From 1977 until the late 1990's, CR 164528 sat at a scrap dealer on a siding in Sinking Spring, PA. Since I often popped down to Sinking Spring in the 1970's to watch Conrail trains at the old Reading Company station, I remember when this and other cars were put there. They were a fixture of my teenage years. Eventually, I got married and moved to Sinking Spring, a block or so from the old Harrisburg Line, where we lived about five years. This and other stored equipment were still there in the siding, fading and rusting away in the weeds. My young son even got to scramble around these cars like I had done 20 years earlier. CR 164528 was built as a member of New York Central lot 968B. In June 1976, Conrail repainted it a shade of Penn Central green but used the standard "CONRAIL" Futura font. Conrail repainted others in the same NYC lot the same way that month before they settled on boxcar brown. Luckily, John took a good photo of this car. For some reason, all the photos I took of this car never came out right.
Class: Lot 968B
Location: Sinking Spring, PA
Photo Date: 5-6-90
Photographer: John Schodowski     Added: August 19, 1998

Built by the Pennsylvania Railroad a part of class X56 of double-door "Cushion Car" boxcars, CR 213416 has seen better days. Within the original PRR X56 class were X56A, X56B, X56C, and X56D. The X56 had the largest number of cars, around 250. The A and B subclasses each had around 100 cars. The C had a couple dozen. The D only had one car. Given they were rare cars, how many of these survived onto Conrail and how long they remained in service is questionable due to roster errors that plagued Conrail over the years. The X56 was part of series CR 213407-213416, less than 9 cars total.
Class: X56
Location: Allentown, PA
Photo Date: ?-96
Photographer: Lon Godshall     Added: October 22, 1998

One of the 100 or so class X56A cars built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in the 1960's. The large wheels on the side of the car are Hennessy Slidewell power assists. Hollidaysburg equipped a number of cars with these devices to help workers open difficult doors instead of prodding them open with forklifts because forklifts had been damaging too many boxcar doors.
Class: X56A
Location: Wyomissing, PA
Photo Date: 6-18-05
Photographer: Mark MacDougall     Added: December 23, 2005

CR 216850 was part of series CR 216840-216877. These were former Penn Central cars in series PC 278045-278174 and were built by Berwick Forge & Fabrication between February 1973 and March 1973. These excess height auto part cars were designed for hauling auto parts between the manufacturing plants and auto assembly plants. CR 216850 was repainted and renumbered for Conrail in May 1984 in Buffalo, NY.
Class: X77
Location: Wyomissing, PA
Photo Date: 9-96
Photographer: Robert Waller     Added: March 23, 2020

CR 216859 was repainted at Buffalo, NY in June 1987.
Class: X77
Location: Altoona, PA
Photo Date: ?-98
Photographer: Lon Godshall     Added: October 22, 1998

Ever have one of those days? The crew switching behind the General Motors Cadillac Fleetwood plant in Detroit did when they backed this 60' auto parts boxcar onto a dirt mound. CR 218541 originally was part of a New York Central lot built in 1965. The car shops in Reading, PA repainted most of these cars, which used to sit in long strings outside on the shop tracks.
Class: Unknown NYC Lot
Location: Detroit, MI
Photo Date: 6-85
Photographer: John Brown     Added: October 26, 2001

Another view of the boxcar on the mound. At least it gives us a good look at the end details.
Class: Unknown NYC Lot
Location: Detroit, MI
Photo Date: 6-85
Photographer: John Brown     Added: October 26, 2001

The third and final photo in the series of a switching mishap.
Class: Unknown NYC Lot
Location: Detroit, MI
Photo Date: 6-85
Photographer: John Brown     Added: October 26, 2001

CR 219964 is a 60' auto parts boxcar with Superior and Youngstown doors and was part of series CR 219932-219977. It has been repainted into Quality scheme.
Class: X63
Location: Allentown, PA
Photo Date: ?-98
Photographer: Lon Godshall     Added: October 22, 1998

In 1965, American Car & Foundry built the X59 class of boxcar for the Pennsylvania Railroad, placing them in series PRR 90090-90264. Out of that lot, ten made it onto Conrail still in the PRR numbers. Conrail renumbered those ten into series CR 211051-211061. Out of the original PRR, another 42 made it onto Conrail still in the PRR numbers. Conrail renumbered those 42 into series CR 218415-218456. Between the Pennsy years and Conrail were the Penn Central years. Penn Central broke up the original lot of PRR cars into three different series of 150 cars total: PC 218763-218774, PC 220294-220464, and PC 281030-281043. Conrail kept these Penn Central cars in the same number series, giving them CR reporting marks instead. CR 220308 comes from that first series of X59 boxcars that had been repainted into Penn Central and then Conrail.
Class: X59
Location: Altoona, PA
Photo Date: 5-15-05
Photographer: Sean McDonnell     Added: May 5, 2006

CR 220435 is part of the second series of X59's that had been repainted into Penn Central colors before being repainted into Conrail. CR 220435 made it into the Conrail Quality scheme.
Class: X59
Location: Altoona, PA (Rose Storage Yard)
Photo Date: 5-15-05
Photographer: Sean McDonnell     Added: May 5, 2006

The main spotting difference between the X59 and X59A is that the X59 has plug, whereas the X59A doesn't. The 60' X59A class of boxcars were built in late-1967 and early-1968 for the Pennsylvania Railroad prior to the Penn Central merger. A total of 106 cars were manufactured by Pullman-Standard. CR 220551 has been repainted into the Conrail Quality scheme and originally was part of series PRR 90265-90280.
Class: X59A
Location: Altoona, PA
Photo Date: ?-98
Photographer: Lon Godshall     Added: July 5, 2005

CR 220901 is a former-Penn Central 60' double-door boxcar. It got renumbered into Conrail but never got a complete repaint. It had been sitting in storage for many years and missed the B62C rebuild program.
Class: X62B
Location: Altoona, PA
Photo Date: 6-22-00
Photographer: Mike Rose     Added: August 9, 2001

Conrail acquired these former Southern Railway cars in 1998. Classed as BS-29 boxcars buy the Southern, Conrail never game them an official class. Built in 1964 by Pullman-Standard for the Southern Railway, these 70-ton 60' Plate C boxcars had full-height ladders and roof walks. To comply with new safety rules started in the 1960's and extended through the 1970's, the roof walk was removed, the ladders were lowered, and the brake wheel was lowered. When Conrail purchased them in 1998, they painted out the Southern heralds and markings, apply CR markings and numbers. Conrail placed them in series CR 222609-222618. They remained in service beyond the 1999 NS/CSX acquisition of Conrail, all leaving the roster by 2006.
Class: BS-29
Location: Reading, PA
Photo Date: 7-98
Photographer: Lon Godshall     Added: July 5, 2005

Another example of the former Southern Railway BS-29 class 60' boxcar.
Class: BS-29
Location: Alburtis, PA
Photo Date: 7-98
Photographer: Lon Godshall     Added: March 23, 2020

Built by Pacific Car and Foundry, these 60' extended-height boxcars were a rare sight on Conrail because they purchased only five of them from Southern Pacific/St. Louis Southwestern Railway (Cotton Belt). Conrail repainted and renumbered them into series CR 222700-222704. Instead of removing the steel plate across the ribs where the SP applied their herald, Conrail used it to apply theirs as well, running the left-hand portion of the 'steel rails' portion across the ribs.
Class: None
Location: Rankin, PA
Photo Date: 2-6-05
Photographer: Sean McDonnell     Added: May 5, 2006

Class B62G boxcars were another of the Hollidaysburg rebuild programs like the B62C through B62F projects, taking aging Pennsylvania and Penn Central 60' standard-height boxcars and extending them into excess-height Plate F cars. The B62G is a double-door car, but the cars are different from its cousin rebuilds. While this series beginning and end is not exactly known, the B62G was at least in series CR 223636-223767.
Class: B62G
Location: Unknown
Photo Date: Unknown
Photographer: Chris Crook     Added: January 31, 2006

The BR50L class were former Reading Company 50' boxcars built in 1972 by Pullman-Standard. Originally, they were class XLj on the Reading Company and were in series RDG series: 20000-20199. Conrail placed them in series CR 231597-231795, with an odd car or two renumbered into the series CR 209970. Many remained in their Reading scheme during the 1970's and 1980's, with others repainted Conrail, a handful of BR50L cars survived to 1999.
Class: BR50L
Location: Unknown
Photo Date: Unknown
Photographer: Reed Estabrook     Added: July 5, 2005

Lon caught this CR-stenciled former-Reading Company 50' boxcar still in its original Reading green, though RDG herald is showing through the worn paint. This was another of the BR50L class built in November 1972.
Class: BR50L
Location: Fogelsville, PA
Photo Date: ?-98
Photographer: Lon Godshall     Added: October 22, 1998

CR 237008 was part of a fleet of several hundred 86' X60 though X60G class boxcars that Conrail inherited from Penn Central, which inhreited them from the Pennsylvania Railroad and New York Central. The X60 class was built in 1966 and 1967, depending on the railroad. When renumbering them, Conrail mixed them together with 86' classes BE83A through BE83D from the Erie Lackawanna. CR 237008 was former PC 237008 (ex-PRR 110183) and was waiting to be scrapped several years after the end of Conrail.
Class: X60
Location: Altoona, PA (Rose Yard)
Photo Date: 5-15-05
Photographer: Sean McDonnell     Added: May 5, 2006

Figuring out if a car is class BE83A, BE83B, or BE83C (all former Erie Lackawanna 86' double plug door boxcars is confusing since they were mixed with former 86' Penn Central class X60 and its subclasses. Telling the two types of car apart from each other by looking at the sills running along the bottom of the cars. The former Penn Central cars are straight with braces. The former EL cars have the classic curve down in the center of the car and no braces. Telling the subclasses apart from a detailed roster or extreme close-up photos is nearly impossible from my feeble perspective. My best guess as of 2020 is that this is a BE83C class car, but I wouldn't bet the house on it.
Class: BE83C
Location: Ingleside, WV
Photo Date: 9-01
Photographer: Joe Shaw     Added: July 5, 2005

Another of the massive 86' cars from Penn Central and Erie Lackawanna. CR 237512 was former PC 237512 (ex-PRR 110421).
Class: X60F
Location: New Haven, IN
Photo Date: 7-22-06
Photographer: Alan Gaines     Added: June 2, 2015

Taken outside the Macedonia Car Shops.
Class: X60G
Location: Macedonia, OH
Photo Date: 8-2-89
Photographer: Arnie Morscher     Added: February 28, 1999

Another of the former Erie Lackawanna Hi-Cube boxcars built by Greenville. CR 238065 has been repainted into the Quality scheme.
Class: BE83B
Location: Alliance, OH
Photo Date: ?-04
Photographer: Chris Crook     Added: July 5, 2005

In 1988, Conrail acquired many 86' boxcars from the Santa Fe. CR 239290 (ex-ATSF 36779) was from one of those lots. The BT83E class was put into two series: CR 238840-238844 and CR 239283-239292.
Class: BT83E
Location: New Haven, IN
Photo Date: 2-23-08
Photographer: Alan Gaines     Added: June 2, 2015

The Conrail mechanical department referred eight-door auto part cars a DDP, which stood for double double plug door boxcars. Cars in the BW84A and BW84B classes were former Grand Trunk & Western cars.
Class: BW84A
Location: Leetsdale, PA
Photo Date: 9-18-04
Photographer: Sean McDonnell     Added: May 5, 2006

A 50' former Erie boxcar built by Pullman Standard. Conrail painted and renumbered it in 1978. I'm not sure on the class.
Class: Unknown
Location: Pitcairn, PA
Photo Date: ?-88
Photographer: Tom Haag     Added: October 26, 2001

Built in 1966 by the Pennsylvania Railroad in its Sam Rea Car Shops in Hollidaysburg, the X56 double-door 50' boxcars were originally in series PRR series: 88251-88500. Its roof walk having been removed and ladders shortened, CR 270193 had been repainted in Buffalo, NY, in February 1988. By that time, less than 440 X56 and its five subclasses remained in service.
Class: X56
Location: Pottstown, PA
Photo Date: ?-98
Photographer: Lon Godshall     Added: October 22, 1998

The 60' X62A class boxcar was built by Penn Central between 1968 and 1970. Series CR 275129-275137, CR 275412-275443, CR 278005-278044, and CR 278005-278044 were built in 1968. Series CR 275129-275137 were built in 1969. Finally, series CR 275412-275443 were built in 1970. All cars had the same numbers on Conrail as they did under Penn Central.
Class: X62A
Location: Decatur, IL
Photo Date: 10-28-99
Photographer: Mike Rose     Added: August 9, 2001

In 1968, Dispatch Shops built the 60' X62 class of boxcars for Penn Central. Conrail placed these cars into series CR 274825-275067, retaining their original PC numbering. From 1969 to 1970, the Altoona shops also built X62 boxcars. Conrail placed these into series CR 274068-275128 and CR 275138-275398, retaining their PC numbering.
Class: X62
Location: Unknown
Photo Date: ?-01
Photographer: Joe Shaw     Added: July 5, 2005

Decades into Conrail, CR 275425 (built in 1968) is still in its Penn Central green, though faded and rusted.
Class: X62A
Location: Allentown, PA
Photo Date: ?-97
Photographer: Lon Godshall     Added: July 5, 2005

In 1984 and 1985 at the Hollidaysburg Car Shops, Conrail rebuilt 400+ aging Penn Central class X62 60' boxcars into extended-height cars, like the B62 and its subclass rebuilding program later in the decade. Conrail placed this new B60C class into series CR 277101-277400 and CR 277601-277751.
Class: B60C
Location: Fostoria, OH
Photo Date: 6-93
Photographer: Mike Rose     Added: March 27, 2020

In 1984 at the Hollidaysburg Car Shops, Conrail aging Pennsylvania Railroad (later Penn Central) class X61F 60' boxcars into extended-height cars. Conrail placed this new B60D class into series CR 277801-277916.
Class: B60D
Location: Selkirk, NY
Photo Date: 7-20-00
Photographer: Reed Estabrook     Added: July 5, 2005

Another B60D from the 1984 rebuild program. It has been repainted in the Conrail Quality scheme.
Class: B60D
Location: New Haven, IN
Photo Date: 7-22-06
Photographer: Alan Gaines     Added: June 2, 2015

The BE60B were former Erie Lackawanna.
Class: BE60B
Location: Conway, PA
Photo Date: ?-98
Photographer: Lon Godshall     Added: October 22, 1998

Penn Central built 240 of the X64 60' boxcar between 1968 and 1969 at the Hollidaysburg Car Shops. These were in dedicated to transporting auto parts.
Class: X64
Location: Wyomissing, PA
Photo Date: 10-96
Photographer: Robert Waller     Added: July 31, 1998

CR 279011 was only one of five class 143B 60' boxcars on the Conrail roster. They had series CR 279010-279014. These came from Penn Central and had the same numbers under that railroad.
Class: 143B
Location: Altoona, PA
Photo Date: ?-98
Photographer: Lon Godshall     Added: October 22, 1998

Originally built in 1973 by Berwick Forge & Fabricating for the Reading Company as class XLl 60' boxcars in the series RDG 19000-19049, Conrail reclassified them as BR62A. Of those that we renumbered as Conrail, 22 of the cars we mixed into series CR 279771-279860, and 28 were renumbered into series CR 279379-279757. A number of these cars remained in their RDG paint and numbers well into the 1990's. CR 279734 was repainted and renumbered for Conrail in August 1984.
Class: BR62A
Location: Altoona, PA
Photo Date: ?-98
Photographer: Lon Godshall     Added: October 22, 1998

The X82 class 60' 60' door-and-a-half boxcar was built by Pullman-Standard in 1974 for Penn Central in series PC 220225-220295 and PC 281400-281635. They road on 100-ton trucks. The doors had an opening of 16'. Conrail kept these cars in the same numbering series as Penn Central.
Class: X82
Location: Allentown, PA
Photo Date: 8-88
Photographer: Reed Estabrook     Added: April 26, 1998

By the end of the 1980's, Conrail completed their repainting of their former-Penn Central X82 60' boxcars.
Class: X82
Location: Selkirk, NY
Photo Date: Unknown
Photographer: Leo Landry     Added: July 5, 2005

The X66 and X66A classes of 60' double-door boxcars were built by Penn Central in 1969 in the old Pennsylvania Railroad car shops in Altoona. The X66 cars had the same numbering on Conrail as they did on Penn Central. The X66A were renumbered into series CR 283000-283029. CR 283000 (ex-PC PC 220835) has been repainted into Conrail Quality scheme.)
Class: X66A
Location: Reading, PA
Photo Date: 6-18-98
Photographer: John Schodowski     Added: October 23, 1998

Another X66A (ex-PC 220845) was repainted in the Conrail Quality scheme in November 1988.
Class: X66A
Location: Allentown, PA
Photo Date: ?-98
Photographer: Lon Godshall     Added: December 5, 1999

The class X60S 86' double-door boxcars were built in 1965 by Greenville Steel for New York Central as Lot 962B. They had series NYC 67126-67280. In 1976, 72 cars on the Conrail roster still had their NYC numbering and paint scheme. These would be placed into series CR 293090-293203 series and be renumbered as time permitted. Before 1976, 80 cars had been renumbered in series PC 293126-293280 and became CR 293126-293280. It gets confusing because the X60S cars still in NYC markings in 1976 were renumbered around the cars that got renumbered as Penn Central and then Conrail. Finally, some X60S cars were renumbered later across the CR 242700 series. Yipes! CR 294207 was renumbered from NYC 67196, to CR 243418 before being numbered CR 294207.
Class: X60S
Location: New Haven, IN
Photo Date: 7-17-10
Photographer: Alan Gaines     Added: June 2, 2015

The BD83E class of 86' boxcars were from a group built in 1970 by Thrall for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. The Rock quickly sold these cars over to the Denver & Rio Grande Western, who sold them to Conrail. CR 294753 is ex-DRGW 64216, exx-RI 32876.
Class: BD83E
Location: Columbus, OH
Photo Date: ?-04
Photographer: Chris Crook     Added: July 5, 2005

Pullman-Standard built the X60P class of 86' Hi-Cube boxcars in 1969 for Penn Central. The cars were equipped with auto racks for transporting auto parts, which quickly became a huge business for Conrail. These cars were renumbered in series CR 295440-295552, and then later renumbered again into the series CR 240700.
Class: X60P
Location: York, PA
Photo Date: ?-82
Photographer: Tom Wolfgang     Added: March 23, 2020

CR 295541 is outside the Macedonia Car Shops.
Class: X60P
Location: Macedonia, OH
Photo Date: 5-6-90
Photographer: Arnie Morscher     Added: October 23, 1998

Relying mostly on insulated boxcars, Conrail did have a handful of mechanical refrigerator cars, commonly referred to as reefers, that they inherited from Erie Lackawanna. These cars were built in the late-1960's by Pacific Car & Foundry. Conrail renumbered them into series CR 359001-359038. By 1990, most of these cars been retired. Those few that survived lingered on the roster for several more years. Some cars remained in their yellow paint scheme as on Erie Lackawanna, while others were repainted in Conrail's white and blue scheme.
Class: RPL
Location: Reading, PA
Photo Date: 1-10-98
Photographer: John Schodowski     Added: October 23, 1998

A unique car for its time, CR 359020 was fitted with an experimental satellite-tracking system that monitored the car's location and temperature. CR 359020 was former EL 5019 built in December 1967. When Conrail retired the car, they donated it to the Conrail Technical Society. It resides at the Danbury Railroad Museum in Connecticut.
Class: RPL
Location: Selkirk, NY (North Departure Yard)
Photo Date: ?-93
Photographer: John Durant     Added: September 1, 1999

Class: RPL
Location: Ontario, CA
Photo Date: 8-91
Photographer: Chris Butts     Added: September 1, 1999

CR 359034 is in a fresh paint of Conrail yellow and brown.
Class: RPL
Location: Tucson, AZ
Photo Date: 10-81
Photographer: Bill Whitfield     Added: July 5, 2005

The BE55C class of boxcars were built in 1967 by American Car & Foundry for Erie Lackawanna. All 150 cars had ACF's Freight-Saver cushion underframes. Some of the cars were insulated.
Class: BE55C
Location: Selkirk, NY (CP-SK)
Photo Date: 10-97
Photographer: Mike Rose     Added: September 3, 2001

Another BE55C, though Lon couldn't remember where he shot it.
Class: BE55C
Location: Unknown
Photo Date: ?-98
Photographer: Lon Godshall     Added: October 22, 1998

In 1967, Pacific Car and Foundry built the 133B class for New York Central, placing them in series NYC 78490-78519. Later, Penn Central renumbered these cars as series PC 360480-360506. Conrail renumbered them as 360480-360506, but mixed former Erie Lackawanna cars into this series as well. In 1976, Conrail placed into series CR 360803-360817 those cars that still had their NYC numbers.
Class: 133B
Location: Unknown
Photo Date: Unknown
Photographer: Mike Rose     Added: July 5, 2005

The class BL55B insulated boxcars were built in 1969 by Despatch Shops, Inc., for Lehigh Valley. CR 360736 is former LV 7172. Conrail repainted and renumbered in June 1981. The BL55B class was in series CR 360704-360753.
Class: BL55B
Location: Fogelsville, PA
Photo Date: ?-98
Photographer: Lon Godshall     Added: October 22, 1998

The 935B were built in 1964 as New York Central 50' boxcars in series NYC 78800-78949. By 1995, CR 361081 is showing its age.
Class: 935B
Location: East Cambridge, MA
Photo Date: 4-30-95
Photographer: Dave Santos     Added: September 3, 2001

In the 1990's, Conrail acquired a group of twenty Evans 53' double plug-door boxcars from Evans Railcar Leasing Company (USLX). Conrail did quick stencil job on them and placed them in series CR 368600-368619.
Class: None
Location: West Falls, PA
Photo Date: 7-98
Photographer: Robert Palmer     Added: August 23, 1998

Another in the group of 20 cars Conrail purchased second-hand from Evans leasing arm. CR 368611 is painted in the traditional Evan blue but with painted-over heralds and CR stencils.
Class: None
Location: Sayre, PA
Photo Date: 3-01
Photographer: Mike Collins     Added: October 28, 2002

Conrail was able to repaint a few of the 20 cars they purchased from Evans leasing, repainting CR 368615 in the basic Conrail scheme. The paint has bled through stencils used for the Conrail herald.
Class: None
Location: Sayre, PA
Photo Date: 9-00
Photographer: Tom Honnan     Added: October 28, 2002

These are 69'-6" insulated boxcars were built by Fruit Grower's Express in Alexandria, Virginia in 1977. They were the only insulated boxcars built for Conrail, the rest being inherited from predecessors or purchased second-hand. Nearly every car was painted with the large Conrail logo. The cars are equipped with a massive 14' single plug door. Cars saw assigned service, with some being used in beer service. CR 376072 was repainted at Buffalo, NY in December 1983.
Class: B65A
Location: Chapman Yard, PA
Photo Date: 2-16-97
Photographer: Lon Godshall     Added: October 22, 1998

Another typical B65A but notice the end reporting marks have been painted over
Class: B65A
Location: Alliance, OH
Photo Date: ?-04
Photographer: Chris Crook     Added: July 5, 2005

Class: B65A
Location: Galesburg, IL
Photo Date: 10-26-99
Photographer: Mike Rose     Added: September 3, 2001

CR 377005 is part of a group of insulated boxcars purchased used HELM Financial Corporation's leasing arm, HLMX. Built in November 1968, CR 377005 is former HLMX 8901.
Class: None
Location: Altoona, PA
Photo Date: ?-98
Photographer: Lon Godshall     Added: October 22, 1998