We're acquiring the 67257!

http://thecrhs.org/news/The-CRHS-Is-Acq ... a-CR-67257



She needs some work, but is FAR from a basket case. We're very excited to be adding our first piece of revenue equipment to our collection. We already have a caboose, but now we can show off how Conrail MADE its money, instead of just how it spent it.

Does the CRHS have any plans to acquire a locomotive? Surely there are some candidates... but it's awesome to see a gon preserved.

Mike, we definitely would like to, but we're waiting for the the right opportunity. Cars are a lot simpler, since if we got a locomotive in operating condition, we'd want to keep it that way.

Also, we want to make sure it's something that makes sense, instead of the first thing to come down the pike.

Looks like this gondola was used in maintenance of way duties...

It definitely was an MOW gon. They painted the ends of some MOW gons yellow, like this. It did serve in regular service before that.

With some of the other things we have in the pipeline, we may have a pretty solid MOW display going some day, so the question becomes: Do we paint the car as it served in MOW service, to compliment the other pieces, or do it up in it's regular service markings, as something different?

What would you consider to be a locomotive that "makes sense" to acquire?

Other than being acquired by the Conrail Historical Society, is there a reason why you will preserve it as CR, instead of Pennsylvania RR? Is there some major alteration made by Conrail that will prevent it being "backdated" to PRR or Penn Central?

Good acquisition. I wish you a lot of luck, and don't want to start a feud on which railroad owner was better or worse. I'm sure your group had discussions on how and why to save and restore this piece. Just thought I'd ask.

I'm not the CRHS, but let me suggest:
Something "iconic" to and symbolic of Conrail that is 1) available and 2) lacking in representation elsewhere, with preference to something actually ordered BY Conrail.

Examples of this may include (but NOT necessarily restricted to) the GP40-2, SD40-2, a few GE Dash Seven models, and maybe some of the last locos ordered by Conrail (GE B40-8W's?). Even the oddball GP15-1's they ordered would apply--and I think those were just retired by NS....

If it were a popularity contest, it would probably have to be the iconic blue SD40-2, preferably from Horse Shoe Curve pusher service.......



Let's see..........

PRR freight cars represented in preservation: probably over two dozen that I can think of right now.

PC freight cars represented in preservation: at least one that I know of.

CR freight cars in preservation: I believe it's zero........

Besides, they own it--they can paint it any danged way they want to. And I think the name of the society points to a preference.......

Above all of this, thanks and kudos are also due to the North Shore RR in Pa., the last owner of the car in question......

If there is a CR locomotive left worth serious preservation, it is one of the standard cab SD70's that were kit-built at Juniata. These were the last Altoona built locomotives to be assembled at the storied shop while the shop was owned by a Pennsylvania-based railroad.

I think #2580 was the last one delivered.

It would make a great interpretive display at the RRMusofPA along side all the other Juniata products.

Rob

I agree that it makes sense that a Conrail Historical Society should repaint the gon as a Conrail car. And likewise, their ex-Erie caboose in Conrail colors and lettering. I would however, wish that they would at least show the previous history of the cars on their website. The gon as ex-PRR xxxxxx and PC xxxxxx. And the same with the ex-Erie, ex-EL caboose.

Les

Don't forget the SD45-2s.... some of which that CSX got were recently retired, I believe. Those and the 40s were iconic, in my mind, due to their part of being the major core of pusher service.

My preference (if that were to matter!) would be for one of the ex B&A dash 7 GEs and one to pencil in for the future is the Conrail only SD80MAC.

Conrail 359020 C1-RPL Mechanical Reefer is technically preserved at the Danbury Railway Museum. It was part of a pilot program for GPS tracking of freight cars.
It is somewhat an orphan car from, I believe, a now defunct CR organization.

It's stored, but we don't consider it "preserved", as it's really just rotting/rusting out under the ownership of an organization that went defunct long ago. It's really a sad story, but one for another time.

As far as appropriate locomotives, yes, you're all thinking very similarly to the way we are, but there's also the whole "context" of how it would come to us, be it donation, purchase, etc... Then there's also our desire not to make a move unless we're sure we can take proper care of it, and if it came to us in running condition, that means paying for the care and feeding, which is a LOT more affordable for a car than a locomotive.

And there's no way we'd paint it as a Pennsy car, or a PC one. I (personally) don't understand why preservationists always want to try to ignore something's later history and always try to make it look as old as possible. That's why we applaud the RR Museum of PA for going with presenting their GP30 as a CR unit. CR owned it much longer than PRR did. I think this mentality could be a contributing factor to the perceived decline of Railroad preservation in general. If you want to connect with younger folks (like we do), you've got to present things to them that are relevant.

How many steam fans saw operating locomotives and thought "wow, I remember those when I was a kid, now they're gone", and got into the game? If you survey many (if not most) railfans today, they probably cut their teeth shooting blue SDs shoving trains over Horseshoe, or C40-8Ws on TOFC trains, etc...

I think many of our members treat an 80mac as "the holy grail", so it's definitely on our list of pieces to watch for.

If anyone does know of CR items that would make good future candidates to add to our collection, by all means let us know, we're always looking for tip offs for stuff to check into.

To my way of thinking, if a piece of rolling stock saw ownership of PRR, PC and Conrail, it would depend on which stage of it's life it should be restored to. If the organization were a PRR organization, then it should be restored to that livery. The same holds true if it were a PC or CR group. But isn't it nice to have a well preserved piece to restore?

Later!
Mr. Ed