Conrail Days But Not Conrail

This locomotive is not from Conrail but is visiting the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania on the occasion of Conrail Days, May 29th to 31st, 2009. NS number 7581 GE ES40DC represents big power on one of Conrail's successors, Norfolk Southern. Its 4,000 horsepower compares to the 5,000 horsepower of older EMD SD80MAC #7211 coupled ahead of it and is a result of a decision at NS to buy lower horsepower units for better matching to train loads and to reduce engine maintenance costs. It was built in Erie, Pennsylvania in 2006. Welcome to Strasburg, big Thoroughbred!

Conrail Days in Black

Big power comes to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania's yard in Strasburg, Pennsylvania on the occasion of Conrail Days May 29th to 31st, 2009. Norfolk Southern 7211 is a 5,000 horsepower EMD SD80MAC which had been assembled at Conrail's Juniata engine shops in Altoona, Pennsylvania; one of 17 assembled there. This type represents the peak of power in Conrail days. They are also the biggest power in the current NS roster. I have not photographed a blue SD80MAC but you can find many examples on the web at places like The Conrail Historical Society.

Conrail Days in Blue

I'm proud to be a "Big Blue" fan. They were the people who saved freight railroading in the part of the USA where I live. My arrival in Pennsylvania from the West preceded Conrail by about three years. I was cheered by the new blue paint appearing on engines scarred by Penn Central's awful black scheme. Not that the color black is awful, Norfolk Southern does it very well, but the PC paint scheme was totally without an effort at looking good. It seemed to signify a railroad that had surrendered. The new Conrail colors seemed to signify a hope in a brighter future, something that came to be realized.
Below I have climbed up on CR 5644 EMD SD60I to take a look at the cab. This locomotive is actually Norfolk Southern 6757, wearing its old Conrail number for Conrail Days at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, courtesy of the Conrail Historical Society. Number 5644 was assembled at the Conrail Juniata Shops in Altoona, PA.

Conrail Days

May 29th to 31st were Conrail Days at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, PA. In addition to the museum's Conrail 2233 GP30 the event folks from the Conrail Historical Society treated visitors with 3 Pennsylvania-built locomotives, the most powerful from Big Blue's fleet. They were:

NS 6757 EMD class SD60I assembled at Juniata Shops in Altoona, PA and still painted as CR 5644
NS 7581 GE class ES40DC built in Erie, PA (and too young to be ex-Conrail)
NS 7211 EMD class SD80MAC assembled in Altoona

The big engines were pulled to Strasburg from the Leaman Place junction with Amtrak's Keystone Line by the Strasburg Railroad's ex-NYC SW8.

I decided to post something a bit different here since there are so many photos of this event posted elsewhere on the net. They include some great shots from the Friday 5/29 night photo shoot session.

Does Passenger Rail Cost Too Much?

We don't hear much right now from legislators and economists who expect Amtrak to be a money-making operation. Strange isn't it how no other mode of transportation is expected to return a profit? Let me know if you know any interstate highway or passenger airport that's turning a profit.

Last year (2008) the federal subsidy to Amtrak was $1.4 Billion. Highways received more money in 2008 than Amtrak has received over its entire lifetime.

The Cars Come From All Over

Outside the feed mill on Woodrow Avenue, Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania there are always a couple of covered hopper cars spotted on the plants spur. The railroad is Norfolk Southern, but the cars are usually from Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern or the BNSF empire. I always assumed the cars had been built some place like Johnstown, Pennsylvania. I was a bit surprised (and pleased) when I got up close to this DME car and discovered the maker's plate was the National Steel Car Company of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. DME was purchased by Canadian Pacific in October, 2008.

High or Low They Work the Same

Both of these units are 2,000 horsepower EMD GP38-2s. Above Norfolk Southern #5070 is working a local job Westward out of Reading, Pennsylvania. More than 200 of the NS GP38s have the high short hood. Below NS #5309 sits in Dillerville Yard, Lancaster, Pennsylvania showing the look of the low short hood. Whether you like one look over the other is up to the viewer. They both do the same work.