I believe it was post PC Bankruptcy (maybe '72-'74). The ICC would not allow it to be abandoned before the bankruptcy. I heard that the PC just took it on itself to "rip it out" over a weekend or so. That way it would be a "Fait Accomplie" (accomplished fact) and knowing that the bankruptcy judge could not conjure money to put it back in place it was indeed a "done deal".
I did heard some train crews (circa '76 - '78) complaining that the "wrecking crews" just ran down the line with a work train and cutting torches and burned off all the nuts/cables and threw the gear into gondolas. They left the bottom half of the screws that held the inductors in place sticking up out of the ties creating all kinds of new trip hazards....
Another complete mismatch between the PRR and the NYCRR, totally incompatible "cab signals/auto train stop" systems...