Don't Bring It Back Empty. NJTR GP40PH-2 4101 (NJDOT Tribute, née CNJ 3672, EMD, 10/1968) was on only its second day of traveling the Southern Tier on the MTA Metro-North Railroad Port Jervis Line since being repainted when it crossed Moodna Viaduct in Salisbury Mills, New York on Friday, January 6, 2023 with Train 47. In the Erie Lackawanna era, similarly painted state owned U34CHs were assigned to this line. In spite of instructions not to do so, the cash strapped EL would use them for freight trains on the weekends when some were not needed for passenger trains and try to make it back for a Monday run to Hoboken where fuel would be provided by NJDOT. They were not always successful in completing the full journey, running out of fuel on the way. Erie Lackawanna was consolidated into Conrail on April 1, 1976, and subsequently NJ TRANSIT and Metro-North assumed direct control of all of these commuter operations on January 1, 1983, 40 years ago this week.
Photos from across RP of NJ Transit’s 40th Anniversary specially painted & wrapped units.
Also included are the fully wrapped Veterans & Pride tribute units.
