In 1951, the Lehigh Valley purchased 14 SW9's from EMD, assigning them to LV 280-293. Only nine units survived onto Conrail as CR 8931-8938 (LV 280-287) and CR 8939 (LV 293).
Location: Oak Island, NJ
Photo Date: 2-12-77
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

Painted in a later single-stripe scheme, LV 283 has received its Conrail stencils and renumbering. It's working South Amboy.
Location: South Amboy, NJ
Photo Date: 2-12-77
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

The only clue that this photo was taken during the Conrail era is the blue caboose behind LV 284 and CNJ 1081 SW7. LV 284 would be renumbered as CR 8935, whereas CNJ 1081 would take CR 8869.
Location: Harsimus Cove, NJ
Photo Date: 5-1-77
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

LV 285 wears the final Lehigh Valley scheme on their switchers. It would become CR 8936. It's working Brills Jct, which was just outside the large Oak Island facility.
Location: Newark, NJ (Brills Junction)
Photo Date: 2-12-77
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: August 4, 2001

In what seems to have been a common practice among Lehigh Valley switchers painted in the three-stripe scheme, Conrail crews simply applied a CR stencil, leaving the original scheme intact, and placed CR numbers directly over the LV numbers on the cab, as seen here on xLV 8937.
Location: Port Reading, NJ
Photo Date: 6-78
Photographer: Bob Dobrowolski     Added: October 15, 1998

The last in the former Lehigh Valley SW9 series that Conrail inherited, xLV 8939 (former LV 292) displays another of the interesting LV-applied Conrail stencils, complete with small road numbers and CR markings.
Location: Allentown, PA
Photo Date: 10-28-78
Photographer: Bob Dobrowolski     Added: October 15, 1998

CR 8939 (former LV 292) had recently been repainted in the Conrail Quality scheme. In the early 1990's, CR 8929 had been used for some time as the switcher for the Hershey Chocolate facility in Hershey until the SW9's were removed from service, being replaced with SW1500's.
Location: Hershey, PA (East Derry Road)
Photo Date: 8-94
Photographer: Robert Waller     Added: January 18, 2022

Another shot of CR 8939 on the same day, this time from the conductor's side. The crew is on the eastbound track of the Harrisburg Line at Derry Road, waiting for an approaching westbound to pass by and clear the eastbound-to-westbound crossover.
Location: Hershey, PA (East Derry Road)
Photo Date: 8-94
Photographer: Robert Waller     Added: January 18, 2022

Since CR 8939 was waiting at the crossover, I popped around and took a shot of the engineer's side of the unit. It wasn't often that I could take shots of all sides of a locomotive on the same day.
Location: Hershey, PA (East Derry Road)
Photo Date: 8-94
Photographer: Robert Waller     Added: January 18, 2022

In 1976, Conrail also inherited several Central Railroad of New Jersey SW9's. Originally numbered CNJ 1084-1094, Conrail renumbered them as CR 8951-8961. Here we see xCNJ 8951 (former CNJ 1084), which was built in 1951, alongside the shops in Elizabethport.
Location: Elizabethport, NJ
Photo Date: 6-23-77
Photographer: Arnie Morscher     Added: May 5, 2000

Former CNJ 1092 SW9.
Location: Enola, PA
Photo Date: ?-86
Photographer: Ralph Molesworth     Added: April 27, 2016

In the 1990's, when a Conrail locomotive entered the shops for major repairs, Conrail repainted it into the Quality scheme. Here we see CR 8970 in such a scheme. Originally, the unit was owned by the New York Central and then Penn Central. Through all three owners, it owned the same road number.
Location: McKees Rocks, PA
Photo Date: 6-4-94
Photographer: Arnie Morscher     Added: June 3, 1999

Location: Unknown
Photo Date: ?-94
Photographer: Arnie Morscher     Added: June 3, 1999

An interesting note is the variety of spark arrestors on Conrail's SW9 switchers. Predecessor roads applied most of the arrestors, though Conrail often removed them over the course of years. Here we see CR 8987, a former PC/NYC switcher, in fresh blue displaying a very odd set of home-made arrestors.
Location: Unknown
Photo Date: Unknown
Photographer: Steve Geisler     Added: March 17, 2000

It looks like CR 8995 (former PC 8995, nee NYC) has taken some damage to the lower portion of the cab. Most likely it occurred during a switching job. Notice also that the spark arrestor covers have been removed from the exhaust stacks.
Location: Philadelphia, PA (Frankford Junction)
Photo Date: 6-81
Photographer: John Bondura     Added: June 4, 2002

CR 8996 is surrounded by other interesting locomotives, such as an F7A and LV 626 C-628 at Cleveland, Ohio during November 1976. Those pilot stripes are yet another Penn Central "variation" Conrail inherited during its early days.
Location: Cleveland, OH
Photo Date: 11-76
Photographer: Roger Durfee     Added: November 17, 2004

Location: Detroit, MI
Photo Date: 11-29-81
Photographer: Earl Minnis     Added: September 26, 2004

EL 435 is at rest on the Southern Tier with cabin.
Location: Southern Tier
Photo Date: 6-14-77
Photographer: Arnie Morscher     Added: May 5, 2000

Former EL/ERIE 437
Location: Meadville, PA
Photo Date: 6-14-77
Photographer: Arnie Morscher     Added: December 9, 2018

It's only a few months after the formation of Conrail, so it was common to see many locomotives still in their original paint schemes.
Location: Croxton, NJ
Photo Date: 7-17-76
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

Here we see EL 438 from the other end and side.
Location: Croxton, NJ
Photo Date: 7-17-76
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

CR 9015 is former EL 439 renumbered for Conrail and with CR stencils.
Location: Croxton, NJ
Photo Date: 3-19-78
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

Another view of former EL 439 taken on the same day as the photo above.
Location: Croxton, NJ
Photo Date: 3-19-78
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

Location: Croxton, NJ
Photo Date: 6-27-76
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

Check the spelling of "Conrail" on the hood. Former EL 451/DL&W 556.
Location: Macedonia, OH
Photo Date: 3-28-92
Photographer: Arnie Morscher     Added: January 8, 1999

What a classic scene from the early weeks of Conrail. An EL SW9 in excellent shape pulling different styles of Penn Central and Erie Lackawanna cabooses and a string of new subway cars being delivered on flatcars.
Location: Unknown
Photo Date: 7-5-76
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

Its number boards are missing in the headlight.
Location: Croxton, NJ
Photo Date: 9-19-77
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: December 1, 1999

Former EL 455 (DL&W 560).
Location: Meadville, PA
Photo Date: 6-13-77
Photographer: Arnie Morscher     Added: May 5, 2000

Former PC 9096 (nee-PRR 8870). Note the plated windows on the cab.
Location: Cleveland, OH
Photo Date: 10-29-77
Photographer: Arnie Morscher     Added: May 5, 2000

Location: Wilmington, DE
Photo Date: 5-14-77
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

Location: Wilmington, DE
Photo Date: 5-14-77
Photographer: Joe Testagrose     Added: October 23, 2020

Former PC 9121. I caught this locomotive in the most unusual place--a scrapper in Georgia. The unit had been off roster for at least several years. I was surprised how intact it was. To the right is a retired D&RGW SW1500.
Location: Waycross, GA
Photo Date: 10-99
Photographer: Robert Waller     Added: March 17, 2000

Location: Waycross, GA
Photo Date: 10-99
Photographer: Robert Waller     Added: March 17, 2000

Former PC 9134 SW9 is shown at Canton, Ohio, with the full Conrail name on the side instead of the common "CR" treatment.
Location: Canton, OH
Photo Date: 3-28-81
Photographer: Roger Durfee     Added: December 14, 2002