Railfanning with the Bednars, Part 15

In Railfanning with the Bednars Volume 15, we continue the Conrail and D&H action and chase the special Reading & Northern 2102 mainline excursions from the Bednar video tape collection between mid-1987 and April of 1989.

During this time, Conrail’s traffic in and around Allentown was very busy, with many trains in and out of Allentown yard. Railfans could catch action all day at select hotspots around the city. CP Burn was one such hotspot where there was continuous parade of trains. But the increased train frequency was fast becoming a safety issue for drivers commuting into and out of the city. Eventually, something would have to be done to alleviate the congestion.

The D&H wasn’t so fortunate. Under Guilford, it was struggling with dwindling traffic due to a shrinking customer base and poor management, which equated to low revenue, poor equipment, and low morale. In 1988 after intense labor strikes, Guilford declared the D&H bankrupt and abandoned operations. The D&H was now in limbo until another operator could be found.