Former Conrail VP Who Once Worked in Cleveland for the NYC Dies

A former key executive of Conrail who once was assigned to a management post for the New York Central in Cleveland had died.

Richard B. “Dick” Hasselman, 95, served as senior vice president of operations during the first 11 years of Conrail.

He began his railroad career on the NYC in New York City and after holding various jobs and positions with the company was named regional superintendent-transportation at Cleveland.

A tribute written by former Trains editor Kevin Keefe that was posted on the magazine’s website credited Hasselman with helping Conrail to become “the model of a profitable, efficient, customer-oriented railroad.”

During his time as a Conrail vice president, Hasselman worked closely with Chairman Stanley Crane.

He died Sunday in Oceanside, California. The tribute can be read at https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/hasselman-former-conrail-executive-dies-at-95/

More Conrail in Alliance Action

Conrail B36-7 No. 5019 is rolling a westbound intermodal train through Alliance in June 1986. The unit was built for Conrail in November 1983 and would for a time join the Norfolk Southern motive power roster before finding duties working for two foreign railroads.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Big Blue at Work in Orrville

A Conrail local is at work in Orrville on May 25, 1996, switching tank cars for a customer.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Portrait of a Conrail Geep

CR 8150 is in Alliance on Oct. 14, 1988. The GP38-2 was built in 1973 for Penn Central. It was not among the locomotives rebuilt by Conrail.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Conrail Eastbound in Alliance

Conrail B23-7 No. 1992 leads an eastbound in Alliance on Aug. 22, 1988. The unit was built in July 1979 and later wound up on the roster of the Fore River Transportation Company in eastern Massachusetts.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

A Conrail RoadRailer Memory

It’s a cloudless afternoon that is perfect for railroad photography. Conrail B36-7 No. 5010 leads a RoadRailer train out of Massillon on July 20, 1996.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Passing Beneath the Wheeling in Orrville

Our Conrail wayback machine has taken us to Orrville just in time to witness the passage of an eastbound on the Fort Wayne Line as it passes beneath the Wheeling & Lake Erie bridge. On the point is SD60M No. 5507. The image was made on May 25, 1996.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Conrail in Massillon

A westbound Conrail manifest freight crosses the Tuscarawas River in Massillon on Aug. 25, 1988. The smaller (now-removed) bridge carried the line used by the Nickel Plate Road/Norfolk & Western/Norfolk Southern trains to reach their freight station and team tracks along with a few industries.

Photograph by Robert Farkas

Conrail 2 for Tuesday in Alliance

How about a Conrail two for Tuesday. Yeah, we thought you would like that.

In the top image, B36-7 No. 5040 leads an eastbound on the Fort Wayne Line in Alliance on Jan. 17, 1987. The train is crossing the Cleveland Line. Visible to the right is the double-track connection from the Cleveland Line to the Fort Wayne Line.

In the bottom image CR GP40-2 No. 3328 leads an eastbound in Alliance on Aug. 14, 1984.

Photographs by Robert Farkas

Adventures at the 1985 NRHS Convention

An Amtrak Metroliner set passes through Lancaster station.

At the Strasburg Rail Road.

At Mt. Holly Springs

Steamers at the Gettysburg Railroad.

Two favorite destinations of mine over the past few years have been the Strasburg Rail Road with the visit of Norfolk & Western 611 and Horseshoe Curve near Altoona.

Way back in August 1985 when I visited these places they had a very different look.

The event was the 1985 NRHS Convention based out of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Of the four 4 steamers in operation during our venture, only one will eventually be steaming again, hopefully. Two of the locomotives in operation at Strasburg from the collection of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania were Pennsylvania Railroad 4-4-2 No. 7002 and PRR 4-4-0 No. 1223. They were the stars of the convention.

A few years later they were returned to the collection across the street at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

Another trip was an excursion on the Gettysburg Railroad. Steamers at the Gettysburg were Canadian National 2-8-2 No. 3254 and Huntingdon & Broad Top 2-8-0 No. 38.

The 3254 was traded to Steamtown National Historic Site for Canadian Pacific No. 1278.

H&BT No. 38 is now at the Everett Railroad. It is the locomotive to be restored, hopefully, in the near future.

The convention concluded with an Amtrak special from Lancaster to Horseshoe Curve/Gallitzin and return.  As you can see this was during the Conrail years.

Article and Photographs by Edward Ribinskas