The Way It Was: Amtrak, NJT & More in Newark, New Jersey - 12/27/1987

About a week ago, my Dad reached out to me and said he had a friend from work, named Paul, who had heard about my TH-cam channel and wanted to send me some of his railfanning footage from the 80s. Needless to say, I was stoked, and honored that a veteran train buff wanted their historic footage to be posted on my channel. This video was shot by Paul on December 27th, 1987 at the Amtrak station in Newark, NJ on the NEC. In this hour of total train gold, you will see AEM-7s, NJT F40s and GPs, vintage position light signals, and even a few E60s - stuff we only can dream of seeing now. Enjoy this hour of vintage, never-before-seen Amtrak content from 36 years ago - and a HUGE thank you to Paul for allowing me to post this amazing footage.

[@michaelwakeham3404]

To think the amfleets are still in service 36 years later is wild

[@s.s.99]

Even crazier is how they are still waaaayyy older than this video

[@Seawiz21]

They’re built Budd Tuff.

[@azurite1398]

Budd don't break

[@RESTOREMADAMQUEENYOUCOWARDS]

They are like almost 50 years old. It makes sense.

[@Conrailfan2323]

Oh to have a time machine. Mannnn I wish I was around for this era.

[@davidcolantuono3622]

I was eight years old back then, but I wish I could go back to this era again. I want to be young again. I want to enjoy the trains as they were again.

[@Transporter_Not_Statham]

I was 10

[@RESTOREMADAMQUEENYOUCOWARDS]

I don't care if it breaks and I'm stuck in the 80s, I'm staying there the rest of my life.

[@a.b.s_productions]

I don’t think barges goes up the Passiac anymore. That was cool to see. I read that back in the 1950’s a train fell into the river there.

[@BirbarianHomeGuard]

These trains feel very patriotic.

[@lennysvideoz]

And are!!

[@johnalder6028]

Thanx to all of you for this footage ! Meloncholy sets in for me.

[@KaciCooperations]

15:38 The Only E60 #603 That only survived!

[@USArailfan2000]

The infamous Amtrak E60 @ 1:27 | 15:38 | 19:01 | 31:43 | 33:58 This Loco type was better suited for freight operations, and not for high-speed passenger service!

[@michlo3393]

lol, that may be so, but it could still cook and pulled the shit out of those trains.

[@jonathanaina7754]

@@michlo3393Especially the long distance ones

[@de-fault_de-fault]

Really amazing footage, takes me back to my earliest memories of Newark Penn Station from a handful of times my mom took me to work with her in Jersey City. Later I would use the station almost every day to get to school, and now I once again use it every day to go to work. Hoboken has cooler views outside but I still say this is actually the best station NJT has and I'm glad they're finally giving it some love and renovating it. btw...57:53 4120 is one of two NJT F40's still in service in late 2023.

[@jpprophete1988]

Man I miss the way the comet cars use to look.

[@genesisrailfan1507]

15:51 I like when 603 has a "MOSH IT UP!" wordmark on it. Still wish it had it, it be hysterical

[@USArailfan2000]

Yah mon...Dem hafi mosh-up de six-o-tree!

[@michlo3393]

Someone correct me if I am wrong here, but this was a year or so after Amtrak and Conrail did away with the dual-seniority and TE&Y members had to choose either to return to their Conrail seniority or stay at Amtrak for good. Those who stayed did pretty well for themselves in the long run.

[@brandonabc2022]

15:25 did septa used to go up there?

[@de-fault_de-fault]

Yes and no...yes, at one point some SEPTA diesel service used to run to Newark (via West Trenton and then joining the RVL at Bound Brook) but it ended in 1981 like all SEPTA diesel service. So no, in this SEPTA train was most likely being used by Amtrak to cover holiday extras...there's some MARC equipment elsewhere in the video doing the same thing, and even now Amtrak will use NJT or MARC equipment the same way sometimes.

[@fritzfam5]

Expirement

[@BusTVChan]

Wow awesome footage

[@aostlund27]

Is it fine if I can borrow the footage starting at 50:17 of 4120 pulling into Newark Penn?
I’m trying to make a comparison video from then and the 40th anniversary train 2 weeks ago.

[@CanalConcourse1196]

W Paul, I hope one day when an actual Time Machine is built (which is probably not gonna happen) we could go back in time to see how the railroad was in the 80s, for now we will just call this a the Internet Time Machine.

[@unstableatoms3456]

Maybe if we ever do build a Time Machine, and by some chance the railroad has been perfected by then, maybe we could go back and give them a couple tips

[@fakecumberland]

He have anything at Hoboken Terminal and associated lines?

[@Karl_Martin83]

14:44 what is Septa doing in Newark Penn?

[@franksanders9677]

I think at one point the R7 extend to Newark or it could be a equipment move

[@retroguy1976]

septa train in newark??

[@mr.conductorfromsts4204]

Crazy…, and rare

[@paulmichaelis2362]

Amtrak borrowed SEPTA and MARC equipment during holiday seasons.

[@mtr_d406]

Made me question everything I knew

[@RADZADproductions]

I’m confused. The diesel trains that are going towards NYC, where are they going? Back then Secaucus Junction didn’t exist yet, and the waterfront connection didn’t exist until the 90s.

[@de-fault_de-fault]

Same as now, they were going out to the yard in Harrison to lay up/turn around. Inbound RVL trains that terminate at Newark still hardly ever go right back out.

[@TrainSounds]

Train service should’ve stayed this way in addition to the one seat rides into NYC we have today, thanks to many screwups, we don’t have these at all anyone.

[@elirosen1391]

What were SEPTA mu's doing up there that day?

[@shanekaelin8199]

Ik I was wondering why SEPTA was there

[@fritzfam5]

A holiday extra (leased equipment)

[@pandagamer5950]

It’s not septa, it’s njt’s arrow lll units. They have the aa-2 horns.

[@fritzfam5]

@@pandagamer5950 we aren't talking about the Arrow IIIs, there are some Septa MUs in the video

[@SeptaShorts]

Why is there a septa at Newark?? 15:14

[@georgemurphy2579]

During the Holiday season in December SEPTA would run some direct trains into NYC from Philadelphia.
Of course, there is the possibility of leased equipment as well.

[@georgemurphy2579]

Great days...before the pandemic, Democrat dictatorship, and when there was some sanity in our culture.

[@jmream2618]

Does NJ Transit operate the Path Trains

[@mcxter5551]

No, they are run by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

[@TheresaLopez-r7t]

Allen Charles Taylor Matthew Wilson Jason

[@포화-f8e]

Thompson John Clark Kimberly Clark Gary

[@JohnKoopman-r9i]

Robinson Melissa Hall Ronald Hall Eric

[@JohnPhil-m9z]

Jones Elizabeth Taylor Kenneth Harris Richard

[@ferdinandgilbers1994]

Lewis Jose Robinson Jeffrey Anderson Margaret