PCCM 113: Part 3 on the KPD

 

Hello!

We're continuing our 113th Penn Central Car Movement series (PCCM) also known as our "virtual ops" between John's New York Central Train Layout , Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R. , and my own Kings Port Division.

Yesterday PC train VW-1 picked up cars for Neal's Rock Ridge Yard.   Today we'll follow PC train WV-2 as it makes pick ups at West Mill and Williams Yard on its way to Selkirk.  Cars  will be forwarded from there to John's Terminal Yard.

The West Mill Switcher has arranged cars in a couple of strings for WV-2 to pick up.   

The first string consists of cars scheduled to be forwarded to Mechanicville after they arrive at Selkirk, including a Swift reefer returning empty to its home company... 

 ...and two 86 foot auto parts cars loaded by Acme Auto Parts for the Ford plant in Somerville.

 LV 66392 is heading to Irwin Marine via Mechanicville, the two NYC double door boxcars are loaded with Zenith TVs for B. Gertz Warehouse in Jamaica,,,

 A load of extra long Bell poles is heading to Lilco....

 ...two gon loads of containers for West Chemical....

 finally, LV NIRX 41000 carrying adhesive backed paper from International Paper Co. for Berk Enterprises, two covered hoppers with Empire Grain for Ronzoni.

The WV-2 from Weehawken arrives at West Mill.

The U33C/GP30/GP38-2 consist uncouples from the train to pick up several cars in West Mill Yard.

The pick ups are completed...

WV-2 is cleared to proceed to Kings Port where it will add more cars to the train to Selkirk.

WV-2 arrives at Kings Port where two long strings of cars from Williams Yard have been set out by the KP&W.

 

 

 They include loads of aggregate for the NYS DOT #10 Project, tankers of diesel fuel for Terminal Yard's engine facility, steel coils for Gervais Pipe and Fittings as well as for Bedford Park's Ford plant....

 

...empty hoppers for Hudson Coal and steel slabs for Mid Island Steel

 

The mixed GE/EMD consist uncouples from the train to pick up the first string of cars.

 

The U33C/GP30/GP38-2 lashup provides a combination of traction and speed.  The three units glide by the strings of cars set out by the KP&W for interchange.

 

WV-2's power pulls the first cut composed of tankers, coil coaches, and steel slabs.

 

The cut is backed into the rest of the train.

 

The consist prepares to pull the second string.

This will take a while so we'll leave them to it!  Lets get in the car and drive up 9W to Selkirk.   Some PCCM cars for this series have arrived at Selkirk already including the red TPFX #5510 from British Columbia loaded with lumber for University Milling.

Additionally four TOFCs for Terminal Yard recently arrived at Selkrik on a transfer from Mechanicville.  These cars will eventually be forwarded to Terminal Yard.

The WV-2 arrives at Selkirk! 

 After WV-2's cars go over the hump TPFX #5510 and the four TOFCs will be added to a train to Terminal Yard.  Three cars (two 86 foot auto parts cars and a Swift reefer) were removed from the WV-2 and will later be forwarded to Mechanicville.

 

The transfer to Rotterdam Jct. and Mechanicville (NY-20) leaves Selkirk with the two auto parts cars and the Swift reefer.

 

 

The transfer arrives at Mechanicville later in the afternoon.

That's it for today!   Check John's blog to see how he organizes the train that will travel to the  N.Y.C.T.L. with cars from the KPD.

PCCM 113: Part 2 on the KPD

 Hello!

We're continuing our 113th Penn Central Car Movement series (PCCM) also known as our "virtual ops" between John's New York Central Train Layout , Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R. , and my own Kings Port Division.

Yesterday cars gathered at West Mill Yard in preparation for forwarding to Neal's APRR and John's N.Y.C.T.L.    Today we're focusing on the Kings Port & Western's Williams Yard where more cars will arrive to be forwarded to Rock Ridge and Terminal Yard.

PCCM cars for this series that have already arrived at Williams Yard include the two empty PS2 hoppers sent from Port Owen Brick Co..  They will be forwarded to Hedberg Aggregates.

Two carloads of steel slabs from KP Steel are for Mid Island Steel...

..and five Evans steel coil coaches (three green coaches for Gervais Pipe and Fittings and two orange cars for Ford at Bedford Park).  The gons with the steel slabs and the coil coaches were delivered to Williams Yard yesterday by a daily Steel Job.

The yard crew is expecting the imminent arrival of today's Steel Job with more cars from KP Steel.  It rolls into the yard with more steel coils and six empty coal hoppers.   Meanwhile a KP&W SW7 leaves the yard to pick up cars from Booms Ready Mix and the riverside Gulf facility.

 We'll follow the Yard Local at Booms Ready Mix and Gulf.

The next move at Williams Yard today is the Hedberg Run that will exchange cars at the aggregate plant in Marion.   The two PS2 hoppers will be set out and six loaded hoppers for the NYS DOT #10 project will be picked up and brought to Williams Yard. 

In order to access the Marion Branch to Hedberg Aggregates the short train moves to the north end of the yard where the junction for the upgrade branch is located.

 It then backs upgrade with a specially outfitted caboose in the lead.   The RDC that provides the line's only passenger service between Marion and Kings Port passes in the opposite direction.

After arriving in Kings Port the loaded aggregate hoppers from Hedberg are shoved into Willaims Yard from the north side and can be seen in the background of this photo.

The next work involves setting out two corrugated Penn Central gondolas loaded with steel coils to be picked up by a Penn Central VW-1 from Selkirk to Weehawken.  Switcher #24 pushes them out of the yard to the interchange track.

A little later in the afternoon VW-1 arrives at Kings Port powered by a U33C/GP38/ U28C consist.   It picks up the two gons with steel coil loads.  The cars will later be forwarded from Weehawken to the APRR's Rock Ridge Yard for eventual delivery to Shapeless Steel.

The U Boats and GP38 separate from VW-1...

...and make the pick up.

The gons are added to the front of VW-1

 After all connections have been checked and the air is up VW-1 leaves Kings Port for the next intermediate stop at West Mill.

 The train arrives at West Mill 45 minutes later... 

...and picks up a string of cars placed on a siding to be forwarded to Weehawken and then on to Rock Ridge Yard.

They include a KP&W boxcar loaded with bulk paper from the International Paper Co. for Marcal,  LV #7120 loaded with Heinz & Weber pickles and mustard for C&P Restaurant Supply, and KP&W   #30112 & 30115 loaded with Zenith TVs for 3 Amigos Warehouse. 

The two corrugated PC gons loaded with steel coils make up the rest of the block for Rock Ridge Yard.

After making the pick ups VW-1 continues on to Weehawken!

 That will do it for today.  Tomorrow a WV-2 from Weehawken to Selkirk will arrive to pick up cars to be forwarded to John's Terminal Yard!

PCCM 113 Part 1 on the KPD

Greetings virtual ops fans!  

This is the beginning of our 113th Penn Central Car Movement series (PCCM) also known as our "virtual ops" between John's New York Central Train Layout , Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R. , and my own Kings Port Division.

We're starting the morning at West Mill as the daily carfloat from Port Owen has just arrived powered by the tow boat "Robert H."

The carfloat is secured to the float apron at West Mill.  Today's run includes two empty PS2 hoppers from Port Owen Brick Company and four empty non-PCCM coal hoppers from the Con Ed power plant.

SD9 #6922 prepares to unload the carfloat with a couple of buffer cars.

The flat car serving as a buffer couples to one of the PS2 hoppers.  A crewman makes sure that the coupling is secure.

A view across the float toward West Mill Yard.   The NYC bay window caboose a couple of tracks over is on the tail end of today's Bloomberg Turn which is preparing to head up the Catskills.

The morning gets busy as the yard's switcher #8951 and a transfer caboose head out to Empire Grain to pick up a couple of covered hoppers while the car float is unloaded and the Bloomberg Turn backs out of the yard!

The short run to Empire Grain arrived there ahead of the Bloomberg Turn which is seen rolling by on its way to the Mountain Branch.

 

After the 8951's pick up at Empire Grain is completed it brings the covered grain hoppers back to the yard.

The West Mill crew gets to work sorting the cars that came in this morning   The two PS2 hoppers will be set out on the siding next to the main for the Kings Port & Western's daily BiWi-3 transfer to pick up.  The BiWi-3 runs from Binghamton, NY to Williams Yard in Kings Port.  Utilizing trackage rights between West Mill and Kings Port it often stops at West Mill along the way to interchange cars with the Penn Central.

After the two empty PS2 hoppers are forwarded to the KP&W's Williams Yard they will later be put on a train to Hedberg Aggregates.

The expected BiWi-3 arrives at West Mill two hours later.  The KP&W train is powered by a pair of F7As which will drop off several cars at West Mill. 

The mixed manifest includes cars to be forwarded to John's N.Y.C.T.L. as well as some for intra-layout moves on the Kings Port Division.

The two 86 foot auto parts cars are the end of the cut to be left here. They will be forwarded to Selkirk and then on to Mechanicville before reaching the Ford Plant in Somerville, MA.

 

The BiWi-3 sets out the cut for West Mill in the yard.

After completing the set out the BiWi-3 picks up the two PS2 hoppers and continues on to Williams Yard in Kings Port. 

After the BiWi-3 leaves town the yard crew resumes sorting cars into blocks for Rock Ridge, Selkirk, Terminal Yard, and local trains.

 Two cars for Rock Ridge: The KP&W boxcar is loaded with paper from International Paper Co. for Marcal.   The LV #7120 is carrying Heinz & Weber pickles and mustard for C&P Restaurant Supply.

 Several cars for Terminal Yard: two covered hoppers loaded with grain for Ronzoni, LV NIRX #41000 carrying adhesive backed paper for Berk Enterprises, two carloads of containers for West Chemical... 

...and cars for Selkirk to be forwarded to Mechanicville: two auto parts cars loaded by ACME Auto Parts for Somerville Ford, an empty Swift reefer returning to its home in New Hampshire, and LV #66392 loaded with Presto batteries for Irwin Marine...

...and six empty cement hoppers for Trimount Cement.

 You can see the Bloomberg Turn, in the background of some of the photos above, returning from serving industries in the Catskills.  The train is held by a red indication while waiting to take the main.  The reason for the Turn's delay is soon apparent as a power balancing run from Selkirk runs through West Mill on its way to Weehawken!  After the consist passes by, the Bloomberg Turn is cleared to enter West Mill Yard.

 The yard crew sorts the Turn's cars, adding to the blocks for Terminal Yard and local trains.

These two APPR cars are empty for Van Winkle Canning.

Cars for Rock Ridge are coupled together and set out on the siding for the next VW-1 Selkirk to Weehawken Transfer. 

 That'll do it for today!   Check back tomorrow when we focus on action at the KP&W's Williams Yard.