CR 8403 began its life on the Chicago River & Indiana Railroad, which was a switching and terminal railroad in Chicago. In 1922, the New York Central took control of the rail lines around the Union Stock Yards and the industries surrounding it. The CR&I was one of those railroads the NYC acquired. Even though it was part of the NYC, the CR&I kept its own numbering for its units. With the merger of PRR and NYC into Penn Central in 1968, the small fleet of CR&I switchers was integrated into Penn Central's numbering scheme but retaining its CR&I reporting marks, becoming CR&I 8403. For the most part, Conrail kept Penn Central's numbering series for the new railroad's SW1 series. Where a PC SW1 had been retired from the roster prior to 1976, Conrail placed an SW1 from another of its predecessors into that slot. Therefore, Conrail's SW1 roster can be so chaotic at times, even though it is dominated by former Penn Central units.
Location: Chicago, IL
Photo Date: 8-4-78
Photographer: Bob Dobrowolski     Added: October 23, 1999

The Central Railroad of New Jersey originally rostered eight SW1's numbered 1009-1012, 8400, 8404, 8405, and 8415. Those numbered 1009-1012 were built in 1942 and delivered in CNJ's standard dark green paint with the Statue of Liberty herald on the cab, as can be seen here on CNJ 1011, which has yet to receive its Conrail number and stencils. Somewhere along the line, however, 8407 had some of its handrails repainted into Conrail white, while others retained their original CNJ yellow.
Location: Kearny, NJ
Photo Date: 1-30-77
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

CNJ 1010, pictured above, has been repainted into Conrail blue but on the cheap. No Conrail heralds, just a standard CR stencil. The "4" has also worn off the cab number on this side.
Location: Elizabethport, NJ
Photo Date: 6-78
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

It seems the SW1's that were repainted in northern New Jersey got non-stnadard Conrail schemes, as seen here on CR 8408.
Location: Elizabethport, NJ
Photo Date: 8-27-78
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

CNJ 1012, the fourth of the original CNJ SW1's, got a complete Conrail repaint as CR 8408, but by the early 1980's it had been placed in storage along with many other of Conrail's "oddball" locomotive models.
Location: Elizabethport, NJ
Photo Date: ?-83
Photographer: Scott Wisner     Added: May 5, 2004

The Central Railroad of New Jersey SW1's that were numbered in the 8400-series (8400, 8404, 8405, and 8415) were built in 1940 for the Baltimore & Ohio and were then leased to the CNJ. As a result, these four switchers were painted in B&O's blue with yellow trim. The units had the CNJ statue herald on the sides of the cab, with its number below. The herald on these four units was smaller, the road number was larger in the B&O font, and both herald and numbers were painted in the brighter B&O yellow. Here CR 8415, which retains its old CNJ/B&O number which fit into Penn Central's SW1 numbering scheme, has received its CR stencils. In the background sits an old CNJ passenger car.
Location: Elizabethport, NJ
Photo Date: 12-17-77
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

The engineer side of this CR-stenciled and renumbered former Central Railroad of New Jersey SW1 has completely lost its white Conrail numbers on the engineer side of the cab. Compare this side to the fireman/conductor side in the photo above.
Location: Elizabethport, NJ
Photo Date: 8-27-78
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

This paint-out job on the cab is very unusual and seems to only have been done on some LV switchers. Former LV 115.
Location: Allentown, PA
Photo Date: 6-19-77
Photographer: Arnie Morscher     Added: September 16, 1998

This is former CR&I 8420 in its CR stencils switching the Amtrak yard.
Location: Chicago, IL
Photo Date: 8-1-78
Photographer: Bob Dobrowolski     Added: October 23, 1999

Location: Chicago, IL
Photo Date: 9-24-79
Photographer: Glen Beans     Added: August 6, 2001

Another former PC unit with its CR stencils works the Chicago passenger terminal yard.
Location: Chicago, IL
Photo Date: 6-82
Photographer: Gary Morris     Added: August 16, 2002

Conrail SW1 8470 is at the engine house in Hartford, CT, sometime in mid-1978. The switcher still has its NYC numbers with white running board paint showing through. Check the boxcars behind and the ex EL RS-3 at the left edge of the photo.
Location: Hartford, CT
Photo Date: ?-78
Photographer: Carl Weber     Added: November 18, 2007

Location: Philadelphia, PA (Frankford Jct)
Photo Date: 4-78
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

Location: Philadelphia, PA (Frankford Jct)
Photo Date: 4-78
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

By the looks of it, this Penn Central SW1 (PC 8503) never got CR stencils before being placed in storage in Altoona.
Location: Altoona, PA
Photo Date: 6-25-77
Photographer: Arnie Morscher     Added: January 8, 1999

The last unit in the Penn Central series, PC/PRR 8533 never seemed to have gotten fully repainted by Penn Central, though it did get its cab numbers repainted in the PC font using PRR yellow, which makes for an interesting look. Conrail crews did apply CR stencils but left the original yellow cab numbers intact. Talk was that this was the last PRR-painted locomotive still on Penn Central/Conrail property and the crews just could not fully paint over the old heralds. In this photo, you can just make out the remnants of PRR's original PRR 1900 series number next to the headlight. Heck, it still has its original canvas radiator cover.
Location: Albany, NY
Photo Date: 6-80
Photographer: John Sieber     Added: February 3, 2004

The Reading Company liked to apply spark arrestors on their SW1's, as can be seen in this and other photos. This is a spotting feature of former RDG units when repainted blue, if any were repainted. Former RDG 22.
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Photo Date: 4-18-79
Photographer: Bob Dobrowolski     Added: September 19, 1998

RDG 23 sits in storage but has not been renumbered into its Conrail series.
Location: Altoona, PA
Photo Date: 6-25-77
Photographer: Arnie Morscher     Added: September 16, 1998

Location: Unknown
Photo Date: 4-78
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

The original Penn Central numbers are still on the unit.
Location: Unknown
Photo Date: 12-27-79
Photographer: John Prock     Added: September 10, 2003

Location: Unknown
Photo Date: 4-78
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020