The somewhat gloomy April sky was forecast for the future of electric operations and, indeed, freight operations over what was once the premier conduit for tonnage to and from the Northeast. Two powerful E-44s that had weathered the Penn-Central years and were now subjected to further ignominy under Conrail are coming off the Philadelphia and Thorndale Branch at Thorn interlocking, 35 miles west of Philadelphia on the Harrisburg mainline. This was the beginning of the Trenton Cut-off that bypassed Philly for North Jersey-bound traffic. I worked as block operator here during most of the PC years when it was still heavy-duty freight railroad.
