Railfanning with the Bednars Volume 18

This is a preview of Railfanning with the Bednars Volume 18. The full DVD is available from our website at www.johnpmedia.com
DVD summary below:
In Railfanning with the Bednars volume 18, we continue the Conrail and D&H action from the Bednar video tape collection between October 1988 and April of 1989.
At this time, Conrail’s traffic in and around Allentown was entering its peak, with trains in and out of Allentown virtually back-to-back. CP Burn was a continuous parade of trains. The train volume was fast becoming an issue for drivers. Vehicle traffic would be backed up on a daily basis all the way to South Mountain due to the sheer amount of rail activity. Funding was sought and granted to build a bypass via grade separation, but it would be another 2 to 3 years before construction would begin.
After the bankruptcy of the D&H on June 20th, 1988, the Susquehanna became the designated operator on June 23rd. We were now 4 months into the new operations and the Suzy Q doing their best to keep trains rolling. They were securing power from anywhere they could to keep the freight moving, including leases and purchases.
As usual, Big Mike provides the commentary.
Color and sound; approximately 60 minutes runtime.

[@Thunderbolt_1000_Siren]

Gotta love these volumes. Every train show im looking for your guy's stuff. Mike's narration and humor even inspired how Ive done my railfan videos of the Harrisburg line around King of Prussia. Never knew that bridge use to be a crossing. That endless stream of cars reminds me of some similar crossings but train traffic is lower now... thanks NS and PSR

[@robkrasinski6217]

The late E. Hunter Harrison started PSR at CSX and other railroads are adopting it. They think they can cut costs by running fewer, longer, faster trains between terminals on a precise schedule and slashing work forces. and now a hedge fund wants to buy NS, oust the current CEO and install a new CEO who has zero railroad experience and cut NS to the bone. Is that a way to run a railroad? I didn't like when Amtrak installed Richard Anderson in 2018 and he wanted to cut Amtrak to the bone and he did away with hot meals, dining cars, but dining cars are starting to return on some trains, but he banned charter excursions in March 2018 meaning almost no excursions on class 1 freight railroads anymore except for what UP does. They also got rid of the Autumn Express excursions in the northeast after 2017. Anderson left Amtrak and was replaced with Bill Flynn.

[@robkrasinski6217]

Yes before 1993 Basin St. used to be an at grade crossing like Auburn St. still is. The City of Allentown (Mayor Joe Daddona then) pressured Conrail to build a bridge to go over Basin St. which was lowered to go under the tracks solving the crossing problem.

[@hlcx2330]

Always love hearing Big Mike! Thank you

[@TheRrxing]

Thanks for posting!!! Couldn’t ask for a better narrator with these vids. On my phone to comment because watching on TV. I always will love the Leslie A 200 horn, but old Penn Central early Conrail had the best scary horns! Just my loser opinion. Grew up near Cleveland in a Russian Romanian family. Of course Polish and Italians were married in so I know good food!!! I remember my grandma making extra food to give to the men working the RR by her house. Pies stuffed cabbage and ravioli and sausage with homemade rolls. All left overs from family dinner. This was the Youngstown OH area where she lived. The other was from Canton Ohio

[@MP_67_Productions]

Canton is not near what it used to be, nor is Youngstown sadly

[@Joe-d7m6k]

Yes, correct, Mike--- at least the NYSW TRIED!!!!