switcher of t... (more)

Conrail only had 2. The PRR bought 2 customized SD7 units for the 5.98% Madison Hill line in Indiana. The 2 survived into the Conrail era and were eventually assigned to yard/local servic... (more)

Conrail RS11 7652, a relative newcomer to the Bethlehem Engine Terminal, stands with two long-term veterans. SW900m 8650 has been a regular since the Lehigh Valley took over the Jersey Central’s... (more)

Reading Lines Alco C-630 no.5306(3000hp). Date Built 6/66-10/67 Numbered 5300-5311.

In the early 1970s, the Jersey Central leased ten ex-Wabash F7s from the Norfolk & Western to help with a perennial power shortage. N&W 3697 was awaiting its next assignment outside the CNJ/RDG ro... (more)

Jersey Central 2505, one of the railroad's dozen SD35s, posed at the Bethlehem, PA, engine terminal shared by the CNJ and Reading. The dust probably came from a recent assignment on one of the ra... (more)

The dismal fourth day of Conrail finds a business-as-usual scene at Bethlehem. It’s not that way everywhere, as the Lehigh Valley road power is gone, and there’s a big presence of the despised... (more)

The early years of Conrail saw many leased units from other roads on the property. Here a Bangor& Aroostook GP7 pauses with an ex-Lehigh Valley “hammerhead” RS3 at the Bethlehem roundhouse.