In the cab of Conrail’s 2025 Santa Train, from left: Chris Barany, his children Cordelia and Christopher, Phil Burgos, and conductor Gene Zebrowski.
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The members of Division 601 helped spread holiday cheer throughout North Jersey on December 20. Division 601 member Chris Barany worked as the locomotive engineer of Conrail’s Santa Train that day, piloting the festively decorated consist from Port Newark to Oak Island and then to Port Reading, N.J.
Phil Burgos, Local Chairman of Division 601 who also serves BLET as 2nd Vice General Chairman of the Conrail SAA/CSXT Northern District GCA, was on hand to help with the festivities and to assist in safe operations. He said the members of Division 601 are proud of their involvement in the annual Conrail Santa Train tradition and the joy it brings to their community during the holidays.
Brother Barany hired out in 2018 and has been an engineer since 2019. He joined Division 601 in 2022 and is serving his first term as Division Vice President. He has two young children — Christopher, 4, and Cordelia, 2 — who were very excited to see their father working in the cab that evening.
Conrail’s 2025 Santa Train, an annual source of pride for the members of BLET Division 601.