The 800 horsepower EMD SW-8 was a light switcher introduced in 1950. Conrail inherited its 40 SW-8's from Penn Central (28, NYC), Erie Lackawanna (10, DL&W), and Lehigh Valley (2, never rebuilt). A few of these units stayed in service until 1991.
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SW-8 8698 (DL&W, 6/52) is on second unit on the "LNE Job" at JU interlocking in Bethlehem Pa. in the Summer of 1983. The train has just entered onto the tracks of its namesake, The Lehigh and New England Railroad. The bulk of the L&NE was abandoned in 1961, but portions of the profitable Bethlehem and Martin's Creek Branches were conveyed first to the CNJ, then to the LV, then to Conrail, and finally to the Norfolk Southern. |
All of Conrail's 25 SW-8M's were all inherited from the Lehigh Valley. Most to these rebuilt SW-8's were the Lehigh Valley's famous "pups". The pups were equipped with m.u. and dynamic brakes, very unusual for a light switcher. They were purchased expressly for use on the anthracite coal branches in the Hazleton, Pa. area. These poorly maintained lines had steep grades, and bridges with light axle loadings. Into the Conrail era, lash-ups of 4 or 5 pups would pull the coal laden train known as "The Hazleton Man" daily between Allentown, Pa. and Hazleton, Pa.
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One of the few non-dynamic brake equipped SW-8M's, Ex-LV 8664 in a dead line in the ash pit at Bethlehem Engine Terminal March 31, 1983 |
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Pup SW-8M 8683 and caboose 18863 pause at the west end of Allentown Yard on March 31, 1983. Note the straight hood and the louvers just ahead of the cab where the dynamic brake gear is hood. All other EMD switcher hoods dip at the back. |
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Pup SW-8M 8675 and caboose 21297 wait just past Allen Jct. just west of Allentown Yard on December 7, 1985. The nose of the switcher is at the beginning of the Lehigh River bridge. |