Just one more bit of work to do with the cars that were recently sent to West Mill from Terminal Yard. Two gondolas loaded with scrap wheels need to be set out at nearby Sal's Salvage. NYC switcher #8951 gets no rest as it is called to set out the two gons and pick up cars at other local industries.
Sal's is right there but the spur is behind the switcher. It will set the gons aside, pick up other cars, and then return so it can run behind them and push them into Sal's Salvage.
While the gondolas wait, the switcher runs behind them to
pick up a Penn Central boxcar from Canton Box Co. This car was full of
55 gallon drums of ink for printing on their boxes and cartons. The PC car will work
its way to KP Steel Supply to get new empty barrels, and then on to
Drywell Inks on the N.Y.C.T.L to have them filled...and the cycle
continues.
Next stop for our switcher is Empire Grain to pick up four covered hoppers.
Backing into Empire Grain with the PC boxcar trailing.
That rusty NYC covered hopper has been sitting in the background of some of my photos for over a month! Time to pick it up so it generates some revenue!
The string of cars heads back toward the yard lead so it can get behind the two gons of scrap wheels...
All of the cars are pushed forward of the yard lead entrance and then pulled back onto the lead.
The train is now in position to shove the gons into Sal's spur.
The magnetic crane lifts scrap wheels out of the gons.
After the set outs are completed the rest of the cars head for the yard.
That completes the work for P.C.C.M. #33! Thanks for following along!
Now that there are three options for transfers to the KP&W from the Penn Central at West Mill (The Mayfield Branch, The Mountain Branch, and the KP&W mainline) I can run more ops from trains sent to me from the N.Y.C.T.L. that include cars for my freelanced road.
This time the West Mill Yard crew is setting up the transfer of two PC hoppers and one B&M RBL car for Corning Glass which is located in Corning, NY along the KP&W line to Salamanca, NY. Old reliable NYC switcher #8951 is fired up to move the three cars to the departure track next to the main for easy pick up by a KP&W freight from Fulton Ave Yard in Kings Port.
Pulling cars off the Yard Lead...
...and setting them out for later pick-up by the KP&W.
The stage is set for KP&W Extra #160 to pick up the cars for Corning. Here it is seen coming out of the underpass that is near the entrance to both the PC's Williams Yard and the KP&W's Fulton Ave Yard.
The train later arrives at West Mill...
...and the F7A&B slows to a stop near the cars they will be adding to their train.
Cut from the train, the consist rolls forward...
...switches tracks to back into the three car cut from Terminal Yard....
...pulls them forward to change tracks again....
....and couples up with the train.
After the air is good to go, the train proceeds toward Corning.
That is the last of the transfers for the KP&W.
We wrap up P.C.C.M. #33 in the next installment as a short Yard Job serves Empire Grain, Canton Box, and Sal's Salvage near West Mill Yard.
OK, after the musings of the last post its time to get back to Penn Central Car Movements (P.C.C.M.)!!
The current series includes cars sent from the N.Y.C.T.L. for businesses served by the Kings Port & Western Railroad. These cars will be transferred from the Penn Central to the KP&W at West Mill Yard.
Now that I've re-established the staging track (seen below) as representing the branch to the KP&W's Mayfield Yard, a KP&W train led by an Alco RS-3 is seen emerging on the layout "from Mayfield". It is made up of cars from previous P.C.C.M.s that were sent to Peerless Appliance, Cavendish Foods, and ACME Auto Parts. Its time for them to return to West Mill Yard for future car movements.
Some home road cars are included on the train.
RS-3 #566 leads the train past the recently installed KarTrak ACI scanner near WM Tower.
Trains coming off the Mayfield Branch must back into West Mill Yard. In the past I typically cut the caboose and parked it out of the way before backing the freight cars in. Then the loco would pull another string of cars out of the yard for the return trip to Mayfield. Two runaround moves were required to locate the power at the head end of the train and the caboose at the rear. It was awkward and time consuming. No one at West mill was pleased with the procedure.
I recently had what I call a "Duh!" moment (or perhaps more generously, an "AHA!" moment) by realizing I could keep the caboose with the train...
...and back it directly behind the new string of cars that was going to be taken back to Mayfield.
Once the caboose is coupled to the outgoing cars it is cut from the original string of incoming cars...
...which are then set out on the track behind it. The NYC 86 footer came from ACME Auto Parts while the P&LE car is now empty after being unloaded at Peerless Appliance.
The incoming cars are now all in the yard, ending with B&M RBL car (#109) from Cavendish Foods.
A note before pulling the cars going out to Mayfield. Now that I've decided that Mayfield is a separate branch from the main KP&W line that leaves West Mill through this tunnel at the end of town..
...I need to separate the group of cars described in a previous P.C.C.M. post as the "KP&W transfer cut" into two blocks. One is for the Mayfield Branch and the other is to be picked up by another train that will be going toward Corning on the KP&W mainline.
One more quick look at the route map to help clarify this.
Breaking up the cars for the KP&W into two blocks. The two coal hoppers and a different B&M RBL car (#110) are destined for Corning Glass in Corning, NY. The cars starting with the red GM&O boxcar are bound for Mayfield.
The blocks are separated.
...and the RS-3 positions itself to pull the block for Mayfield out of the yard, transfer caboose first.
Once clear of the yard entrance, the train is pushed toward the switch for the Mayfield Branch with the red GM&O car in the lead. The caboose is positioned blocking the grade crossing for safety as the final moves are made.
As the RS-3 pulls away to runaround the train for departure, the conductor comes out on the transfer caboose platform to pleasantly chat with a waiting motorist. The driver's patience is appreciated during this delay.
RS-3 #566 makes its runaround move...
....and assumes its position at the head end.
The old Alco, now running long hood first, prepares to head back to Mayfield after getting the signal to proceed. It will take the track to the right to enter the Mayfield Branch.
That concludes the work with the Mayfield Branch, fortunately now reduced to only one runaround move. This op was a lot more fun than the way I used to do it. I also like having more than one destination for cars transferred to the KP&W at West Mill. It makes the KP&W seem busier and helps justify its fictional existence.
The cars for Corning will be picked up tomorrow by a KP&W freight from Kings Port's Fulton Yard running to Salamanca.
That's plenty for now! Thanks for taking a look!
