In February 1975 we had just purchased our first Nikon SLR camera (we still use it), and where did we go to try it out but down to the Penn Central tracks. We managed to catch an eastbound headed by a pair of Alco C425's as it swung round a curve near Fairfield Ave. in the west end of Johnstown, PA (PC_2443.JPG, 78Kb).

By August 1976, the Conrail era was fully underway, with weird and wonderful power lashups the norm. Here we are at the east end of the Gallitzin tunnels; as a trailer train begins to coast down the hill towards the Horseshoe Curve and Altoona, a westbound 'drag' struggles to get over the crest with a conglomeration of power that includes an Alco, a tired F7 and an ex-Reading EMD (CR_2418.JPG; 77Kb).

February 1977, and the days are numbered for big Alco's on Conrail. For the moment, however, they are still in evidence, as witnessed by this pair undergoing a bit of light maintenance at Cresson, PA (CR_6786.JPG; 84Kb).

By October 1977, the finalized color scheme of medium blue with white 'can opener' logo was being applied as swiftly as possible. There was still plenty of black to be found, however, not least in this heavy freight with eight(!) units on the point. Location : near Gallitzin, PA (CR_6255.JPG; 109Kb).

Our favorite vantage point for photos in the early Conrail years was a rusty old footbridge in the Woodvale area of Johnstown, PA, where we caught this eastbound PPLX unit coal train on 17 May 1980. This is a larger version of our sixth masthead image. Alas, the footbridge is no more, and the impressive four-track 'Broad Way' has been reduced to three (CR_7746.JPG; 156 Kb).

A few big ex-EL SDP45-2's remain in service and show up frequently in western Pennsylvania. Here, the 6659 (and a couple of GP38-2's) is working the coal delivery tracks at the Conemaugh generating station in New Florence, PA on 16 May 1995 (CR_6659.JPG; 98Kb).

A pair of SD60M's roar upgrade with trailers at South Fork, PA on 01 June 1996 (CR_5566.JPG; 117Kb).

A familiar sight today on the mainline : a C40-8W leads a train eastbound at Johnstown, PA in May 1995 (CR_6076.JPG; 117Kb).

At roughly the same location as the above shot, but taken on the fly from across the Little Conemaugh river, one of Conrail's immaculate E-units on an westbound OCS (Office Car Special), in May 1996 (CR_4020.JPG; 78Kb).