Time for a slower-paced video this time, showing the Conemaugh & Black Lick Railroad operating on a cold March morning in Johnstown, PA. This railroad was once part of Bethlehem Steel and primarily served the company's various mills in and around Johnstown. After the dissolution of the once giant steelmaker, Conemaugh & Black Lick was taken over by Lehigh Valley Rail Management, who continues to operate the CBL along with some facilities in Bethlehem. Once a fairly busy shortline, the CBL's activity has dwindled to a few runs each week servicing a handful of remaining industries in the "Flood City", as well as exchanging cars with Norfolk Southern and CSX. Providing power is a fleet of vintage NW2 and SW7 EMD locomotives, many of which have spent their entire operating lives on the CBL.
On this particular day's run SW7 unit 111, built in 1949 for the shortline, picked up empty cars from Johnstown Wire and Gautier Steel (which operates in one of the ex-Bethlehem facilities), and switched around a few cars before exchanging freight with Norfolk Southern and heading back to the engine shops. Catching action on this line is tough, crews are on duty early in the morning, finish their work quickly, and train movements on a given day are never a guarantee. Nonetheless, with some patience and a few early mornings it is possible to see the railroad's operations. As always, I hope you enjoy the video and thanks for watching!
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:12 Shoving from Johnstown Wire
01:30 4th Avenue overpass
02:14 Spotting cars behind Iron Street
02:56 Switching Gautier Steel
16:51 Heading to Norfolk Southern interchange
19:35 NS interchange
22:02 Returning to Johnstown
22:40 Dropping off cars by Iron Street
24:25 Tying down for the day
25:51 Outro