Conrail Business & Research Trains: The Special Equipment Fleet

The Garbely Publishing Company, hardcover, 400 pages, text and Color photographs.

This is another quality publication by Garbely Publishing and is a limited print run. There are many great photographs here and the color reproduction is excellent. The equipment roster part of the book is huge. Many interior photographs are included.

For all 23 years of Conrail's tenure (1976-1999), the railroad maintained a fleet of specialized railcars and locomotives equipped to "test the condition of [its] track, allow Conrail's management to inspect the right of way and facilities at the ground level, and show customers and potential customers exactly how their freight [would] move."

The specialized railcars in this fleet were split between Conrail's business train (often called the Office Car Special, or OCS) and the railroad's research and track department. Researchers Brock Kerchner and Wes Reminder have teamed up to author this title. This hardcover book, anticipated to reach 400 pages, will include the authors' three decades of combined research, making it the definitive work on Conrail's special equipment fleet.

Contents:
Introduction, pp. 4-26,
The Early Years: 1976-1981, pp. 27-38,
The Build Era In Reading: 1982-1991, pp. 39-72,
The Altoona Years: 1991-1999, pp. 73-94,
Memories & Stories, pp. 95-130,
Technical Services Laboratory Equipment, pp. 131-140,
Track Measurement Equipment, pp. 141-151,
Special Equipment Roster, pp. 152-401,
Technical Data, pp. 402-405,
Honorable Mention Conrail Equipment, pp. 40-411,
Artifacts, pp. 412-414,
About the Authors, pp. 415-416.

• New
• Hardcover
• Brock Kerchner and Wes Reminder
• The Garbely Publishing Company