12/27/1990 Conrail 5071 (B40-8) leads a three unit "pig train" east and about to cross Conrail's Youngstown Branch in Ashtabula, Ohio on the former New York Central Cleveland-Buffalo mainline (the "water level route"). Conrail was a creation of Congress and offically came into being in 1974 and started operations on April 1, 1976. Its purpose was to provide rail service to the Northeast and Midwestern portions of the United States on lines previously owned and operated by the Penn-Central Transportation Company (the merged Pennsylvania and New York Central railroads), and the former Erie-Lackawana and several other smaller lines, all of whom were either bankrupt or in very serious financial trouble. Conrail successfully and profitably operated until its stockholders agreed to sell and split the railroad with 58% going to the Norfolk Southern and 42% going to CSX which started operations on Conrail trackage on June 1, 1999.
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