CONRAIL, Very early years. 1976 1977

I hope you all enjoyed the clips of very early Conrail. Conrail was formed on April 1st, 1976. All these clips were shot in 1976 and 1977.
Sorry about the quality, but this is 42 and 43 year old film. But 8mm railroad images are hard to come by, especially in live sound.
Thanks for watching. Please be sure to check out my
many other video clips from the 1970's up to today.
God Bless
Please do not use without permission
All my videos and images are Copyright protected.
Filmed with a Kodak Ecktasound 8mm sound movie camera
God Bless our troops, and God Bless
the United States of America
Copyright Jack D Kuiphoff © 4/10/2019
John 3:16
"You are worth a Son to God"
Quote is from our pastor at Journey By Grace Church, Pastor Bill Bailey.
/ @journeybygrace

[@EricPowell_Indy]

No need to ever apologize for the quality. You captured it, which is more than any of us did. Plus having the sound is fantastic. There's a lot of stuff out there that's great quality of picture but dubbed sound - I think this arrangement is better.

[@1jackdk]

Thanks CEP. Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for watching...

[@davidremy4470]

Awesome post Jack! I can't even believe that this 8mm stuff exists! Before rail fanning was called rail fanning, you were just some nut with a video camera hanging out at the tracks!!

[@EMTRailfan]

Awesome! I always appreciated getting stuff tossed to me out the window. I've gotten paperwork, an "I passed the banner check" hat, and a plastic bag of ice cold bottles of water for us from an NS crew building their air at the top of the slide at Galitzin on a scorching hot day.

[@1jackdk]

Its always a treat to get something from the friendly crews, instead of a cold stares. Thanks for watching...

[@new_comment]

Used to be that the crew loved their jobs, and enjoyed showing it. Now almost every railroader I talk too says they can't stand it, because of corporate of course. And stupid PSR.

[@vicodumb]

Graduated high school in 1977. Great days for watching but not being railroads. Thanks for the trip back in time.

[@Mrruneight]

This is the kind of stuff I find so amazing because I lived it and didn't appreciate back then. Thank You so much for sharing this.

[@rearspeaker6364]

any footage,from back then,as long its view-able, is GREAT footage!!! great work as always!!!

[@1jackdk]

Thanks. I try to get the best up. I have some that aren't so good, but I'm holding back on them. Thanks for watching...

[@rearspeaker6364]

@@1jackdk if it's half as good as this, please put it up.

[@siriusxakanscaleguy7147]

@Gordon Vincenzo not sure if anyone cares but no one cares

[@mikeytrains1]

That faint “Aw, shit!” at 5:22 cracks me up! Lovely footage Jack!

[@daveyboy_]

Yeah what did he throw out to him

[@TexasRailfan2008]

Cool to see EL, PC and CR locos on the same train

[@sharkymcsharknose2979]

A U28B, subway cars on flats, Hammerhead Alco, too much cool stuff to list in this video! I especially liked seeing the C430 at 1:43 since I thought they were all banished to Mingo Jct., OH before Conrail. I have a Conrail blue Bowser Alco C430 in HO scale, it's a beauty! Thanks for posting all of these videos, they are a great inspiration for my model building.

[@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606]

This era of railroading has always fascinated me, birth of Amtrak the birth of Conrail, Chessie System, and family lines, not to mention all the different reporting marks on the locomotives and different paint schemes all with a nice layer of grime and neglect added on top of it, don’t envy the time but like to look back on it

[@jeffreymcfadden9403]

Back then we had VARIETY! Bad track meant that chasing was always an option. Towers,towers and more towers, how can you discount them? F units with leslie A200 "honkers." These were the best of times.

[@stephenheath8465]

You can also including the early BN merger too

[@bobozo389]

Takes me right back to my early teen years, as I was 13 in 1976 and Conrail made a big presents in Kalamazoo, MI, where I grew up.

[@bobozo389]

@asteinmann I remember when it was Penn Central back in the early to mid 1970's!

[@tommythomason6187]

Fascinating. Old 1970s train vids are mainly what I look for, especially old pre-Amtrak passenger trains in big city terminal settings.

[@davidhopson729]

Excellent footage!!! I miss the rainbow years of early ConRail. Thanks for sharing.

[@1jackdk]

Thanks Dave. Those were the days for sure. Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for watching...

[@erikih706]

That possibly was one of the best train videos I’ve watched! Awesome footage! This made my day! Thanks for uploading! I’ve enjoyed every one of your videos! Thank you!

[@e-train765]

I'm SO happy this exists

[@LibertyRailfan]

Fantastic footage jackmp294.5™ thank you for putting this gem of a video out on KZbin. I love seeing the power, but on those mixed freights seeing all those fallen flags wow!

[@rimodeler7963]

Hi Jack - Very nice footage ........ I enjoyed it all. Thank you for sharing these great images with us, I really appreciate it! Mike

[@BNSFGuy4723]

Please don’t apologize, sir. You filmed a part of the Northeast’s history and I can’t thank you enough. God bless

[@Balerio2357]

Awesome views of yester year, great catches of fallen flags and the beginning of Conrail which ironically is a fallen flag itself. Love seeing the old motive power, back then it seemed we would always see these great units from EMD and GE; now just a memory. As always, thanks for posting and sharing your work Jack, God Bless you brother. - Larry Rom 1:18

[@crushhardtack2870]

Excellent video! I guess I’m just old, but 1976-1977 doesn’t seem like that long ago.

[@1jackdk]

Thats for sure Crush!!! Feels like yesterday. Hard to believe these films are 40+ years old.

[@iusetano]

Loved it. Thank you so very much.

[@1jackdk]

Glad you enjoyed it, and thank you...

[@josephmartino9958]

What a surprise seeing those R-46 NYCTA cars...from back in the pre-waning days of good ol' PCW

[@parailfan]

I still have a good memory of the Basin Street Crossing at 9:58. When I was in Kindergarten (around 90-91), my mom would drive me across the Basin Street Crossing and turn right down to Auburn Street and cross the tracks there. We also crossed over the tracks at 12th and Vultee Streets and again at 31st St SW. That's how I got into trains. I think around '92 or '93 was when Conrail built the two railroad bridges over Basin Street due to traffic back ups. Also the blue tower in the background was dismantled in 2004.

[@thomashunter3336]

Super outstanding

[@bluel7162]

i've just purchsed my first conrail sdp45 ho scale. excellent... thanks for posting. GEOFF UK.

[@Antonio-j1g]

nice job and, thank you for posting

[@viktordubowskii695]

Thank you for the upload. I was 11years old and remember the transition to conrail, but I hated to see the Reading railroad fade away, it was my favorite. I lived right next to the Bethlehem branch, and remember the iron ore trains coming out of port Richmond yard phila heading north to Bethlehem steel.

[@jonfoisy1237]

I was born into this era. I love seeing this footage!

[@DouglasP201]

Excellent videos! I was born way late, and miss the good stuff.

[@JONROBBINS-zp7iq]

nice conrail diesel train fellas keep up with the hard work and make those freight cars keep moving on the railroad track system.

[@Chessie1985]

Great video of the old conrail Jack!!!

[@1jackdk]

Thanks Jeff. Glad you enjoyed it...

[@Chessie1985]

Your welcome!!!

[@douglasalan5783]

The quality is excellent!

[@mikeflynn1629]

Footage like this is gold. How I wish I had a camera with sound in 1977 at Fullerton station for the Santa Fe.

[@elsdp-4560]

Thank you for sharing. Enjoyed.

[@jeffreymcfadden9403]

note, the U25B no. 2501 was the second CR blue loco. the first was GP40 3091.

[@1jackdk]

Yes it was Jeff. Thanks for watching..

[@kellcash6800]

I always get excited when you release a new video. Thanks for sharing man.

[@1jackdk]

Thanks, glad you enjoy these, and only to happy to share all this stuff...

[@kelvintorrence5994]

Love the Erie Lackawanna and Penn central green cars.

[@rexjamison2170]

fantastic

[@halfwick7560]

Amazing, Im from around the Allentown area and seeing Burn in the mid 70's is quite cool.

[@DARRYLJShort]

Jack, I grew up in teaneck during that time when weehawken yard was the end of the river line. I've spent many a Saturday inside the Susie Q roundhouse, thanks man for making an old man feel young again!!!!

[@TheRrxing]

Awesome video. Never liked the name and color of Conrail. When my brother and I first saw the name we thought convicts not consolidated. So glad to see the black NS engines now. You could hear the Penn Central early Conrail train coming before you would see them which was half the fun!

[@HenrikSweden1]

Ah i just love it ! And you got lots of freightcars and not only the pulling power. Just what i was looking for . I am going to extend the timeframe on my n scale layout from early and mid 1970s to the black and blueyears. That way i still can run my old erielackawanna equipment. Thanks !

[@jeffreysheridan5205]

It still looked pretty much like this when I hired out on the Buffalo Division in April of 1978.

[@thelongrun5077]

This was awesome to see, and the camera quality isn't even that bad, I love it!

[@Artines999]

♥.♥ God Bless...Thanks...

[@DavidSmith-rc7hs]

Superb vid

[@EmpireBeltRR]

Thanks Jack!!!

[@mytrainhobby5318]

Really nice videos. I'm putting together an O scale Conrail transition era train and am getting a lot of ideas from your videos.

[@dennis-ul5ht]

I wish I could find some videos of early Conrail on the Piqua and Mt. Vernon branches prior to abandonment...

[@b3j8]

Looks like that headend crew threw you off a bottle of water!😀 Had another crew do the same for me one hot day watching a Chicago Line freight. Better times Jack!

[@1jackdk]

It sure was better times. We had that happen pretty often on hot days. One of my D&H clips, they had the red mars light going on the lead U23B as they come through Emmaus PA. It cost us a 6 pack of beer at R Tower in Allentown. LOL.

[@Skolmann]

-I grew up 2 blocks away from the River Line in Teaneck, NJ. Took many walks along the rails from Teaneck down to Ridgefield Park. -Love the train carrying the new PATH cars -Always thought that PC had the worst paint scheme of any railroad

[@charlesmorschauser5258]

Good old filthy pc black I'd love to see it again

[@thedenverrailfan1985]

I remember when an engineer threw something at me it was a small conrail flashlight and a conrail key chain.

[@1jackdk]

Yah, crews were pretty friendly, and would send out all kinds of neat things.

[@rearspeaker6364]

@@1jackdk people were more human then.....back then, when the world wasn't trying to spin at a million miles per hour.

[@CrazyKaboose]

Do you still have it I would PROTECT it so well

[@TonyFleetwood]

what did the conductor toss off the train? this video was wonderful!

[@1jackdk]

The crews usually threw off the hand writen train orders for us Tony. I still have a folder full of them. Its neat looking at them now and then to see the slow orders, and locomotive numbers.

[@JasonJason-jf7vq]

Missed those U-boats and alcos .

[@sea323]

Very nice!

[@daniellaubsch1605]

Ahh the early days of Conrail big number boards the old clickty clack of stick rail open air car carriers them good ole day's of today's railroading! Of course the air horns on the locomotives nostalgic!

[@daniellaubach7544]

Gee it's nice to c graffiti free rolling stock in this collection of films from Big Blue's early operational days with the mixed bag of road power from all the roads that made up Conrail. Even for ancient 8mm film the pictures & sound was good enough for me.

[@gary24fan]

I'd say great looking footage based on the age and the limits technology handed you at the time.

[@zeppelinfreakhayes5780]

Geez I have heard stories about early conrail and the horrible track condition's in the early years

[@dfw_railfanner]

Any grade crossing action along the nec?

[@WalkerBulldog19]

C&W on Conrail Damn

[@tom-and-mom]

jackmp294.5, are the cars on the flatcars at 1:34 subway cars?

[@ejdsndnj]

yes

[@dwayneday9458]

150,740,000 common stock of jersey shores railroad split that number of stock as quarter a share stock split 115 a share Conrail shared assets of jersey shores railroad

[@upking9080]

Have you filmed any footage in Aberdeen MD, when the NEC railroad crossing was still there?

[@tom-and-mom]

jackmp294.5, what are those things on the flatcars at 1:34?

[@1jackdk]

They were steel beams on that first flat car, from Bethlehem still mill.

[@tom-and-mom]

@@1jackdk They were actually passenger cars. What were they?

[@1jackdk]

@@tom-and-mom OHHHH! I'm sorry. I thought 10:34. Those are PATH Transit cars headed to Jersey City at 1:34.

[@jonrailz5044]

New York City Transit's R46 subway cars being delivered to NYC, we still have them today

[@HVACSirenTowerTrainFanFan2012]

10:18 Oh yea GP30

[@Bammer2001]

13:11 That's a weird locomotive! What model?

[@1jackdk]

The N&W #8481 is a high hood U30B built by GE.

[@fionagallagher9974]

Thanks for this post. Does anyone know if ConRail ran commuter trains from Jersey City into NYC?

[@fbm314]

They did not, if anyone did it was either NJdot(later NJ transit) or Amtrak

[@fionagallagher9974]

@@fbm314 Thank you!!

[@cedarvalleyrail8419]

Back when Leslie dominated the market

[@daveyboy_]

Thats when watching trains was awesome , listen to that chugging at 11:13 . Back then every car was different ,no graffiti, different engines , a caboose . The engineer saw u he'd not only wave but blow his horn . Now its 100 tanker cars the bulls are looking to ticket ya and the guys in the cab looks at you with contempt. The made up a term for us . We apperantly foam at the mouth when we see a train so they call us ..........

[@thomaslusk7621]

Last of the good railroading cabooses , No graffiti , And the country didn't go dooshbag yet.

[@maxrailroad]

Hi Jack, I'd like to use some clips from this video for an upcoming project. Credit will be given to your channel. Is this alright?

[@1jackdk]

As long as credits are given, I have no problem with it. Thanks for asking...

[@maxrailroad]

@@1jackdk Thank you!

[@MilesMiller8686]

why is it 2019?

[@rjohnson1690]

Interesting consists, and really awful Penn Central track.

[@abutts02]

Great footage

[@sauced2007]

Thanks for this. I was a kid along the line through Westfield Massachusetts. Brings back memories.

[@1jackdk]

Glad you enjoyed it S B. I only wished I had ventured over in your neck of the woods for pictures and videos. Thanks for watching...

[@stevemccall3383]

BRAVO Jack!! By far the best railfan footage anywhere! Every time I watch one of your videos it's like a time machine back to my youth!! Thanks for keeping all my memories fresh, just like it was yesterday!! God Bless you brother!!

[@1jackdk]

Thanks Steve. Glad I can keep those memories alive for all of us. God Bless you as well my brother...

[@thedenverrailfan1985]

Wow Ridgefield Park. my dad used to take me there every Saturday all in the 90s and around the corner is Little Ferry and up the line is Dumont and in Dumont there's a great pizza place I don't know if it's still there right next to the tracks

[@1jackdk]

I probably ate at the pizza shop a few times. LOL

[@eugeeropel5572]

Excellent footage with a mix of freight and some of the P-5 Rectifiers (if I’m correct) in PENN CENTRAL livery prior to going to CONRAIL blue. Thank you, Jack.

[@jonrailz5044]

Cool video, and probably also the only video of the R46 subway cars being delivered in its Pre-General Overhaul state

[@SebisRandomTech]

Very good quality film for Super 8! Most of the footage from that era that I’ve seen has faded to red. Side note: what were the transit cars being transported in the one clip? I’m assuming they were for the the NYC Subway?

[@1jackdk]

Thank you. Some of the old 8mm footage held up pretty good, if kept in a dark climate controlled environment. The transit cars where built for PATH. (Port Authority Trans-Hudson). They where R-46 models, and PATH had a lot of problems with then.

[@SebisRandomTech]

@@1jackdk Very interesting! Thank you for sharing! Other question, what did you use to transfer the film? Did you have a service do it or did you transfer the film to digital yourself?

[@N00N01]

Twist the first one is actually Penncentral and the chaseMD dronefootage is cut XD

[@eugeeropel5572]

Very early Conrail years but an EXCELLENT EXCELLENT mix of motive power before they were stenciled over to Conrail, like Penn Central, Reading Lines, Lehigh Valley, Norfolk and Western. THANK YOU for sharing. An A +++++.

[@ejdsndnj]

Isn't the N&W not part of conrail? The black locomotives you see with "CR" on them are ex Penn central, ex Pennsylvania, and ex NYC, though Penn central got their locomotives from those railroads

[@davidbarrera308]

Thanks for the video. 2 years later and I find myself living in Perth Amboy NJ observing Conrail as a teenager. I would walk the tracks as much as possible back then. Thanks for the memories.

[@thedesertdwellerfromutah4354]

Beyond Amazing! Wow! 💯

[@tommythomason6187]

Seems there were a lot more boxcars in freights back then.

[@1jackdk]

Thats for sure. Not mant trailer trains yet, and no stack trains. Thanks for watching.