SAVE YOUR BACK ISSUES Consider the Commuters
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IN THIS ISSUE WE WRAP UP a three part series about how commuter railroads in New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia have changed and evolved since taking over from Conrail on January 1, 1983. Literally overnight, hundreds of railroad employees, stations, terminals, and trains became the responsi- bility of the agencies that funded them. It was a monumental move that proved to be beneficial both for Conrail and for the com- muters. Lessened of the burden of operating subsidized passenger trains at a loss, Con- rail was able to focus on its primary mission of rebuilding the freight network and re- turned to profitability. Meanwhile, the com- muter railroads were able to invest and re- build their systems for increased reliability without having to worry about finding a re- liable contract operator for the trains. To- day’s Metro-North, NJ Transit, and SEPTA are a far cry from the legacy systems they in- herited 30 years ago. To wrap up our coverage of Conrail’s com-
muter business, we take a brief look at some of the operations that were not transferred to new operators in 1983. Some operations lasted less than a year, while others hung on until they could be passed to new operators. Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, Buffalo and Toronto are not destinations you’d expect to find on the cover of a Conrail timetable fold- er, but there they were. Conrail also ran commuter trains on the Northeast Corridor between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., inherited from the Pennsylvania Railroad and passed on to Maryland DOT on January 1, 1983. It wasn’t covered in any of our fea- ture stories because it was only one compo- nent of what would grow to become the MARC (Maryland Area Rail Commuter) sys- tem, versus being exclusively Conrail’s (the B&O continued to operate the Brunswick Line and Camden Lines).
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So why the fascination with commuter trains? Growing up within earshot of Metro- North’s Harlem Line, commuter trains were my first exposure to railroading. As I got old- er, my interest expanded to legacy passenger train operations around the country, espe- cially in the years prior to Amtrak when nearly every railroad in the country offered their own unique service. May 1, 1971, was a sad day for passenger train fans as their fa- vorite railroads began to disappear under a coat of Platinum Mist. Oh sure, there were bright spots, such as the Rock Island, South- ern, Georgia Railroad, and Rio Grande who all opted out of Amtrak, but eventually they would all be folded in. As America’s colorful long-distance pas- senger trains began to fade in the 1970s, many railroads were still responsible for commuter trains across the country. Not on- ly did the old names survive for a few years longer, so did the trains. Venerable fleets of heavyweight coaches pulled by steam gener- ator equipped diesels continued to ply the rails from coast to coast. Postwar streamlin- ers not acquired by Amtrak were handed down to help “upgrade” other commuter trains. A fortunate few operations got shiny
new stainless steel trains paid for by local agencies, yet for the most part, classic post- war passenger railroading lived on. America’s attitude towards commuter
trains began to change in the 1980s with ris- ing fuel costs leading many back to mass transit. Older systems in the East were as- sumed by leviathan agencies with long mul- ti-syllable names like Great Southwestern Regional Area Mass Transit Administration Consortium Authority (or “Gee” for short). Bond issues paid for new equipment and modern stations to replace the rolling muse- ums serving some cities. The transformation was amazing. Not all operations were saved though, with some routes retreating and others cancelled altogether (Detroit in 1983, Pittsburgh in 1989). Into the 1990s and 2000s, it was fascinat- ing to watch as new commuter train opera- tions sprang up in places that never had them before. No plodding transit authority name would do, flashy paint schemes and fun-sounding marketing names were the norm (“Coaster,” “Sounder,” “RailRunner,” “Northstar”). A whole new generation of commuters was being born, and new tradi- tions to follow. Many new lines rely on a proof-of-payment system rather than have conductors check tickets. The trains them- selves are often run by a non-railroad con- tractor (such as Hertzog Transit Services), with the host railroad only responsible for dispatching. What’s most exciting is that these new services are opening up territory that haven’t seen regular passenger service for 30 years or more. Consider the commuter on your next rail- fan journey. America’s commuter trains are a great alternative to the sameness and uni- formity of Amtrak, and help break the mo- notony of “yet another widecab hauling con- tainers.” Now, I just heard that the commuter trains in Buenos Aires, Argenti- na, are hauled by blue-and-gray Alco RSD- 16’s... — OTTOM. VONDRAK
The 35th Winterail On March 9, 2013, the Granddaddy of ’em all, Winterail, celebrated its 35th showing in Stockton, Calif. Founded by Dave Stanley in 1978, Winterail has developed into the pre- mier railroad photography show in North America. The Winterail weekend started off with the annual Stockton Slide & Pizza Party co- hosted by Railfan & Railroad and the Na- tional Railway Historical Society. More in- formal than Winterail itself, the pizza party is more of a Friday night slide show in the living room, except you have over 100 people in attendance. Since all the presenters are bringing their shows in a variety of formats and on a variety of computers, a special thanks needs to go to Winterail associate producer Evan Werkema who smoothly han- dled all the equipment changes. Presenters on Friday night included Paul Jansson, Drew Jacksich, Elrond Lawrence, Mike Pechner,
Stathi Pappas, Rob Leachman, Steve Crise, Chris Guenzler, Ken Stanfield
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