The Way It Was: Amtrak, NJT & More in Newark, New Jersey - 12/27/1987

About a week ago, my Dad reached out to me and said he had a friend from work, named Paul, who had heard about my KZbin channel and wanted to send me some of his railfanning footage from the 80s. Needless to say, I was stoked, and honored that a veteran train buff wanted their historic footage to be posted on my channel. This video was shot by Paul on December 27th, 1987 at the Amtrak station in Newark, NJ on the NEC. In this hour of total train gold, you will see AEM-7s, NJT F40s and GPs, vintage position light signals, and even a few E60s - stuff we only can dream of seeing now. Enjoy this hour of vintage, never-before-seen Amtrak content from 36 years ago - and a HUGE thank you to Paul for allowing me to post this amazing footage.

[@michaelwakeham3404]

To think the amfleets are still in service 36 years later is wild

[@s.s.99]

Even crazier is how they are still waaaayyy older than this video

[@Seawiz21]

They’re built Budd Tuff.

[@a.b.s_productions]

I don’t think barges goes up the Passiac anymore. That was cool to see. I read that back in the 1950’s a train fell into the river there.

[@Conrailfan2323]

Oh to have a time machine. Mannnn I wish I was around for this era.

[@davidcolantuono3622]

I was eight years old back then, but I wish I could go back to this era again. I want to be young again. I want to enjoy the trains as they were again.

[@Transporter_Not_Statham]

I was 10

[@BirbarianHomeGuard]

These trains feel very patriotic.

[@lennysvideoz]

And are!!

[@USArailfan2000]

The infamous Amtrak E60 @ 1:27 | 15:38 | 19:01 | 31:43 | 33:58 This Loco type was better suited for freight operations, and not for high-speed passenger service!

[@michlo3393]

lol, that may be so, but it could still cook and pulled the shit out of those trains.

[@jonathanaina7754]

@@michlo3393Especially the long distance ones

[@johnalder6028]

Thanx to all of you for this footage ! Meloncholy sets in for me.

[@de-fault_de-fault]

Really amazing footage, takes me back to my earliest memories of Newark Penn Station from a handful of times my mom took me to work with her in Jersey City. Later I would use the station almost every day to get to school, and now I once again use it every day to go to work. Hoboken has cooler views outside but I still say this is actually the best station NJT has and I'm glad they're finally giving it some love and renovating it. btw...57:53 4120 is one of two NJT F40's still in service in late 2023.

[@KaciCooperations]

15:38 The Only E60 #603 That only survived!

[@genesisrailfan1507]

15:51 I like when 603 has a "MOSH IT UP!" wordmark on it. Still wish it had it, it be hysterical

[@USArailfan2000]

Yah mon...Dem hafi mosh-up de six-o-tree!

[@jpprophete1988]

Man I miss the way the comet cars use to look.

[@michlo3393]

Someone correct me if I am wrong here, but this was a year or so after Amtrak and Conrail did away with the dual-seniority and TE&Y members had to choose either to return to their Conrail seniority or stay at Amtrak for good. Those who stayed did pretty well for themselves in the long run.

[@brandonabc2022]

15:25 did septa used to go up there?

[@de-fault_de-fault]

Yes and no...yes, at one point some SEPTA diesel service used to run to Newark (via West Trenton and then joining the RVL at Bound Brook) but it ended in 1981 like all SEPTA diesel service. So no, in this SEPTA train was most likely being used by Amtrak to cover holiday extras...there's some MARC equipment elsewhere in the video doing the same thing, and even now Amtrak will use NJT or MARC equipment the same way sometimes.

[@fritzfam5]

Expirement

[@CanalConcourse1196]

W Paul, I hope one day when an actual Time Machine is built (which is probably not gonna happen) we could go back in time to see how the railroad was in the 80s, for now we will just call this a the Internet Time Machine.

[@unstableatoms3456]

Maybe if we ever do build a Time Machine, and by some chance the railroad has been perfected by then, maybe we could go back and give them a couple tips

[@BusTVChan]

Wow awesome footage

[@Karl_Martin83]

14:44 what is Septa doing in Newark Penn?

[@franksanders9677]

I think at one point the R7 extend to Newark or it could be a equipment move

[@aostlund27]

Is it fine if I can borrow the footage starting at 50:17 of 4120 pulling into Newark Penn? I’m trying to make a comparison video from then and the 40th anniversary train 2 weeks ago.

[@SeptaShorts]

Why is there a septa at Newark?? 15:14

[@fakecumberland]

He have anything at Hoboken Terminal and associated lines?

[@retroguy1976]

septa train in newark??

[@mr.conductorfromsts4204]

Crazy…, and rare

[@paulmichaelis2362]

Amtrak borrowed SEPTA and MARC equipment during holiday seasons.

[@mtr_d406]

Made me question everything I knew

[@RADZADproductions]

I’m confused. The diesel trains that are going towards NYC, where are they going? Back then Secaucus Junction didn’t exist yet, and the waterfront connection didn’t exist until the 90s.

[@de-fault_de-fault]

Same as now, they were going out to the yard in Harrison to lay up/turn around. Inbound RVL trains that terminate at Newark still hardly ever go right back out.

[@elirosen1391]

What were SEPTA mu's doing up there that day?

[@shanekaelin8199]

Ik I was wondering why SEPTA was there

[@fritzfam5]

A holiday extra (leased equipment)

[@pandagamer5950]

It’s not septa, it’s njt’s arrow lll units. They have the aa-2 horns.

[@fritzfam5]

@@pandagamer5950 we aren't talking about the Arrow IIIs, there are some Septa MUs in the video

[@jmream2618]

Does NJ Transit operate the Path Trains

[@mcxter5551]

No, they are run by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

[@TrainSounds]

Train service should’ve stayed this way in addition to the one seat rides into NYC we have today, thanks to many screwups, we don’t have these at all anyone.

[@TheresaLopez-r7t]

Allen Charles Taylor Matthew Wilson Jason

[@NelsonVivien-h2n]

Harris Ronald Taylor Charles Allen Matthew

[@IslamFatama-w5w]

Moore Melissa Garcia Sandra Young Dorothy

[@JosephSelden-j6i]

Hall Jeffrey Brown Jennifer Garcia Robert

[@user-qu7wg5cu4f]

Thompson John Clark Kimberly Clark Gary