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1977 Profile of Conrail

Here will be found information about general operations of Conrail, such as locomotive rosters as the railroad developed its diesel fleet from a collection of rolling junkheaps that barely ran if at all to a modern reliable fleet capable of rendering the shipper the quality of service he deserved after living through the nightmare of the railroad bankruptcies. We start with the beginning roster in effect in 1976. Information on the major terminals, territories covered by the regional structure in effect at the time of Conrail's start up, etc.

Table 1. 1976 Diesel Roster.
 
EMD     F7A         1500 hp            1639-1894               100 units
Alco     RS32        2000 hp            2021-2044                24 units
Alco     C430         3000 hp           2050-2059                10 units
Alco     C420         2000 hp           2072-2077                 6 units
EMD    GP20        2000 hp            2100-2112                13 units
EMD    GP30        2250 hp            2168-2249                61 units
EMD    GP35        2500 hp            2250-2399              150 units
Alco     RS27        2400 hp            2400-2414                15 units
Alco     C425        2500 hp            2415-2459                45 units
Alco     C424        2400 hp            2474-2499                26 units
GE       U25B       2500 hp            2500-2685               181 units
GE       U23B       2250 hp            2700-2776                 77 units
GE       U28B       2800 hp            2822-2823                   2 units
GE       U30B       3000 hp            2830-2889                 60 units
GE       U33B       3300 hp            2890-2970                 80 units
EMD    GP40       3000 hp            3000-3274               275 units
EMD    GP40-2    3000 hp            3275-3279                   5 units
EMD    GP35       2500 hp            3620-3692                 73 units
EMD    GP9B      1750 hp            3800-3839                 40 units
EMD    F7B         1500 hp            3850-3874                 25 units
EMD    E8A        2250 hp            4014,4022                    2 units, ex Erie
EMD    E8A        2250 hp            4039-4063                  24 units, ex NYC
EMD    E7A        2000 hp            4224-4244                    3 units, ex PRR
EMD    E8A        2250 hp            4246-4328                                ex PRR
EMD    FP7A      1500 hp            4332-4370                  18 units, ex PRR
EMD    FP7A      1500 hp            4371-4373                    3 units, ex RDG    
Alco    RS-2        1500 hp            5200-5217                  18 units,ex LV,EL
Alco    RS3         1600 hp            5229-5273                  45 units,ex EL
Alco    RS3         1600 hp            5293-5365                  72 units, ex PC
Alco    RS3         1600 hp            5370-5399                  40 units,ex CNJ
Alco    RS3         1600 hp            5402-5485                  83 units,ex PC
Alco   RS3          1600 hp           5486-5491                     6 units, ex LV
Alco   RS3          1600 hp           5500=5520                  21 units, ex PC
Alco   RS3          1600 hp          5537-5554                    18 units,ex EL
EMD  GP7          1500 hp          5600-5795                  196 units, ex CNJ,PC
EMD  GP7          1500 hp         5798-5999                      97 units
EMD  SD35        2500 hp          6000-6039                     40 units, ex PC
EMD  SD35        2500 hp          6040-6051                     12 units, ex CNJ
EMD  SD45        3600 hp          6066-6099                     34 units, ex EL
EMD  SD45        3600 hp          6100-6239                   140 units, ex RDG,PC
EMD  SD40        3000 hp          6240-6357                   117 units, ex PC,CNJ
GE     U25C       2500 hp          6500-6519                     20 units, ex PRR
GE     U28C       2800 hp          6520-6534                     15 units, ex PRR
GE    U30C        3000 hp          6535-6539                       5 units, ex PRR
GE    U33C        3300 hp          6540-6578                     38 units,ex PC,EL
GE    U30C        3000 hp          6579-6583                       5 units, ex RDG
GE    U36C        3600 hp          6587-6599                     13 units, ex EL
EMD  SD45-2     3600 hp          6654-6666                     13 units, ex EL
EMD  SDP45     3600 hp          6667-6699                     33 units, ex EL
GE    U23C        2250 hp         6700-6718                      19 units, ex PC
Alco  C628         2750 hp        6721-6752                       32 units, ex LV,PC
Alco  C630        3000 hp         6753-6754                         2 units, ex RDG
Alco  C630        3000 hp         6765-6779                       15 units, ex PC
Alco  C636        3600 hp        6780-6794                        15 units, ex PC
Alco  RSD4       1600 hp        6800-6804                          5 units, ex PC
Alco RSD15      2400 hp        6812-6816                          5 units, ex PC
Alco RSD12      1800 hp        6855-6879                        25 units, ex PC
EMD  SD9        1750 hp        6900-6924                         25 units, ex PC
EMD  SD38      2000 hp        6925-6959                         35 units, ex PC
EMD  SD7       1500 hp        6998 and 6999                     2 units, ex PC
EMD  GP9       1750 hp        7000-7559                        559 units,ex PC,EL,
Alco  RS11      1800 hp        7587-7654                          67 units
EMD GP38      2000 hp       7656-7939                         283 units
EMD GP38-2   2000 hp       7640-8162                         523 units    
SWITCHER FLEET
EMD  SW1       600 hp       8400-8599                          200 units
EMD  SW8       800 hp       8600-8627                            28 units
EMD SW900    900 hp       8628-8657                            30 units
EMD  SW8      800 hp       8664-8700                            36 units
EMD  SW900  900 hp       8701-8721                             21 units
EMD  SW7    1200 hp       8836-8930                             94 units
EMD  SW9    1200 hp       8931-9001                             71 units
EMD  SW9m 1200 hp       9008-9026                             18 units
EMD SW7/9  1200 hp       9035-9096,9098                     62 units
EMD  SW7    1200 hp       9113-9140,9150                    29 units
EMd  NW2     1000 hp       9200-9296                           97 units
EMD  SW1200 1200          9300-9382                          83 units
EMD  SW1001 1000 hp     9400-9424                           25 units
EMD SW1500  1500 hp     9500-9620                         121 units
EMD MP15      1500 hp     9621-9630                           10 units
Alco   S2/4       1000 hp    9635-9641,9698-9701            10 units
Alco  S2/4       1000 hp     9705,9729,9731-9777            48 units
Alco  S2/4       1000 hp     9780-9788,9799                    10 units
Alco  S2/4       1000 hp    9804-9814,9817,9824,9828     14 units
Alco  S2/4       1000 hp    9830,9839-9842                       5 units
Alco  T6           1000 hp   9844-9849                               6 units
Alco  S2          1000 hp   9850-9855                                6 units
Alco  RS1        1000 hp  9908-9938                               31 units
Alco  RS3M     1200 hp  9950-9988,9998                       40 units
Of the switcher fleet, the Alco units were among the first to leave the roster, some models doing so en masse. Next, the older EMD switchers were sold off and a decision was made to purge the roster of all 567 engined road and switcher power. During the first years that Ed Jordan and Richard Spence were in charge of Conrail, the replacement of the motive power fleet began. The F7A cab units were replaced by 100 EMD GP15-1s, of the same 1500 hp as the F7s had, but using the 12-645E engine used on the SW1500 and MP 15 switchers. In addition Conrail went for SD40-2s riding on Flexicoil trucks rather than the HTC trucks, suspected in a number of Amtrak derailments of SDP40Fs using this type of truck. More GP38-2s and a battalion of GP40-2s accompanied these onto the roster from EMD. Conrail got the final GE U23Bs to be built which closed out the U- line of General Electric road diesel locomotives. Major engine terminals for the railroad's diesel fleet were located at Boston (Beacon Park), Selkirk, Conway,Harrisburg, Enola, Collinwood.  Major locomotive shops were located at Collinwood, Conway, and Altoona (Juniata). Shops for the freight car fleet were located at Hollidaysburg, and Meadville, PA.

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