Modern Conrail

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ThomasACu
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Modern Conrail

Unread post by ThomasACu »

We all know that Conrail, one of the most successful railroads in history, and the railroad that saved railroading in the east, was split between Norfolk Southern and CSX in 1999. It was the end of an era. But...what if the split never happened? What if NS and CSX left Conrail alone?

In my scenario, Conrail operations remain generally the same, with a few minor changes. The railroad has implemented PTC across much of its system, but there many areas still without it. Old signals, some dating back to the PRR and NYC days, are still common on the Chicago Line, Pittsburgh Line, and others. However, the old signals are fast approaching their final days.

As far as locomotives go, there are many changes. Obvious locomotives like the Dash 7s are gone, and new GE Evolution Series and EMD SD70 Series locomotives have joined the big blue roster, along with several other locomotives.

Conrail Locomotive Roster - November 16, 2022
1600-1699 (GP15-1) - 99 units, 1603 wrecked and retired in 2004
3275-3403 (GP40-2) - 124 units
4100-4149 (SD80MAC) - 60 units
5500-5574 (SD60M) - 75 units
5575-5654 (SD60I) - 80 units
5655-5699 (SD70M) - 45 units
5700-5799 (AC4400CW) - 100 units
5800-5899 (ES44DC) - 100 units
5900-5999 (ES44AC) - 100 units
6000-6049 (ET44AC) - 50 units
6050-6199 (ET44AC) - 150 units to be delivered starting Dec 2022
6050-6285 (C40-8W) - 236 units
6286-6357 (C44-9W) - 72 units
6358-6564 (SD40-2) - 205 units, 6960-6999 renumbered to 6525-6564 after retirement of C30-7A fleet in 2001-02
6654-6666 (SD45-2) - 11 units, all stored at Enola and up for sale
6700-6834 (SD50-2) - 135 units, upgraded to Dash 2 standards by CSX
6840-6867 (SD60) - 28 units
7000-7049 (SD70M-2) - 50 units
7050-7299 (SD70ACe) - 250 units
8040-8281 (GP38-2) - 235 units
9400-9424 (SW1001) - 20 units, 9403 sold to LTEX in 2009
Last edited by ThomasACu on Wed Nov 16, 2022 6:16 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Railfan from Kosciusko County. Canon EOS Rebel T100 is my go-to for train photos

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AARR
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Re: Modern Conrail

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Looking forward to seeing what you do with the Detroit area :)
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

ThomasACu
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Re: Modern Conrail

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Detroit Area Freights:
Observed at CP-West Detroit

CN M38461-06 - 5:38 AM
CN 2178 (C40-8W)
CN 2294 (ES44DC)
- 107 cars

CR STIN-6 - 7:17 AM
CR 5906 (ES44AC)
CR 7001 (SD70M-2)
CR 5594 (SD60I)
- 96 cars

CR TOST-A-6 - 10:11 AM
CR 6290 (C44-9W)
- Only 13 cars today

CN M38531-06 - 10:50 AM
BCOL 4645 (C44-9W)
CN 2537 (C44-9W)
- 87 cars

CR STBN-6B - 1:30 PM
CR 7183 (SD70ACe)
BNSF 4161 (C44-9W)
- 59 cars
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ThomasACu
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Re: Modern Conrail

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Some TV trains out of Chicago this evening

TV-2H has CR SD50-2 6800 leading
TV-24 has CR SD70ACe 7170 leading
TV-200 has UP SD70M 4288 leading
TV-604 has BNSF ES44C4 4256 leading
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ThomasACu
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Re: Modern Conrail

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Been a while since an update lol.

Some Michigan area updates for today:
TV-25D arrived at Detroit at 18:11 with CR C40-8W 6119 leading UP SD70AH 9021.
ML-433 to arrive at Sterling at 20:45 with CR SD70ACe 7210 leading solo.
STEL to depart Sterling at 20:15 with BNSF C44-9W 1037 leading CREX ES44AC 1304.
ML-441 to depart Detroit at 22:30 with CR ET44AC 6019 leading CR C44-9W 6344.

And, the best one:

STBN to depart Sterling at 23:00 with the probable leader being BNSF SD70MAC 9401.
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ThomasACu
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Re: Modern Conrail

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- ELST annulled today for unknown reasons.
- STEL to depart Sterling at 20:00 tonight with CR SD70M 5657 leading CR ET44AC 6002.
- ML-433 scheduled into Sterling at 19:05 tonight with CR SD50-2 6738 leading BNSF ES44C4 7107.
- GLM-01 (steel for Portage, IN) due out of Detroit at 18:00 tonight with CR ES44AC 5973 and CR C40-8W 6233.
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AARR
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Re: Modern Conrail

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When I drove by Sterling Yard this morning everything was parked and nothing was moving :D
ThomasACu wrote:- ELST annulled today for unknown reasons.
- STEL to depart Sterling at 20:00 tonight with CR SD70M 5657 leading CR ET44AC 6002.
- ML-433 scheduled into Sterling at 19:05 tonight with CR SD50-2 6738 leading BNSF ES44C4 7107.
- GLM-01 (steel for Portage, IN) due out of Detroit at 18:00 tonight with CR ES44AC 5973 and CR C40-8W 6233.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

ThomasACu
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Re: Modern Conrail

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- STEL to depart Sterling at 19:50 tonight with CR AC4400CW 5719 leading solo. Only 34 cars, 3/4 of them are empties.
- UDM-3C (Coal for Monroe from BNSF) arrived at the Monroe plant at 13:30 with BNSF SD70ACe 9238 and CREX ES44AC 1322 and 105 loads. Will go back as an XDM-3C tomorrow morning, unknown when specifically.

Plus, some news:

- Conrail will be having 25 GE AC4400CWs rebuilt as AC4400CWMs for 2020. It is unknown as to what units or when the units will be shipped to GE. Likely timeframe is between late-October to early-January.
Railfan from Kosciusko County. Canon EOS Rebel T100 is my go-to for train photos

ThomasACu
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Re: Modern Conrail

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STORAGE UPDATE: Due to declining traffic levels, Conrail has placed many engines in storage. These engines include 40 C40-8Ws, 10 SD40-2s, 35 SD50-2s, 20 SD60s, and 15 SD70M-2s. The majority of these engines are being stored in Altoona, but some have been stored in Detroit for some reason.

AC4400CWM PROGRAM: Conrail has sent all 25 AC4400CW core units to GE/Wabtec in Fort Worth, Texas. These units will likely be delivered back to Conrail by the start of spring.
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ThomasACu
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Re: Modern Conrail

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Modern Conrail is back. I am going to focus on my modern take on my favorite railroad in history from now on. The locomotive roster has changed a bit. Here is a detailed roster as of May 7, 2021:

1600-1699 (GP15-1) - 99 units, 1603 wrecked and retired in 2004, 1675-1699 converted to remote control yard units
3275-3403 (GP40-2) - 124 units, 2 in storage (3284 and 3387)
4100-4149 (SD80MAC) - 60 units
5500-5574 (SD60M) - 75 units, 10 in storage
5575-5654 (SD60I) - 80 units, 6 in storage
5655-5699 (SD70M) - 45 units
5700-5799 (AC4400CW) - 100 units
5800-5899 (ES44DC) - 100 units
5900-5999 (ES44AC) - 100 units
6000-6049 (ET44AC) - 50 units
6050-6285 (C40-8W) - 235 units, 18 in storage, 6284 wrecked in November 2020 in Alberta on the CN
6286-6357 (C44-9W) - 72 units, 1 in storage (6322) following a large engine fire (GE being a GE, in other words)
6358-6564 (SD40-2) - 205 units, 6960-6999 renumbered to 6525-6564 in 2001-02
6654-6666 (SD45-2) - 11 units, all in storage
6700-6834 (SD50-2) - 135 units, upgraded to Dash 2 standards by CSX, 34 in storage
6840-6867 (SD60) - 28 units, 10 in storage
7000-7049 (SD70M-2) - 50 units
7050-7299 (SD70ACe) - 250 units
7300-7399 (SD70ACe-T4) - 100 units, on order for summer 2021
8040-8281 (GP38-2) - 235 units
9400-9424 (SW1001) - 20 units, 9403 sold to LTEX in 2009
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ThomasACu
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Re: Modern Conrail

Unread post by ThomasACu »

And now...the news

TIER 4 EMD ORDER:

Conrail placed an order in April for 100 new Progress Rail SD70ACe-T4 locomotives after a succesful period of testing last winter. The tests were conducted with EMDX demonstrator units 1609 and 1610 on various TV trains in between Chicago and New Jersey. The units performed well and prompted the railroad to place the order.

FOREIGN POWER:

Foreign power is not as uncommon as you might expect. You just need to know where to look. The Chicago Line between Chicago and Elkhart has quite a lot of the stuff. The BNEL from Cicero, IL, and SFEL from Streator, IL, regularly have BNSF power, PREL from Proviso, IL, often has UP power, and Canadian Pacific trackage rights trains running in between Bensenville and Detroit seem to always guarantee big reds from the north. However, foreign power has been appearing in odd places recently. The FRSE-5 (Framingham, MA, to Selkirk, NY) had a pair of BNSF GEs leading on Wednesday, the 8039 (ES44C4) and the 4081 (C44-9W). The SEEL-6 (Selkirk to Elkhart, IN) ran with Canadian National SD75I 5719 trailing second behind an SD80MAC just yesterday. And finally, a pair of Kansas City Southern engines provided the power for TVLA-7 (hot intermodal for the BNSF in Chicago from the North Bergen terminal in New Jersey) yesterday in the eastern half of the system. Crazy week indeed for foreign power.

NEW ETHANOL TRAINS:

A new pair of ethanol trains running in between the CP interchange in Bensenville to a new ethanol facility in Long Island have been instated. These trains will run with ULI (loads) and XLI (empties) IDs and, per the Conrail computers, will keep its CP power on the point until it reaches Cleveland, Ohio, where a cab signal-equipped Conrail engine will be placed in the lead position.
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ThomasACu
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Re: Modern Conrail

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ELST-9 in Monroe, MI, as of 4:38 PM Eastern Time with CR SD50-2 6788 leading solo with just 28 cars.

SFEL-9 set to depart from Streator, IL, at 5 PM Eastern Time with the BNSF ES44AC 5828 (25th Anniversary) leading BNSF ES44C4 8027 and CR SD60I 5589. The SD60I died on BNSF H-TULGAL1-05 (manifest running from Tulsa, OK, to Galesburg, IL) this past Thursday and will be heading to the Juniata Shops for repairs.
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ThomasACu
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Re: Modern Conrail

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CNSE-14 has quite a leader today: BCOL C44-9WL 4644. It is paired with CN ES44DC 2308 for the trip to Selkirk, NY from the Canadian border this evening. Arrival at Massena, NY, is scheduled for 10:15 PM ET.

STEL-14 is planned for departure from Sterling, MI, at 8:00 PM ET tonight with SD80MAC 4122 leading solo.
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ThomasACu
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Re: Modern Conrail

Unread post by ThomasACu »

Conrail is beginning to reactivate SD45-2s, but only for work train service. Four SD45-2s have been reactivated at Enola Yard and will be put back into service on rail trains in Pennsylvania. These units are 6660, 6661, 6663, and 6665.
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ThomasACu
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Re: Modern Conrail

Unread post by ThomasACu »

I’m baaack, and it’s time to revive this thread.

Let’s start with some news:

- Conrail placed a big 150-unit order for ET44AC locomotives this past summer. These will be delivered starting December 2022.
- Several groups of locomotives were being stored due to a decline in traffic. Many of these are now being placed back into service to deal with peak season. This includes 50 of 64 stored C40-8Ws, 15 of the 28 stored SD60s (which is the entire fleet), 23 of the 47 stored SD60Ms, and 12 of the 22 SD60Is.
- Rumors are circulating that a good chunk of the older motive power could be retired and sold off once the new ET44s start arriving. However, with new deals being struck with several companies, including the securing of the intermodal contract with Hub Group from NS, not as many older engines as anticipated could leave.
- All of the SD45-2s are currently up for sale as of November 16, 2022. All of the units are presently stored at Enola Yard and await their fate.
- In anticipation of a powerful lake effect snowstorm in the area near Lake Erie in Upstate New York, Conrail is preparing snowplows for the lines in and close to where warnings are in effect.

That is all for now.
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ThomasACu
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Re: Modern Conrail

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Time for an update:

- 100 of the 150 ET44ACs are in service as of January 18th. They can be seen in all kinds of service, but have been seen more frequently in intermodal service for whatever reason.
- Consequently, many Dash 8-40CWs have been stored again, now in larger numbers than before. To make matters worse for the fleet, 50 of them are being put up for sale, most of which were part of the first orders of Dash 8-40CWs back in 1990-1991.
- The SD45-2 fleet has been sold to Progress Rail and K&K Recycling for scrap. These were former Erie Lackawanna engines as we should all know.
- A derailment occurred on December 30th near Lilly, Pennsylvania, involving 11 cars. Thankfully, no deaths or injuries occurred, but all 11 cars were damaged with the severity varying.
Railfan from Kosciusko County. Canon EOS Rebel T100 is my go-to for train photos

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