he astern ▁U . S . ▁rail ro ads ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁including ▁D & H ▁and ▁E - L , ▁N & W ▁lost ▁control ▁of ▁D ere co ▁stock . ▁After ▁several ▁mer ger ▁plans ▁fell ▁through , ▁EL ▁pet ition ed ▁for ▁and ▁was ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁the ▁federal ▁government ' s ▁nas cent ▁Cons olid ated ▁Rail ▁Corporation ▁( Con ra il ). ▁While ▁D & H ▁was ▁techn ically ▁still ▁owned ▁by ▁N & W , ▁they ▁were ▁given ▁financial ▁support ▁and ▁told ▁to ▁" s ink ▁or ▁sw im " ▁as ▁an ▁independent ▁rail road ▁again . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁Con ra il ▁sold ▁the ▁former ▁D L & W ▁Main line ▁from ▁B ingham ton ▁to ▁Sc r anton ▁to ▁the ▁D & H ; ▁being ▁a ▁fl atter , ▁more ▁direct ▁route ▁to ▁Sc r anton , ▁this ▁ac quisition ▁allowed ▁the ▁D & H ▁to ▁abandon ▁its ▁f amed ▁P enn ▁Division ▁between ▁Car b ond ale ▁and ▁the ▁connection ▁with ▁the ▁ex - Er ie / EL ▁at ▁Jefferson ▁J unction . ▁ ▁The ▁D & H ▁was ▁left ▁out ▁of ▁Con ra il ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁maintain ▁a ▁s embl ance ▁of ▁competition ▁in ▁the ▁N ortheast . ▁ ▁While ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁this ▁move ▁has ▁often ▁been ▁dis cred ited , ▁since ▁the ▁D & H ▁was ▁simply ▁too ▁small ▁to ▁comp ete ▁with ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁mark ets