Nostalgia & History > Feb 1979 CR shots in Hbg Pa area

Well, Back in 1979 I was not really doing too much other than running around taking RR Shots in my hometown of Harrisburg Pa. In Oct of this year, I joined Uncle Sams Navy for a career stint. Looking back on the last year I had the chance to shoot CR on a daily basis I found all sorts of interesting things to shoot. One particular day on Feb 79 I guess I spent my day between the old Rdg yard at Rutherford and near Reily St in Hbg itself. Recall it being a rather cold, snowy day as there were many that year. Not sure why I recall this day in particular tho. Must have been something that went on, who knows. But here are a few shots from that day. They are B&W shots, that I, at least right now, can't find the negs for, but found the prints and decided to try my luck at working with them. So please excuse perhaps the "non" crispness of them, the originals are pretty good.

Shot 1.. This is at Rutherford on the old Reading. The Rutherford "Y" is the building on the right that one can just see. The vantage point is on the old 63rd St Bridge that went over the yard and old Car Shop here. This is a shot of the EB Hump here, with some of the hump power on the left and 2 units sitting and waiting for their next call. The 6802 has been recently renumbered from its original 6500 series number in order to make way for new CR SD40-2's. My notes say that's CR GP40 3045 behind the 6802 here. Note the old Rdg Repowered Baldwin VO1000, now CR 9302 with the GP30's on the left.

Shot 2. Over on the west end or south end of Rutherford Yard was a small shanty, that for some reason I recall being called "R" Tower. Probably not really "R" Twr, but for whatever reason, I always thought that was what it was called. Trains came in and departed down the Reading twds Hagerstown Md from this end of the yard here. In this shot CR GP30 2176 and GP9B 3802 work as the Hump Power for the shift here. 2176 was RDG 3608 and before that 5508. The GP9B was ex PC/PRR. A SB gets ready to roll out behind this set. Also on Feb 18, 1979

Shot 3. Not sure which hot EB this was, but it had quite a few Hi Cube Boxcars on the head end and a rather sizeable train behind that. Recall this one always coming in from the west with what was usually the "newest" power on CR at the time, SD40-2/C30-7/GP40-2. But that's not saying it didn't run with more vintage power, as I recall seeing and shooting this with all sorts of odd's and ends for head end power. But here, as was common, the train switched from Diesel to Electric and here are 2 ex Pennsy E44's just getting going on its ewd journey. This was before CR really started making use of the old Rdg Main east to the NY/NJ area. CR E44 4447 and a sister head up this one. Check out that siding to the left. Might have been taken out of service but not real sure. But those rail ends look a little square. This was also on Feb 18, 1979. Have one more for this post to share. TFL so far. Ben

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This is the last shot of this venture. Taken on Feb 6 1979, before some more snow fell, I caught CR SD45 6133 headed into the yard from off the WM at Lurgan. My notes say its a loaded Coal of 75 cars. The South end (perhaps west end ) of Rutherford usually provided a nice vantage point to get some shots as trains entered and left the yard here. Thanks again for checking them out. Y'all take care. Ben

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Thank you for sharing. I really like all of them. It is hard to imagine how busy Rutherford must have been as a class yard at one time. I especially like the picture of the E44 units as I am partial to pictures of the old freight electrics. Thank you again.

ns2557 Wrote:

> Shot 3. Not sure which hot EB this was, but it
> had quite a few Hi Cube Boxcars on the head end
> and a rather sizeable train behind that. Recall
> this one always coming in from the west with what
> was usually the "newest" power on CR at the time,
> SD40-2/C30-7/GP40-2. But that's not saying it
> didn't run with more vintage power, as I recall
> seeing and shooting this with all sorts of odd's
> and ends for head end power. But here, as was
> common, the train switched from Diesel to Electric
> and here are 2 ex Pennsy E44's just getting going
> on its ewd journey. This was before CR really
> started making use of the old Rdg Main east to the
> NY/NJ area. CR E44 4447 and a sister head up this
> one. Check out that siding to the left. Might have
> been taken out of service but not real sure. But
> those rail ends look a little square. This was
> also on Feb 18, 1979. Have one more for this post
> to share. TFL so far. Ben

That might be PIML.  PIML and it's counterpart LMPI were two of the last six Conrail trains to run over Amtrak ex PRR east of Harrisburg.  They were finally rerouted over the Reading line to Philadelphia once the Norristown Connection was built.  1988 if my memory serves me correctly.

PIML would have been 75-90% autoparts for the Ford plant at Edison (Metuchen, NJ) and GM at Linden.  Other possibilities would be PIED which was Pittsburgh to Edgemoor, DE serving GM Wilmington and Chrysler at Newark, DE and PIBA with a block for GM Baltimore.  Sadly, every one of those plants is gone.

What a Great time to be out photographing early Conrail! What are the switchers in the background in shot #4, SW1001's?

SP, yeah, SW1001's. Rdg stationed quite a few of these here at Rutherford. They were 2600 series then. Now, on NS, they are 2100 series. Good times indeed. Sure miss them. Ben

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Super post,
Thanks Ben
Gonut