Producer: Pentrex
Timeframe: 1994
Locations: 16 in NY, NJ, PA, MA
Length: 2 hours
East volume of the two Conrail Hot Spots. These are great places for railfans to view busy train action. By the way, Conrail lingo you will need to know. CP is Control Point. TV is Trailvan. SV is Supervan. You will pickup the rest…
This will be a whirlwind tour! Sixteen hot spots. There is quite alot to cover. Some spots get only a quick look. A hierarchy? Travel realities and available trains. I suppose, a few variables effect the outcome.
There is a Chapter Menu. Simply go down the checklist. Choose your favorites to revisit. Plenty of maps.
For this review. We will proceed in about the same fashion. Let’s go see what Pentrex has picked. Sixteen. Agree or disagree. I will display some alternate roads, simply for variety.
Too much, to get a full two hour show here.
Hit some highlights. You’ll get the idea.
CP 5 is the starting point. Located just miles from Manhattan, NY. Very popular, with Susquehanna also there. Ridgeway Park, NJ.
One more for CP5. This seemed too short!
Bear Mountain, along the Hudson River. A very scenic hot spot. Impressive, with traffic on both sides of the river. Major downside, is the shots are all long telephoto lens. Easily tree obscured. Not my favorite.
Selkirk (CP-SK). Selkirk Yard access. D&H traffic, plus B&A line to Boston. Expected more action from this place. Perhaps they weren’t busy at the time…
State Line tunnel. Fantastic pick!
Palmer is next, with a Central Vermont interchange, still operational. Central Vermont GP38s crosses the diamonds.
Return now to Selkirk Yard area. CP- SE. Translation is Selkirk West. BRSE is a Belt Railway inbound to Selkirk Yard.
Syracuse. Amtrak station is an easy to manage hot spot. Crew change point too. 6640 engine crawls out with a long freight. Another, CR 6089 stops to swap crews.
Number 6465 leads out SYMS. Originated in Syracuse. Going to Montreal. This SD40 is sharp looking, in clean paint.
Amtrak 197 is a GP40TC. Former Canadian ex- GO Transit. Syracuse, New York.
Next up. Lyons, NY. The line has the Conrail business. Pentrex chose this place. WOR-321 is a work train with ballast cars.
CP-BD. Binghamton. Very busy spot; though not a Conrail dominant one. A Delaware and Hudson, interchange point. The GATX double stack, is a D&H move.
Moving through with a train are: CP Rail 8228 with 4250 Montreal Locomotive Works built + a SOO loco.
Tifft Street overpass in Buffalo. The final New York hot spot. Thirty Conrail trains a day. Norfolk Southern too. BUIN= Buffalo to Indianapolis. See how that works?
New Jersey- Lehigh Line. CP- Potter. Near Edison, NJ. is a local favourite, with railfans! South Kearny yard trains, in and outbound. Tanks are on this time. To Indiana Harbor Belt move.
Allentown CP- Allen. This is another fine hot spot, along the Lehigh Line.
CP- Burn is the best in Allentown. B&O paint survives into CSX circa, 1994.
Reading, Penn. A crowded CP- Belt. Two Eastbounds wait on Red signals. A CSX on the left main. Shown is CR ZBB-70. A heavy ore drag. CR6067 leads that ore move. Consist has, vintage PRR and PC lettered ore jennies.
Movement begins in a flurry. ALBA goes west. A TV211 too. ZBB-70 heads out. Finally, CSX8511 cleared.
Next Hot Spot, is Rockville Bridge. This one, crosses the Susquehanna River. Located 8 miles from Harrisburg PA. Again, long lens shots are required.
Horseshoe Curve. The surrounding area is included. Altoona to Cresson.
Horseshoe Curve. Park improvements. Conrail mini Parade. Helpers. Amtrak’s Pennsylvanian. Pentrex covers it all.
BAPI grinds it out, a little further away. Baltimore to Pittsburgh.
Conpit Jct. Is 40 miles west of Cresson. 6994 leads ZBB-24.
Last stop. Rochester Tower. This one controls busy Conway Yard. Has some of the best scenes, as well.
Log cars. Federal Paper loads. Raise a toast- for variety!!
What is your favorite? Horseshoe is still great, but touristy. Binghamton rings my bell, with variety! Rochester Tower is cool. Reading and Allentown rock!
Conrail Hot Spots East. This one has the scenery. Mountains with helpers, on some. Operations are more interesting. The narrative lays back in the pocket. Allowing the train’s to be heard. A top notch production!
Hot Spots East or West you ask?
Get both if you can afford them.
However, if you only choose one.
The East has the edge! Either way…
Cross that bridge, when you come to it!
Rating: 5 Stars
American Train Video Reviews 