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Hagerstown was (and still is) an important interchange point for Conrail.  Conrail operated into Hagerstown on its own line (ex PRR) and via run thru agreements on the WM from the former Reading.  You could find Conrail units in the WM yard as well as their own small Shomo Yard and the  N&W's Verdoo Yard.  Conrail also had a line to Winchester Va. which ran south out of Hagerstown.

SHIPPENSBURG

CP "Ship" was the designation of the location where the old Cumberland Valley (PRR) connected to the Reading just North of Shippensburg.  Eventually the CV was torn up East of Shippensburg and all trains from Hagerstown were routed onto the Reading at Shippensburg.

West of CP Ship on the former CV line was Pennroad Tower a two story wooden structure with old Armstrong levers to throw the turnouts.  I used to ride my bike down to Pennroad after school (1977) and the towerman George Dunlevy let me hang around and watch the trains.  He used to let me throw (or try to throw, afterall I was a tall 110 lb skinny kid) the switches and give highballs to the trains as they rumbled past.  His generosity and patience was largely responsible for building my interest in trains which let to my intense interest in railroad photography in the early 80's.

HARRISBURG

Harrisburg was the heart of Conrail in central Pennsylvania.  In the early 80's Reading's Rutherford yard was still in operation as well as PC's massave Enola yard with its east and westbound humps.

Across the river from Enola was the Harrisburg engine terminal which was one of the primary service facilities for Conrail's electric engine fleet. Adjacent to this terminal was Reily street yard and to the west Conrail's Trailvan Terminal.  To the east was the Amtrak passenger terminal and Amtrak's Harris tower.  Further to the was was Rockville bridge and Rockville tower.

This concentration of yards and terminals afforded railfans excellent opportunities to catch new, old, stored and destined for scrap engines.