CR 7600 was part of an unsuccessful GP38 rebuild program that began and ended in late 1993 with only two units rebuilt from five purchased from CSX. The first unit rebuilt was CR 7600 (ex-CSX 2095, former-C&O 3895). The second rebuilt unit was CR 7604 (ex-CSX 2084, former-C&O 3884). Both were added to the Conrail roster on 11/30/93. The three other units that were purchased but never completed the program were CSX 2047, CSX 2183, and CSX 2054. These were to be CR 7601-7603 respectively. On 12/21/93, Conrail added these numbers to the roster but removed them on 2/8/94. Both CR 7600 and CR 7604 were painted in the Quality scheme. Here we see CR 7600 as the lead unit on eastbound NSAL (NS/Hagerstown, MD - Allentown, PA) as it rolled through Wyomissing. The two trailing NS units were NS 8645 C39-8 and NS 8858 C40-9. Seems odd to have a rebuilt GP38 to lead this trio!
Location: Wyomissing, PA
Photo Date: 7-95
Photographer: Robert Waller     Added: March 1, 2022

Unlike other railroads that liked to rebuild and tweak their locomotives to extend their lives or improve performance, Conrail never seemed to have that luxury. During the 1980's, Conrail focused more on retiring its aged fleet of odd-ball predecessor locomotives and buying newer models. In 1984, however, Conrail briefly experimented with rebuilding their massive fleet of GP35's into more modernized GP38's. The program produced only one locomotive: CR 7635. For more information on this locomotive and the rebuild program, see the GP38 Prototype Information page. Here in 1990, CR 7635 is still painted in Conrail's standard scheme from the 1980's.
Location: Cleveland, OH
Photo Date: 2-3-90
Photographer: Arnie Morscher     Added: January 8, 1999

Here we see that CR 7635 has been repainted in since it was rebuilt from a GP35 in 1984. The number boards are now black numbers on a white background. A white safety stripe has also been applied along the side walkways, but oddly it does not run the entire length of the long hood and it should. A big thanks to The Model Railroad Club in Lenape Park, Union Township, New Jersey, for allowing me to re-post their photo for the past 20+ years.
Location: North Bergen, NJ
Photo Date: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown     Added: January 8, 1999

CR 7658 has been repainted in the Quality Scheme and is working at Asthtabula Harbor Yard coupled in front of GP38-2 8193, which also sports its Quality scheme. Notice the different sizes of the logos between these two units.
Location: Ashtabula, OH (Ashtabula Harbor Yard)
Photo Date: 8-14-96
Photographer: Dave Trenn     Added: July 17, 2021

Conrail inherited several dual-control-stand GP38's from the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines. To accommodate the stands, EMD built the cab section so that it extended over part of the short hood. The Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines placed these units in series PRSL 2000-2009. Conrail renumbered them into series CR 7660-7669. By this time in 1981, former PRSL 2005 had CR stencils applied and was renumbered as CR 7665. However, the shop crew did not paint out the old PRSL number on the cab. Instead, they simply applied its new number directly over its old number. Conrail has also applied a new can signal box to the short hood, which it did on all units in this series.
Location: Enola, PA
Photo Date: ?-81
Photographer: Tom Wolfgang     Added: May 27, 1998

Eight years after the creation of Conrail, #7665 is still in its CR stencils. The cab signal box does look newer than the one shown in earlier photos.
Location: Philadelphia, PA (Frankford Junction)
Photo Date: 2-84
Photographer: John Bondura     Added: June 4, 2002

In November 1970, the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines took delivery of an additional five GP38's that had been ordered three months earlier. These five units also had dual control stands and extended cabs. Originally numbered and painted for the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines when they rolled out of the shop, reportedly they had their PRSL heralds painted out and the Penn Central logo applied to the nose. The PRSL was bankrupt by this time, so the Penn Central, a part-parent company of the PRSL, had to step in to finance the units. Ironically, the Penn Central was also bankrupt, but banks considered its credit to be better than the PRSL's credit. One unit, PC 2010, did have the full PC herald applied to the long hood in its normal location but did not have "Penn Central" spelled out along the center of the long hood. Here we see former PC 7672 (PC 2012) in its CR stencils. Not long before Conrail, the Penn Central had renumbered these five GP38's from series 2010-2014 into series PC 7670-7674. Conrail kept these units in the same series, so they did not have to apply new numbers. However, Conrail did paint out the old PC heralds and apply CR stencils. Oddly, #7672 got its conductor-side CR stencil applied to the blower, where the PRSL logo typically appeared. Of course, this unit never had a PRSL logo in the first place. The CR stencil on the engineer side is at the rear of the long hood, where they typically went when the large PC herald was painted out. Of course, this unit never had that large PC logo either.
Location: Enola, PA
Photo Date: ?-81
Photographer: Tom Wolfgang     Added: May 27, 1998

Here we can see that on the engineer's side of the long hood, the CR stencil was placed in its "proper" location on the long hood compared to the stencil on the conductor's side. Interestingly, xPC 7672 GP38 is coupled with xPC 2250 GP35, which was the first GP35 Penn Central had ordered.
Location: Philadelphia, PA (Frankford Junction)
Photo Date: 5-3-82
Photographer: John Bondura     Added: June 4, 2002

Here we see the fifth and final of the Penn Central (former PRSL) GP38's with dual control stands fully repainted into Conrail blue, but with some interesting modifications. The number boards are still white numbers on a black background, but the unit has a white safety stripe along the side. Probably, this was its second coat of blue but not a complete overhaul of the paint. Of greater interest is the addition of an all-weather cab on the engineer's window. The "snow broom" is just a nice touch to round out the wintery scene.
Location: Northfield, OH
Photo Date: 2-28-93
Photographer: Roger Durfee     Added: March 28, 2003

This overhead shot of CR 7703 from the West 6th Street Bridge in Cleveland, OH, allows us to see the effects of rust-colored grime deposits on the roofs and walkways. This occurred on their GP38's, GP38-2's, and some General Electric Dash-7 models.
Location: Cleveland, OH
Photo Date: 8-24-90
Photographer: Arnie Morscher     Added: January 8, 1999

CR 7710 is still in its original paint scheme.
Location: Ashtabula, OH (Ashtabula Harbor Yard)
Photo Date: 5-5-92
Photographer: Dave Trenn     Added: December 24, 2005

CR 7727 was a regular unit operating in the Reading, PA, area. Just a few months earlier the unit had been repainted into the Conrail Quality scheme, but the rust-grime is already showing up. Of course, some areas of the unit did have real rust, which Conrail simply painted over. (Sand blasting a unit down to its bare metal was time and money consuming, being reserved for units that had to be rebuilt after a wreck or major overhaul. Most Conrail locomotives simply got a scrub down and then a fresh coat of paint. Unfortunately, the rust eventually came back and can be seen here in areas around the battery boxes. CR 7727 is former PC 7727 built for Penn Central in 1969.
Location: Wyomissing, PA
Photo Date: 3-26-96
Photographer: Robert Waller     Added: July 15, 2021

During the late 1990's, Conrail repainted a number of locomotives for service in Operation Lifesaver, which sought to increase the public's awareness of grade crossing safety. Conrail repainted ten GP15's, one GP35 (which lasted only one year), five GP38's, and seven GP38-2's. When not in Operation Lifesaver duty, many of the locomotives could be found on regular merchandise trains, often in transit to locations around the system where Operation Lifesaver demonstrations were to be performed. If you'd like more information about Operation Lifesaver today, please check their current website.
Location: Norristown, PA (Abrams Yard)
Photo Date: 3-29-98
Photographer: John Schodowski     Added: October 23, 1998

CR 7739 is running around Reading Yard on the old Reading Company mainline. The old Reading Company car shops are in the background, which is where Conrail refurbished and repainted many of their inherited cabooses.
Location: Reading, PA (Reading Yard)
Photo Date: 7-2-98
Photographer: John Schodowski     Added: November 10, 2018

This is probably the unit's third paint scheme since being delivered in 1969 to the Penn Central as PC 7744.
Location: Wyomissing, PA
Photo Date: 1-8-97
Photographer: Robert Waller     Added: October 15, 1998

Penn Central sometimes equipped locomotives with all-weather cabs in the engineer's window so the engineer could see down the tracks or along the train without opening his window during bad or cold weather. Conrail sometimes applied these windows, but it was more an old Penn Central practice.
Location: Unknown
Photo Date: Unknown
Photographer: Arnie Morscher     Added: November 26, 1998

The all-weather window on xPC 7798 is an odd design not seen on other Conrail locomotives.
Location: Mansfield, OH
Photo Date: 3-18-78
Photographer: Arnie Morscher     Added: June 4, 1999

CR 7798 has crossed the border into Canadian service.
Location: Windsor, Ontario (Canada)
Photo Date: 7-28-85
Photographer: Earl Minnis     Added: September 26, 2004

Conrail completely painted out some Penn Central locomotive logos, while other units barely got their's covered, as on this GP38. Over time the hastily applied black would wear off the logos, but Steve caught this unit in 1978. You can barely see the CR stencils in the PC logo. (This photo had been at the CRCyc over 20 years ago and was lost during on of the site's crash. Recently, I recovered the image but it has some damage. I have reposted it regardless since it is a historical photo 40+ years later.)
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Photo Date: 4-78
Photographer: Steve Geisler     Added: November 18, 2020

CR 7853 (former PC 7853) was working in local service when Ben Vernille shot this with his new 35mm camera back when he was just a kid.
Location: Fairport, NY
Photo Date: 12-82
Photographer: Ben Vernille     Added: October 7, 2007

Here we see CR 7853 pulling away from Ben's location.
Location: Fairport, NY
Photo Date: 12-82
Photographer: Ben Vernille     Added: October 7, 2007

Why someone quickly applied vinyl decals spelling "LHR" on the side of the cab of CR 7978 (former PC 7878) is unknown, but from other photos John shot earlier that year in Allentown we can assume it was a prank against Norfolk Southern and CSX, which were getting ready to divide and absorb Conrail into their railroads. The L&HR Lehigh & Hudson River) was a small Conrail predecessor that used to operate in Eastern PA 22 years prior to when John snapped the photo.
Location: Allentown, PA
Photo Date: 3-7-99
Photographer: John Prock     Added: April 1, 2001

Here is a closer view of the engineer's cab window and the mysterious LHR decals.
Location: Allentown, PA
Photo Date: 3-7-99
Photographer: John Prock     Added: April 1, 2001

It's two years after the creation of Conrail and PC 7880 appears untouched, but upon closer inspection the PC nose herald might have been hit with a CR stencil. The rest of the locomotive, at least, shows no sign of Conrail tampering.
Location: Croxton, NJ
Photo Date: 9-11-78
Photographer: Bob Dobrowolski     Added: September 5, 1999

Nearly 21 years after Conrail, CR 7880 has been painted at least a couple times in Conrail blue. Here it is seen in the updated Conrail scheme, with white safety stripe and white number boards. CR 7880 was a regular locomotive in the Reading, PA, area during the 1990's. Here on an overcast, winter day CR 7880 is a middle unit on eastbound HBBE (Harrisburg, PA to Bethlehem, PA) coming out of Reading yard, where is had set off a cut of cars in the yard, which was typical for this train. It's heading east through CP Belt and is heading up the Blandon Lowgrade on its way to the Lehigh Line and its destination in Bethlehem, PA. Behind CR 7880 is CR 8121 GP38-2 and in front of it is CR 7885 pictured below.
Location: Reading, PA (CP Belt)
Photo Date: 2-13-97
Photographer: Robert Waller     Added: October 15, 1998

xPC 7885 (former PC 7885) is running with PC 8073 GP38-2 and an unknown ALCo RS unit. As photos taken 20 years later show, Conrail eventually removed the cab shades from 7885 but added a wind deflector, new radio antenna, and a snow plow.
Location: Danbury, CT
Photo Date: 8-27-77
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

As mentioned in the caption for CR 7880 above, CR 7885 was part of the consist pulling HBBE (Harrisburg, PA - Bethlehem, PA) that afternoon. Amazingly, the unit is still in its original Conrail paint scheme, with no safety stripes, no ditch lights, and black number boards.
Location: Reading, PA (CP Belt)
Photo Date: 2-13-97
Photographer: Robert Waller     Added: April 28, 1999

CR 7885 has become part of Norfolk Southern but has yet to be touched by that railroad. CR 7885 ended its long history on Conrail still in its original coat of blue paint. Once again, CR 7885 is setting off cars, this time in Hershey, PA, for the famous Hershey Chocolate plant.
Location: Hershey, PA
Photo Date: 6-15-99
Photographer: Robert Waller     Added: July 15, 2021

Setting off cars for the Hershey plant took some time, so we get another angle of CR 7885 as the sun kept peeking in and out of the clouds that day.
Location: Hershey, PA
Photo Date: 6-15-99
Photographer: Robert Waller     Added: July 15, 2021

Having finished setting of its cut of cars for the Hershey plant, CR 7885 along with a consist of Norfolk Southern units, reverses to couple up with the rest of its train. The conductor watches us as he passes by. That would be the last time I would see CR 7885, which is why I took several photos of her that day.
Location: Hershey, PA
Photo Date: 6-15-99
Photographer: Robert Waller     Added: July 15, 2021

It looks as if the 7888 had never even gotten a CR stencil over its logos nor had them painted out, though Conrail did slap on a blue maintenance assignment sticker onto the cab.
Location: Painesville, OH
Photo Date: 2-27-82
Photographer: Roger Durfee     Added: October 24, 2002

CR 7890 is in tow on an eastbound on the Harrisburg Line into Reading Yard.
Location: West Reading, PA (Valley Junction)
Photo Date: 9-95
Photographer: Robert Waller     Added: March 14, 2022

While we usually associate Operation Lifesaver locomotives with the large Operation Lifesaver logos on the long hood, CR 7895 only got a small Operation Lifesaver sticker on the front battery box cover.
Location: Wyomissing, PA
Photo Date: 2-97
Photographer: Robert Waller     Added: May 8, 1998

Yellow painted nose for grade crossing visibilty for this unit assigned to local duty. As far as I know, this is the only engine to get the yellow.
Location: Bound Brook, NJ
Photo Date: 2-6-94
Photographer: Robert Waller Collection     Added: November 18, 2020

In February 1999, not long before Norfolk Southern and CSX divided Conrail, John caught CR 7899 sporting hastily applied "CNJ" decals on the engineer's cab. CNJ was the old Central Railroad of New Jersey, which operated out of Eastern PA and was part of Conrail. CR 7878 above had LHR decals in the same place. Someone in the area was pulling some pranks on NS and CSX, harkening back to the early contemptuous years of Conrail. Ironically, neither railroad owned GP38's.
Location: Allentown, PA
Photo Date: 2-13-99
Photographer: John Prock     Added: April 1, 2001

Location: Cedar Hill, CT
Photo Date: 2-13-78
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

While CR 7904 (former PC 7904) looks like the GP38's that the Penn Central acquired from the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Line, it was not ordered for the PRSL. Instead, Penn Central ordered these units in 1971 for specialized service mostly in the Mingo area of Ohio. Like the PRSL units, they have no dynamic brakes but have dual control stands and extended cabs so crew could walk in front of the stands. Unlike the PRSL units, these units did not get cab signal boxes. Even though the locomotives could be operated in either direction, Conrail still designated the short hood as the Front.
Location: Ashtabula, OH
Photo Date: 3-3-92
Photographer: Dave Trenn     Added: April 7, 2005

CR 7905 (former PC 7905) is part of the small 1971 Penn Central order of dual control stand GP38's. As can be seen, they served on Conrail until the very end.
Location: Unknown
Photo Date: 5-31-99
Photographer: Shawn Noe     Added: September 1, 1999

Another shot of CR 7905 taken from the engineer's side.
Location: Unknown
Photo Date: 5-31-99
Photographer: Shawn Noe     Added: September 1, 1999

7922 still has its old style number boards.
Location: Ashtabula, OH (Ashtabula Harbor Yard)
Photo Date: 8-26-93
Photographer: Dave Trenn     Added: July 17, 2021

CR 7923 (former PC 7923) was one the last G38's Penn Central had ordered in 1971. He we see it in its original Conrail paint scheme in 1983.
Location: Massena, NY
Photo Date: ?-83
Photographer: Paul Charland     Added: May 12, 2000

Former PC 7926.
Location: Terre Haute, IN
Photo Date: 4-10-98
Photographer: Mike Dettmers     Added: July 15, 2021

Former PC 7927 repainted in Quality scheme.
Location: Terre Haute, IN
Photo Date: 4-10-98
Photographer: Mike Dettmers     Added: July 15, 2021

Engineer cab of CR 7927.
Location: Terre Haute, IN
Photo Date: 4-10-98
Photographer: Mike Dettmers     Added: July 15, 2021

Engineer-side of cab.
Location: Terre Haute, IN
Photo Date: 4-10-98
Photographer: Mike Dettmers     Added: July 15, 2021

Close-up of horns and number boards.
Location: Terre Haute, IN
Photo Date: 4-10-98
Photographer: Mike Dettmers     Added: July 15, 2021

Engineer-side of cab.
Location: Terre Haute, IN
Photo Date: 4-10-98
Photographer: Mike Dettmers     Added: July 15, 2021

Close-up of trucks.
Location: Terre Haute, IN
Photo Date: 4-10-98
Photographer: Mike Dettmers     Added: July 15, 2021

Nose of CR 7927.
Location: Terre Haute, IN
Photo Date: 4-10-98
Photographer: Mike Dettmers     Added: July 15, 2021

Former PC 7929.
Location: Terre Haute, IN
Photo Date: 4-10-98
Photographer: Mike Dettmers     Added: July 15, 2021

Front pilot.
Location: Terre Haute, IN
Photo Date: 4-10-98
Photographer: Mike Dettmers     Added: July 15, 2021

Former PC 7931.
Location: Terre Haute, IN
Photo Date: 4-10-98
Photographer: Mike Dettmers     Added: July 15, 2021

xPC 7937 still wears her PC black at Collinwood.
Location: Cleveland, OH (Collinwood Yard)
Photo Date: 11-79
Photographer: Roger Durfee     Added: December 3, 2005

The last of the series is running on local WIAS-11 (Way freight / Indianapolis Division / Ashtabula, OH). Notice how the pilot and fuel tank on CR 7939 are heavily rusted.
Location: Ashtabula, OH
Photo Date: 9-29-88
Photographer: Dave Trenn     Added: February 3, 2004