50 years ago, on March 31, 1976, trains of the Penn Central, Erie Lackawanna, Reading, Lehigh Valley, Central Railroad of New Jersey, New York & Long Branch, Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines, and the Ironton Railroad rolled their last miles. The next day, Conrail would begin operating trains over many of their former lines across the states of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Michigan, Kentucky, and the District of Columbia, as well as the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
In almost every way, Conrail was NOT a continuation of the railroads who contributed assets to it. During the month of April, we will dive into the railroads that died on Conrail Day, if death was inevitable, and if Conrail was a positive result.
In the meantime, check out our previous podcast episodes on Conrail predecessors, including:
- Episode 006, Celebrating Erie Lackawanna
- Episode 007: The Conditions for Conrail
- All Aboard Podcast Book Review: Merging Lines by Richard Saunders, Jr.
- All Aboard Episode 038: Reflections on the Pennsy
- Engine, Engine Number...3639
- Was the Erie Lackawanna a Bad Idea?
- Was Penn Central...A Success?!?
- All Aboard Book Review: The Men Who Loved Trains by Rush Loving, Jr.
