Photography by Barry Trogu
Ed Kaspriske and I would visit the former Lehigh Valley many times in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Since we worked during the daytime, we would get there in the evenings. That line was very busy in the evenings. I used a manual Nikon FM-2 camera with Kodak Ektachrome ASA 200 with the camera settings of 1/125th sec, an f-stop of 1.4 and a Vivital 5200 flash set on manual discharge for the moving night trains in this album. All daytime photos were taken with my settings of 1/1000th sec and whatever the light setting would give me.
We knew many Conrail employees which allowed us to find out the evening schedules were. I had the opportunity to ride ALOI from Allentown, PA to Oak Island near Newark, NJ with engineer Steve Bonscher in August 1978.
I always brought my camera with me when I went to job sites. Most were near the railroad.
A view of the Bethlehem-Allentown engine terminal & yards in March 1980.
A view of some of the Allentown yards in Match 1980.
Bethlehem-Allentown PA engine terminal with the Conrail signage on a rainy day on November 27, 1977.
Former Lehigh & Hudson River C-420 #2077 sits in the Allentown, PA engine terminal at night in March 1978.
Fueling the diesels at the Allentown engine terminal in 1978.
Former Penn Central GP38-2 #8107 & ex-L&HR C-420 #2072 sit it the rain at the Bethlehem-Allentown engine terminal on April 28, 1977. It seemed like it always rained when I was at Fritch Fuel installing data processing equipment in the building!
SD-38 #6925 and Alco slug #1119 are working the Allentown hump in March 1980.
I had the opportunity to ride ALOI on August 12, 1978. My friend Steve Bonscher was the engineer and Dan Bodnar was the conductor.
Steve Bonscher at throttle of GP-40 #3233 in the early morning of August 12, 1978.
A view of the engineer side of GP-40 #3233 in August 1978.
GP-40 #3233 with engineer Steve Bonscher on August 12, 1978.
Before we can get underway, SD40 #6281 leaves the yard with a TV train on August 12, 1978.
Our eastbound train passes the Bethlehem Steel plant in the early morning on August 12, 1978. We could feel the heat from the blast furnaces as we passed.
The Easton, PA. station in a view from cab of #3233 on train ALOI.
A view from cab as were are crossing the Delaware River from Easton, PA to Phillipsburg, NJ. Dan Bodnar is watching the train as we cross the bridge.
Our freight and a high-low coupler and the train separated in New Jersey. GP-40 #3233 is halted with the freight waiting for the train’s air to finish pumping up.
A short time later, our train is going to enter the Pattenburg Tunnel near Jugtown Mountain.
A view of the West Portal wooden bridge from cab after leaving the Pattenburg Tunnel.
Our train separated again in NJ. Steve walking back to check on the problem.
Our train is passing the Manville, NJ yard. Ex-CNJ RS-3 with the remnants of the Red Baron paint scheme has been renumbered to #5381. The yard office is behind the RS-3 while the Port Reading Branch is to the far right in this photo.
Our train shares the right of way with the NJT due to the Aldene Plan. An oncoming westbound NJT passenger train i at Hillside, NJ with GP-40P # 4100 on August 12, 1978.
Our journey is almost over as we are approaching Oak Island yard in New Jersey.
Scenes on the Railroad
SD9 # 6909 & #6998 at Allentown round house in the engine terminal in March 1980.
RS-11 #7644 at Allentown in March 1980.
SD45 #6103 and SD40-2 #6472 & another unit are westbound at Manville, NJ in December 1981.
GE U25B #2534 on westbound freight at the west end of WX Weston Manville yard on June 18, 1982.
U25B #2534 leads a westbound freight on the former Reading Company trackage in Manville, NJ yards at Weston WX Tower in June 18, 1982.
NW-2 #9244 in the Manville-Weston yard in May 1978.
GP40-2 #3333, GP-40 #3157, & a GE on the old Lehigh Valley trackage near Bound Brook, NJ in August 1981.
SD-40 #6363 & #6357 are eastbound on old Lehigh Valley trackage at signal 332. at Bound Brook in March 1980.
GP40-2 #3351 and #3369 are eastbound in Bound Brook in the evening in September 1986.
GE C36-7 #6637 and another GE are eastbound on the former Lehigh Valley trackage in Bound Brook on a cloudy evening in September 1986.
GP-40 #3179 and GP-38 #8126 are westbound at Bound Brook in November 1977.
SD-40 # 6318 & U25B #2575 on ex-Lehigh Valley behind the Bound Brook station and will set off piggybacks in the Bound Brook yards in August 1981. Our friend Steve Boncher is the engineer on this freight.
SD-40 # 6363 & #6357 are pulling an eastbound freight on the tracks near Bound Brook in early April 1980.
RS-3M #9947, former CNJ #1701, with an eastbound freight on ex-Reading Company Port Reading Branch at Bound Brook in August 1981.
GP-7 #5921, former Erie-Lackawanna Railroad #1401, is switching the Bound Brook yard in May 1979.
GP-7 #5921 and N-4B caboose #18867 are switching some piggyback cars in the Bound Brook yard in the afternoon in May 1979.
B36-7 #5032 & #5020 are eastbound at Bound Brook on a fridged night in January 1986. The temperature that night hovered around 5 degrees F. The cold provided a clear night for photography.
B36-7 #5013 andanother diesel are westbound with TV-61 in Bound Brook on January 1986.
N8B Caboose #23598 protects the rear on westbound TV 61 on January 1986. the cold night gave me a clear photo of the caboose.
Prospect Avenue Crossing, Piscataway, NJ
Ed Kaspriske and myself would spent many nights at the Prospect Avenue crossing location. This is an open photographic area and was very good for photography. In those days, the former Lehigh Valley was busy at night.
Ed Kaspriske & Barry Trogu at Prospect Avenue in Piscataway, NJ on September 10, 1983.
A Clear signal eastbound at Prospect Avenue in November 1980.
Train #PIOI is eastbound led by SD50 #6732 on December 14, 1985 at Prospect Avenue. Note the rusty rail that is out of service. Apparently, this track was taken out of service because someone thought the former Lehigh Valley could be run with one track! The track was back soon after.
Signal #291 is out of service near the Prospect Avenue crossing on December 14, 1985.
B36-7 #5053 & #5038 power a westbound freight at the Prospect Avenue crossing in the early evening in September 1986.
GE B36-7 #5030 with a wesstbound freight on a misty night at the Prospect Avenue crossing in September 1986.
GP40-2 #3389 & ex-New York Central & Penn Central GP40 #3058 are westbound on a cold night at the Prospect Avenue crossing in February 1980.
GP40-2 #3337 is eastbound as they meet westbound GP40-2 #3342 at night at the Prospect Avenue crossing on a warm night in September 1982. Note our lawn chairs in the right side of the photo.
C36-7 #6611 is eastbound at the Prospect Ave crossing on a warm night in August 1986.
SD-40 #6280 & C30-7A #6554 are eastbound at the Prospect Avenue crossing with train ALOI in September 1985.
GE B23-7 #1957 & other unit are westbound at the Prospect Avenue crossing in August 1987.
RF&P GP40-2 #146 is eastbound with the Tropicana juice train in May1992. There were always surprises on this line!
This was a nice surprise when the E-8 #4020, in green paint, came eastbound with the OCS - business train in August 1989.
New Market Road, Piscataway, NJ
This location was New Market, NJ and a former Lehigh Valley passenger stop. In the 1980’s, it was a nice spot for photography. At one time, there was an Agway store next to the tracks. A siding came off the tracks to service the industry located across Prospect Avenue.
An eastbound freight led by GP40 #3220 passes the Agway store at the New Market Road crossing. The New Market Pond gave me a nice reflection of the train in September 1981.
SW-900 #8712 switching cars at New Market Avenue on October 5,1981. #8712 is an ex-Reading #1512 and was built in December 1963.
Conrail rear brakeman on caboose #18814 is signaling to engineer at New Market Avenue crossing on October 5, 1981.
GE B23-7 #1973 & 2 other units are handling a westbound freight at New Market Road on a cold afternoon in February 1982.
GE B36-7 #5029 is eastbound at the New Market Road crossing in October 1986.
South Plainfield, NJ
South Plainfield,NJ was another good location for rail photography. The crossing is Front Street on the north side and Metuchen Road on the south side of the tracks. Sherban’s Restaurant is a decent place for a meal.
SD-40 #6346, former Penn Central unit, and two other units are eastbound at Clinton Avenue in South Plainfield, NJ in August 1984.
Conrail. GE C36-7 #6620 (blt 6-85), #6633 & 3rd unit at South Plainfield with train ALOI in July 1985.
A meet with westbound B36-7 #5048 & eastbound C30-7 #6637,6633 & 3rd unit at Front Street in South Plainfield on August 23, 1988.
B36-7 #5048 with a westbound TV train at South Plainfield on August 23, 1988.
B36-7 #5048, #5044 & #5039 are accelerating west with TV-61 at South Plainfield on August 23, 1988.
GP-40 #8140, GP-40 #8266 & GE-U23B #2729 with a westbound freight at South Plainfield in August 1982.
Caboose N21 #21286 on the rear of the westbound freight led by GP-40 #8140 is at South Plainfield in August 1982.
GP-40 #3007 & 3 more units, with westbound freight in South Plainfield in. August 1981. #3007 is a former New York Central GP40 built in October 1965.
SD-50 #6769 with an eastbound freight at Front Street on a snowy night on December 20, 1985.
GP40 #3213, #3276 are picking up 3 E-8’s for the westbound freight in the South Plainfield yard in
CR. #3213 & 3276 with 3 E-8’s head west at South Plainfield, NJ.
One of my earliest experimental night photos of a moving train
A westbound freight with former Lehigh Valley C-420 #415, #409 and an unknown number are crossing Tingley Lane in Edison, NJ in October 1979. This location is known as Potters.
Nickel Plate Road #765 ready to couple to passenger train in August 1988 on the Tri-State NRHS fan trip in Bound Brook, NJ in August 1988.
Photo 83. NKP #765 on fan trip in August 1988. Leaving Bound Brook, NJ.
I photogaphed the NKP #765 at track speed eastbound in Middlesex, NJ on the return of the fan trip in August 1988.
The Last Section
Caboose N5C #23238 is protecting the rear of the eastbound freight at New Market Road on May 1986. These are disappearing quickly!
Penn Central hopper #457162 with “FRED” instead of a caboose on the rear of the eastbound freight at New Market Road on May 14, 1983.
