Conrail Publication Archives

In celebration of Conrail’s 50th anniversary, I’m pleased to share my growing collection of historic Conrail publications from my personal archives, scanned and preserved as PDF documents for public access. These original Conrail magazines, newsletters, and internal publications offer a fascinating look at railroad industry history from the late 1970s through the late 1990s, featuring photography, firsthand stories, and insights into daily life on the railroad. This project was inspired by sharing individual scanned pages with former Conrail employees and friends, many of whom hadn’t seen these publications in decades, and by the desire to make this valuable railroad history accessible to a wider audience.

If you have Conrail publications available for sale or donation, I would be grateful for the opportunity to help preserve them. I’m always looking to fill gaps in the collection below, whether it’s missing issues, special editions, or lesser-known internal publications. My goal is to continue expanding this archive so more of Conrail’s printed history can be scanned, preserved, and shared with future generations of railroad historians, employees, and enthusiasts.

Conrail logo, publications, and content Copyright © By Consolidated Rail Corporation. All Rights Reserved. The PDFs of these Conrail publications are provided by Wes Reminder for historical and educational reasons only.

Quick Links to Specific Publications:

Conrail Magazine

Update Magazine

Inside Track Magazine

Hollidaysburg / Juniata Newsletter

Dearborn Division Cross Ties Magazine

Philadelphia Division Conrail People

Pittsburgh Division Information Station Magazine

Mechanically Speaking Magazine

Miscellaneous Newsletters and Magazines

Conrail Magazine 1976 - 1977

Conrail Magazine was published by the Public Affairs Department for employees and families of the Consolidated Rail Corporation. These magazines provide a fascinating look at the early years of Conrail, including the introduction of the iconic Steel Wheels on Rails logo. Chronicling the formation and early direction of the railroad, Conrail Magazine offers firsthand insight into the events, challenges, and milestones that shaped the company during the late 1970s, making it one of the best resources for understanding the origins of Conrail.

The first Conrail magazine - Volume 1, Issue 1, April 1, 1976 - A look at the new railroad, its management team, and start-up from its Philadelphia headquarters.

The first Conrail magazine - Volume 1, Issue 2, June-July 1976 - The brand-new Steel Wheels on Rails logo, installation of 727 miles of welded rail, day one recap, and more.

Volume 1, Issue 3, August/September 1976 - Conrail Maintenance of Equipment department, Conrail Police K-9s, and more.

Volume 1, Issue 4, October/November 1976 - The Conrail team, local deliveries, Unit Grain trains, the new Conrail flag, and more.

Volume 2, Issue 1, January/Feburary 1977 - Conrail's Avon Yard, an eye on safety, the Conrail calendar, and more.

Volume 2, Issue 2, March/April 1977 - Article from Edward G. Jordan (Conrail's first CEO), how employees view the new railroad, and more.

Volume 2, Issue 3, May/June 1977 - The Communications & Signals Training school in Columbus, the mobile train simulator, Schlitz Beer, and more.

Volume 2, Issue 5, December 1977 - Conrail employee photo contest winners, the blackout of 1977, the move to more reliable motive power, and more.

Volume 3, Issue 3, October 1978 - Conrail's DeWitt yard, EEO, United Way campaign, safety training, and more.

Volume 3, Issue 4, December 1978 - The Conrail Idea Express, damage prevention, and more.

Conrail Update Magazine

Conrail Update magazine was published by the Public Affairs Department, in cooperation with the Sales and Marketing departments, and was intended for Conrail customers. While the exact date of the first issue is unclear to me, the publication was eventually folded into Inside Track magazine in 1990.

Number 22, 1981 - L. Stanley Crane joins Conrail, Bethlehem Steel pipes, and more.

Number 38, 1986 - Conrail celebrates 10th anniversary, transporting REFORGER tanks, intermodal services, and more.

Number 39, Fall 1986 - Conrail moves the circus train, Conrail Police canine unit, and more.

Number 40 - The Staggers Act of 1980, Conrail's Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), and more.

Number 41, 1987 - International transportation, boxcar pooling, managing Conrail locomotives, the move to Philadelphia's Liberty Place, and more.

Number 46, Winter 1989 - Conrail serves Hershey chocolate plant, Agway at Pier 122, and more.

Number 48, Fall 1989 - Moving steel in Detroit, CEO James Hagen maps out 1990, shoreline railroads, and more.

Conrail Inside Track Magazine (new format) 1990 - 1999

Conrail initially had Update magazine and a large-format Inside Track magazine, and they were combined and reformatted beginning with the November/December 1990 issue. Conrail describes the transition below:

“Welcome to Conrail's Inside Track magazine. That's right, Inside Track. Beginning this issue, we're introducing an updated de-sign and some new editorial directions, that we think will make Inside Track more responsive to the needs of our readers, and reflect the progressive mood of railroading as we head toward the 21st century.

We've also combined Update, our former customer magazine with Inside Track. Why? Because we believe that Conrail's customers and employees share a common interest: excellent service.

Our customers want excellent service. Our employees want to provide excellent service. Through Inside Track, we'll highlight the strength of that common interest to create a closer bond between our customers and the Conrail employees who serve them. If you are a Conrail customer who used to receive Update magazine, this is your first issue of Inside Track.”

Special Edition, Summer 1990 - Conrail's goals for success in the '90s.

November/December 1990 - Conrail's new C40-8W locomotives, the start of the Continuous Quality Improvement, the circus train, and more.

Spring 1991 - CEO Jim Hagan's commitment to CQI, a look at the Conrail Maintenance of Way shops in Canton, Ohio, PRR artist Grif Teller's works, new turntable-style dumpster flatcars, and more.

Summer 1991 - Conrail's Juniata Locomotive Shops, an emphasis on customer service, the launch of the Conrail Quality paint scheme, and more.

Winter 1991 - Conrail's Harrisburg Division, a historical look at Horseshoe Curve, employee photo contest, a blue for CQI, and more.

Spring 1992 - Conrail's Juniata Locomotive Shops, the Pittsburgh National Customer Service Center, the Southwest Division, and more.

Fall 1992 - Conrail's Ashtabula, Ohio coal docks, new Conrail/Thrall/Inland Steel CoilShield cars employee photo contest, and more.

Winter 1992 - Conrail's asset strategy, natural gas pipeline, the Erie Phoebe Snow, and more.

Spring 1993 - Conrail's new ditch light initiative, the Maumee River Bridge, AEI tags, and more.

Fall 1993 - New business, Triple Crown Service, labor management news, and more.

Winter 1993 - Conrail's Ashtabula, Ohio coal docks, new Conrail/Thrall/Inland Steel CoilShield cars employee photo contest, and more.

January/February 1994 - Conrail's AC traction test with BN SD60MACs, Conrail's Environmental Action, and more.

July/August 1994 - Safety on Conrail's Albany Division, Conrail's Corporate Conference, and more.

September/October 1994 - Conrail's women engineers, bridge inspections, and more.

November/December 1994 - How Conrail shapes services, Airline Terminal Grand Opening, and more.

January/February 1995 - Conrail's camp car cooks, and more.

March/April 1995 - Conrail's Auto Parts Network, Delmarva poultry producers, employee photo contest, and more.

May/June 1995 - Locomotive utilization, a first look at Conrail's SD80MAC paint scheme, and more.

July/August 1995 - Conrail's onboard computer, interlocking towers, crossing safety, Conrail 1621 Just Do It GP15-1, and more.

September/October 1995 - Conrail's CORE traffic, culture shifts, Conrail artists, and more.

January/February 1996 - Conrail's representatives in the nation’s capital, the Albany Division, early PRR intermodal, and more.

July/August 1996 - Conrail's Burns Harbor, Conrail Express, 1996 Corporate Conference, employee photo contest, and more.

20th Anniversary Edition 1996 - A look at Conrail's CEO's, 1996 winter storm, and more.

Conrail Hollidaysburg / Juniata Newsletter

This short Conrail shop newsletter, produced by the Juniata Locomotive Shops and Hollidaysburg Car Shop, focused on employees, daily operations, and major locomotive and railcar projects during the 1990s.

Volume 1 Issue 5, September 1993 - Senior Vice President David Levan visits JLS, paint shop construction, and more.

Volume 1 Issue 6, October 1993 - Conrail's shop craft women, SD40-2R tests, and more.

Volume 2 Issue 1, January 1994 - Hollidaysburg Car Shop insourcing, and more.

Volume 2 Issue 2, February 1994 - New capital purchases, and more.

Volume 2 Issue 4, April 1994 - Miscellaneous Shop #1 fire in April 9, 1981, and more.

Volume 2 Issue 5, May 1994 - Blood donor day, departmental meeting, and more.

Volume 2 Issue 6, June 1994 - JLS Mechanical Dept Quality Improvement Team, team recognition, and more.

Volume 2 Issue 7-8, July/August 1994 - Hollidaysburg Wheel Shop, TTAX paint job, 1994 corporate conference, and more.

Volume 2 Issue 9, September 1994 - Inner-departmental communication, and more.

Volume 2 Issue 11-12, November/December 1994 - Juniata built EMD SD60I, and more.

Volume 3 Issue 1-2, January/February 1995 - Conrail 5595 tests a helper with UP 9259, History of the Altoona Works part 1, and more.

Volume 3 Issue 4, April 1995 - SD60I build updates, constructing the Juniata Locomotive Shop part 3, and more.

Volume 3 Issue 5, May 1995 - History of the Altoona Works Part 4, Conrail Mobile Medical Unit, and more.

Conrail Dearborn Division Cross Ties Magazine

Cross Ties was an award-winning Conrail employee magazine for the Dearborn Division, created to improve internal communication by sharing information on corporate goals, safety programs, labor-management relations, quality, diversity initiatives, and employee and division events.

Volume 2, No. 2, Second Quarter 1993 - Dearborn Division Auto, TV, Mail, and Thru Freight Schedules, Conrail OCS "The Michigan Mercury," MOW Production Gangs, and more.

Volume 4, No. 3, Third Quarter 1995 - Blocked crossing fines, CEO David LeVan visits Sterling Yard, Elkhart Yard sign, and more.

Volume 4, No. 4, Fourth Quarter 1995 - Conrail / Greenfield Village displays, Block Operators, and more.

Volume 6, No. 1, First Quarter 1997 - Safety Train (OCS), B-Safe initiative, and more.

Volume 8, No. 2, First Quarter 1999 - Final months on Conrail, Down by the Depot, NS/CSX service routes, and more.

Volume 8, No. 2, Second Quarter 1999 - The final issue featuring a look back at Conrail on the Dearborn Division.

Conrail Philadelphia Division People Newsletter

Conrail People, launched in 1988, was a Philadelphia Division Conrail employee newsletter that celebrated employee contributions and supported internal communication by promoting corporate goals such as safety, customer service, employee development, asset utilization, and growth.

Volume 18, September 1990 - Conrail Quality Service Launch, Labor Management Congress, and more.

July 1991, Special Edition - Conrail's 15th-year celebration, Continuous Quality Improvement, and more.

Volume 28, September/October 1992 - Conrail Community Partnership, Safety on Rails Theater boxcar, and more.

Volume 32, May/June 1993 - Carney Point growth, Conrail Safety Theater on Rails boxcar, and more.

Volume 34, November/December 1993 - Philadelphia Division Growth, Santa Special 1993, and more.

Volume 43, Issue III, 1996 - Together We Can. Together We Will corporate conference, Harrisburg Division joins the Philadelphia Division, and more.

Volume 44, Issue III, 1996 - Critical Incident Response Team, Allentown Yard, Philadelphia Division Logo Contest, and more.

Volume 73, Issue 2, 1997 - Mt. Laurel Safety, Oak Island birthday party, and more.

Volume 71, Issue VI, 1996 - Conrail S.O.R.T and Christmas, Labor Management project, and more.

Volume 74, Issue 3, 1997 - Conrail 7th Annual Golf Classic, Oak Island Car Shop, and more.

Volume 76, Issue I, 1998 - Conrail People - A Decade of Progress, North Bergen, 1997 Santa Train, Labor Management project, and more.

Volume 78, Issue 3, 1998 - 1 Year Injury Free, Ridgefield Park, 1998 Golf Outing, and more.

Volume 79, Issue 4, 1998 - Conrail Christmas, Operation Lifesaver with the Safety On Rails Theater boxcar, Safety Heroes Enola and Harrisburg, and more.

Conrail Pittsburgh Division Information Station Magazine

Information Station was a Conrail employee newsletter focused on internal communications, featuring corporate news, safety messages, operational updates, and information relevant to Conrail employees across the Pittsburgh Division during the 1990s.

Volume 2 Issue 2, June/July 1994 - Conrail Veterans, 1994 Conrail Congress, and more.

Volume 3 Issue 1, Spring 1995 - Conrail's coal transfer facility at Ashtabula, Conpit interlocking, and more.

Volume 3 Issue 4, Winter 1995 - Double stack service, new MOW Fairmont Tamper new Track Construction machine, Pitcairn intermodal facility, new Conway hump operations manual, and more.

Volume 5 Issue 1, Winter 1997 - Pitcairn intermodal facility, road crossing safety, and more.

Volume 5 Issue 3, Winter 1997-1998 - Horseshoe curve, Altoona Railfest 1997, history of the Juniata Locomotive Shops, Conrail Operation Lifesaver train, and more.

Volume 6 Issue 1, Summer 1998 - End of the Line message, new yard sweeper MOW machine, Hollidaysburg Car Shop, Railroaders Memorial Museum, and more.

Conrail Mechanically Speaking Magazine

Mechanically Speaking was a Conrail Mechanical Department magazine focused on locomotive and railcar maintenance, mechanical initiatives, shop operations, and the employees who kept the railroad running.