The “Conrail Boyz” – a gang of New Jersey thieves who ripped off freight trains of millions of dollars in designer duds and electronic equipment, including Sony PlayStations – have been derailed.

Authorities said yesterday they had busted 13 members of the Jersey cartel for grabbing the loot from shipping containers as the trains moved slowly through northern New Jersey.

“We’ve been after them for two years,” John Hagerty, spokesman for the Division of Criminal Justice, told The Post. “We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars.”

The clothing by Tommy Hilfiger and Jones New York and electronic equipment and were fenced and sold on the street. In one heist, more than 17,000 PlayStation consoles worth a total of $5 million were stolen. The thieves used two-way radios and bolt-cutters in the heists.

Twenty-four people were named in indictments unsealed yesterday, with 13 of them in custody by late morning, Hagerty said. The alleged robbers face theft and racketeering charges with penalties of up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $200,000.

Investigators said the gang was an organized crime operation, but there was no indication of ties to the Mafia.

“They came up with the name the Conrail Boyz,” Hagerty said. “They had the initials stenciled onto their black stocking caps. It’s been going on for a couple of generations. They passed on the information from father to son.”

Hagerty said the alleged ringleader, Edward Mongon, 28, of Union City, remained at large. He said Mongon learned the trade from his dad, Martin Mongon, 51, of Hoboken, who was picked up yesterday and charged with money laundering.

Several attempts to reach the elder Mongon by telephone were unsuccessful.

New Jersey Attorney General Peter Harvey said the bust represented “the takedown of an entire criminal network.”

Investigators said gangsters would jump onto the trains, then use bolt-cutters to break into trailers and containers. The Boyz used scanners, infrared binoculars, walkie-talkies and Nextel phones to stay one step ahead of the law.

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Sticky fingers

Loot stolen by the Conrail Boyz:

* 17,496 Sony PlayStation game consoles (approx. $5 million)

* $140,000 worth of Tommy Hilfiger clothes.

* 1,000 “Jones of New York” ladies’ blouses ($49,000)

* 1,800 cartons of Wave cigarettes

* $7,000 in cash from the Metro Freight Line