Conrail in the Coal Region 1976-1990

A compilation of video and super 8 film from just after the Conrail takeover until the advent of Reading & Northern. The video is from the late Jeff Seidel, while the film is from George Legler, both fans from the Reading, PA area.

[@ekapus]

I cannot thank you enough for posting this Rich! I just spent the day wandering around Disney World and this was the most magical thing I've seen.

[@ethanmorel2746]

Jeff Seidel won’t be forgotten. He died five years ago after a four year battle with ALS.

[@tommythomason6187]

Some of that track and greenery reminds me of the Southern Railway transfer track that ran behind my house. It connected with the Seaboard south at Hulsey Yard. When I was a kid, seems like two or three big freights came through there a day, and by the late 70s, three of them a week, rarely less than 100 cars and a Family Lines orange caboose, sometimes. A set of switchers also frequented the industries and bottling plant along the line. It is now part of The Atlanta Beltline - a series of Rail Trails.

[@scpiedmontvideoproductions878]

Totally Awesome!! Yes the Reading knew what they were doing hen they purchased the EMD MP15,DCs and the SW 1500s! They we're absolutely perfect for branchline coal hauling!! And I believe that the Reading & Northern have a handful as well!

[@davestrains6816]

Really great video. Real diehards to film this in the snow but they got some really beautiful shots. thanks for sharing. Dave

[@psum240b]

Wow, half of Conrail's MP15DC fleet is in this footage. Cool!

[@bluefj-wc3vz]

Great quality filming, thanks for posting. The good ol days

[@HOmodeltrainfan]

feels the pressure and the pull

[@luizparana3683]

Like and view 1... Love EMD power Switcher's

[@lappdawg27videos]

Love the switcher lashups!

[@pravoslavn]

You just don't ever quit, do ya, Mister FMNut...? Nice one, brings back memories.

[@fmnut]

As long as there's silent film in search of a soundtrack, I'll be there....

[@johnmoore8016]

thanks for a very good video.

[@AndreiTupolev]

Amazing five set of switchers! No, six! 😀

[@danasoroko]

Fascinating look at multiple-unit switching-type locomotive operations. I only saw one cloud of white smoke!

[@1940limited]

Many scene look like what's operated by the blue mountain, Reading & Northern today. This reminds me a a rather sad time when all the Northeastern roads were merged into Conrail. Nothing was ever the same again.

[@EFC429]

2:31 picture so crisp, you can say it's from 2009!

[@fmnut]

Film transfer by Pechulis Media. The gold standard.

[@HOmodeltrainfan]

Thank you for posting. I see the true Jointed rail. the clickety clak enough said......

[@victordubowski1276]

I love these old scenes, when conrail took over, because I'm just old enough to remember the change over to conrail. I only wish someone had scenes of the Bethlehem branch down in philly, because I grew up in fernrock and remember the iron ore and coal trains to port Richmond, going as late as 1978. I have a few still pics. Vik 55.

[@centraljerseyconrailinnsca5676]

That was great....thank you!

[@jasonraine6593]

Very cool!

[@ThePeejRR]

Cool!

[@austinyingst5902]

Thumbs up. Locations would have been nice. Thanks.

[@emeraldsoundproductions]

Great video, just wish there was a list of the locations where it was filmed. The only one I recognize is the one near the beginning of the crossing in Ashland and Port Clinton of what is now the RBMN yard near the end of the video.

[@trainwatcher411]

The good o days..

[@onesandzeros]

Great footage. Is any of this what is now the Bartram trail, or is this all what continues to be active with RBMN?

[@fmnut]

All of the scenes are now RBMN.

[@HOmodeltrainfan]

7:21 crazy

[@mikemacheese7174]

Great video. Do you have any video of conrail in Frackville?

[@fmnut]

Conrail never ran into Frackville. The Frackville grade was washed out by Agnes in 1972 and never put back. The line coming up from Bear Run Jct was removed after that.

[@mikemacheese7174]

fmnut True the Frackville grade was washed out but they continued to service a few customers in Frackville out of St .Nick until 1981. Probably only about once a week.

[@fmnut]

@@mikemacheese7174 I didn't know that. Well, I haven't come across any film of it but if I do I'll post it.

[@mikemacheese7174]

fmnut Cool. I believe Robbins Door and Sash and Zapata received cars until ‘81. Service to Ringtown was discontinued around around this time as well.

[@fmnut]

@@mikemacheese7174 the Ringtown service was subsidized as a Light Density Line since the Catawissa was not in the USRA Final System Plan. The Frackville service must have been in the same category. The Pottsville-Reading passenger service and the L&T to Suedburg also came off in 1981 as the Federal subsidy ran out.

[@chrish3329]

why are there so many mp15s

[@fmnut]

The Reading purchased 10 MP 15's in 1974. They were primarily assigned to the coal region and the Reading areas. They replaced GP 7's in the same services (which had themselves replaced Alco RS-3's only a few years previously). Conrail continued the same assignments for these engines as they were a good fit for the relatively low speeds and shaky mine trackage. They could operate singly or in pairs to cover daytime way freight and switching jobs, then be lashed together in the evening for the heavy night trains to Reading out of St Nicholas and West Cressona. They remained in this area until their leases expired in 1989, when they were replaced with SW1500's and GP10's.

[@PC10.8]

Awesome video! I don’t know if you know this but because you set your content for kids, your new videos won’t have comments on them and subscribers won’t get notifications for them. Since your videos aren’t targeted towards children (or at least it doesn’t appear that way) you should say your content is not made for kids. That way people will see more of your videos and the will be able to give feedback.

[@fmnut]

Thanks. Didn't know that, I was wondering why people were telling me that comments were being blocked........

[@PC10.8]

Also, if you set your channel as made for kids, you’ll lose up to 90% of your ad revenue (if you monetize your videos)

[@fmnut]

@@PC10.8 I don't monetize, but I like getting the comments and answering questions. Problem solved, and thanks for the heads up.

[@hoscalereadingrailroadhobb6314]

Have you captured video of MP15DC 2773 in the Anthercite Coal Region?

[@fmnut]

No.

[@hoscalereadingrailroadhobb6314]

@fmnut Also what type of horn was on the MP15's?

[@fmnut]

@@hoscalereadingrailroadhobb6314 Leslie single bell, not sure which number. The common switcher horn.

[@DolenzFan5]

Where is the crossing at 0:50 located? If it's still there

[@fmnut]

South Hoffman Blvd Ashland. Still looks much the same today, just more trees.

[@christophercarey3232]

Is this super 8 sound?

[@fmnut]

No the first few scenes are VHS video the rest is just Super 8 silent. I added the sound.

[@تيي-و9د]

🌐🌐🌐🌐

[@bendover9411]

Go blue go!