03-16-2013, 03:52 PM
The exact financial arrangements aren't important for a model, of course. Purchase in 1974 and sale (or release) in 1989 would be a 15 year life, which could correspond with a lease, though other things like tax considerations might have applied, too. But it does appear that they were on Conrail for 15 years, just not in the most railfan-popular areas.