Formed in 1976 to take over the operations of a variety of insolvent eastern railroads, Conrail inherited an incredible variety of motive power. From obscure units such as a single GE 44-tonner and a group of Reading VO-1000s with EMD prime movers, to more-conventional power such as GP38s and SD40s, the task of integrating this massive fleet was substantial. To minimize downtime in the shops, a component roadâs units often received a simple patch job and new CR numbers- as was done on the SD40s. As some of the newest and most reliable power available at startup, the SD40s continued in service on the mountainous regions in heavy-haul applications- but made appearances on other services as well.
HO SD40 Locomotive with DCC & Sound, CR / PC Patched #6242 Video Overview
Formed in 1976 to take over the operations of a variety of insolvent eastern railroads, Conrail inherited an incredible variety of motive power. From obscure units such as a single GE 44-tonner and a group of Reading VO-1000s with EMD prime movers, to more-conventional power such as GP38s and SD40s, the task of integrating this massive fleet was substantial. To minimize downtime in the shops, a component roadâs units often received a simple patch job and new CR numbers- as was done on the SD40s. As some of the newest and most reliable power available at startup, the SD40s continued in service on the mountainous regions in heavy-haul applications- but made appearances on other services as well.