Nostalgia & History > Return To Lessor

Conrail inherited 10 EMD MP15DC's from the Reading that were built in 1974 and leased from EMD for 15 years. 
When the lease was up on 12/31/1989, Conrail turned them back to EMD.

The 9625 is on "home turf" as it poses in front of the ex-Reading Lines shops. 
Reading, Pennsylvania.
March, 1988.

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MP15DC 9628 rests in between assignments.
I thought these were good looking switchers with a modern look.

Enola, Pennsylvania.
May, 1988. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/23/19 19:49 by overniteman.

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On Saturdays Conrail ran a job called the "Enola Lights." It would start up in the coal regions and head down towards Reading,PA. gathering up the local switch engines as it went along. It would also make a pick up at Reading as well as Lebanon,PA. on it's way out to Enola on the Harrisburg Line. By the time it left Lebanon it usually consisted of 12-15 units. These units were sent to Enola for servicing and inspections and the same crew that took them out would usually take rest and bring them back dropping them off where they belonged so the local crews had their engines for Monday morning. This Saturday was different for me though. I had been told to get my last shots of the ex-RDG MP15DCs, because due to someone's infinite wisdom, these perfectly good well suited units were being returned at the end of the year when their lease was up. These 10 units had called Reading and the coal regions home for 15 years. Even after Conrail they seemed to stay assigned to this area. The crews were not real happy about losing these units either. They figured that whatever units came to replace them would not measure up. On 12/23/89 I shot the Enola Lights leaving Reading with 9 units. There were 6 out of the 10 MP15s in this move. The difference this time was that they would not be on the return trip. Good Bye Old Friends ! I have tried to keep tabs on them and as far as I know they are all still plying the rails. GATX,LLPX, assorted short lines including one on the Old Augusta Railroad. It's with some irony and justice that the RBMN purchased some MP15s and painted them in the same scheme as the RDG units. They are working the same rails as their predecessors.  Thanks to "overniteman" for his original post and jogging my memory.

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