Conrail Modelers

[3rdrail]

Lee, yes, the federal government did come out whole on its investment in Conrail, but it did miss the opportunity to make billions in profit. Of course, it would be too much to expect that any would go back to the taxpayers...would've just gone for more "pork".

[John]

What does blue have to do with Conrail?
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=139844&nseq=27
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=52806&nseq=56
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=16750&nseq=69

If I was a Conrail modeler, I would model these times.

you can .. just buy one of every atlas 1st gen east coast diesel they make

[DKS]

...but all those great B-B locomotives simple don't like right to me in blue paint.

So, I guess you don't care for B&M either...?

http://www.thebluecomet.com/bm313rigby.jpg
http://www.thebluecomet.com/bm211ayersjct.jpg
http://www.thebluecomet.com/bm304pinepointME.jpg
http://www.thebluecomet.com/bm1565NoStationEF.jpg

[GonzoCRFan]

I keep revisiting the the 'early days' of CR and thinking that's what appeals to me most, it just doesn't feel cohesive is all.

But that's the thing, it wasn't cohesive at first. They were given a collection of insolvent roads with horrendous track and dicey motive power and were expected by most people to fail. I believe it was the CEO of the Southern in 1976 who said something to the effect of "we can expect that for the next quarter century, Conrail will be a ward of the U.S. Treasury".

I may be mistaken, Gregg, but I recall reading that all of the government loans that were granted to Conrail were repaid with interest

Speaking of the U.S. Treasury, that is indeed true. Before CR could go private, they had to cut the government a check. For a cool $200 million. There is actually a photo of it in the Fall issue of the CRHS' Conrail Quarterly, it currently resides in the Conrail offices in Mount Laurel, NJ.

SD80Macs lugging coal out of South Fork etc...

Actually, this is more of a NS fad. Under Conrail, the MACs were more commonly found hauling heavy mixed freights on the Pittsburgh and Boston Lines. I've seen lists somewhere of the trains that had 80MACs as assigned power. 

[Wlal13again]

What does blue have to do with Conrail?
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=139844&nseq=27
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=52806&nseq=56
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=16750&nseq=69

That would be the rag tag outfit I spoke of.....

[Black Diamond]

As for your dilemma, BD, I think I know what you're driving at.  Because it was such an amalgam of disparate facilities, roads, routes and traffic, it's hard to pin down the one thing that "defines" Conrail.  Blue paint, indeed, isn't enough.

Exactly...I like your idea about an exciting "slice" of CR.

So, I guess you don't care for B&M either...?

No, but they started out as blue right?

What does blue have to do with Conrail?

Nice pics, but that's what I have now. Those EL units were so pretty.


Interesting points folks, thanks for the feedback.

[Black Diamond]

And if you need photo inspiration, check out http://thecrhs.org/?q=ScenicAndActionGallery.

We've got a good number of really great photos in there of all sorts of stuff.

Hey Ed what's the star under unit 6438's number for?


Responded to your note Tim.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

The star is to designate that the locomotive was part of a comparative maintenance testing project. CR was keeping track of all maintenance expenses relating to a group of SD40-2s and C30-7as for use in evaluating what to buy more of (I think).

We should really put that on the CRHS site somewhere...

[up1950s]

Here is my opinion on CR and its blue scheme . Many models of other roads look ok right off the hobby shop shelf  , but THAT CR isn't one of them . Having said that , you put realistic weathering on the Rail Smurf and they look as cool as any other . 

EDIT , Those white and red SOO schemes is another that requires weathering more than other roads .

[James Costello]

Here is my opinion on CR and its blue scheme . Many models of other roads look ok right off the hobby shop shelf  , but THAT CR isn't one of them . Having said that , you put realistic weathering on the Rail Smurf and they look as cool as any other . 

I always thought the Quality logo was pretty neat too... I'll always have a soft spot for the C40-8W's in that scheme, especially as they showed up out west a bit. I'll pick up an Atlas unit for the run throughs for this effect.

[choochin3]

I got my first cabride in a Conrail GP40 20 some years ago.
I'll never forget it.
Those were the daze!

Carl T.

[pfs]

What does blue have to do with Conrail?
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=139844&nseq=27
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=52806&nseq=56
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=16750&nseq=69

If I was a Conrail modeler, I would model these times.

Exactly! Those black outs/patch jobs have mountains of character.

[ai5629]

Here is why I model Conrail, with a splash of its predecessor roads.  N scale as a whole, does not offer a lot of variety in regards to freight cars.  If you model PC, you have a handful of cars that are available in N scale that are PC prototypes.  The same goes for EL, RDG, PRR, NYC, and LV.  However, if you model Conrail, you can model cars that Conrail repainted from each of these major fleet contributors.  This means more prototypes to choose from for your Conrail fleet.  Conversely, Conrail made it difficult to model these cars by constantly changing its freight car appearance over the years.  For example, I wanted to have twelve X73's (Atlas 50' FGE cars) boxcars in my Conrail fleet.  I model 1984.  I only have seven photos of cars that were repainted prior to 1984.  And each of those is painted differently.  That meant seven unique lettering arrangements I had to decal.  I have added Atlas' two yellow (ex EL) cars, and it's one oxide car with a repaint date of 6-79, but that is still only 10 cars.  I added some PC cars to get me to twelve, but other than Atlas' first release, I don't know if they were actually still running around in PC garb in 1984.  The only cars Conrail showed any consistancy painting were it's hoppers and gon's.  Its diesels were pretty much standard, so that part is straight forward.  Also, I agree with others in that Conrail is what I grew up watching, so that is what I know.  I had the opportunity to ride in a few Conrail diesels, and that only furthered my infatuation with it.  My dad grew up with the Pennsy, so that is what he likes.  If I were to model any other time period, it would be Conrail in the summer of 1976.  PC, EL, RDG, and LV diesels with lots of their freight cars.  Even though I never witnessed it, it sounds tempting.

Jeff

[Black Diamond]

You know, I just thought of something only after reading it here a few times, it seems that firsthand interaction (cab rides, railfanning) has a lot to do with modeling appeal. I've never seen LV anything in operation so I'm stuck with some grainy old VHS recordings and a boatload of books. Whereas I can watch NS, CSX and any other run through road in operation just down the street. The mystique is there and that's what I don't have with my old NE railroads.

Now, who do I have to pay at NS or CSX to put some 2nd generation diesels in operation on my local branch line?

I feel like I'm making progress on my 'modeling midlife' crisis. 

[jmlaboda - RIP]

"...but all those great B-B locomotives simple don't like right to me in blue paint."

Hate to say it but there were far more B-B units than C-C on the Conrail roster.  While some lines saw heavy use of C-C units even the B-B units showed up on those lines.  The only time I got to visit Horseshoe Curve had boo-koos of B-B units, including a funeral train full of Baldwins.

"So, I guess you don't care for B&M either...?"

Had me worried there for a minute until I took a look at the links... your talking about the REAL B&M, not that Guilford counterfit.  The blue B&M is what will always be the REAL one to me, especially so with bunches of GP7s/GP9s/GP18s running around!!!