Well, sort of. I'm talking about my HO scale New York Central "Early Bird" service boxcar that I recently updated for the Penn Central era, but it doesn't actually sport the famous "Mating Worms" PC logo.
Let me explain...
Blog followers will be familiar with the "virtual ops" I run with John (of the New York Central Train Layout fame) and more recently Neal (owner/operator of the Atlantic Pacific R. R.). For the uninitiated, this involves dispatching trains with cars for consignees on each other's layouts, and representing these car movements by photographing identical cars on our layouts. Penn Central boxcar #77047, for example, will be photographed "leaving" my layout and later John will photograph his own identical #77047 "arriving" on his layout. Over the last two years these car movements have become greater in number and more complex as we've acquired more and more cars in common.
When we started these Penn Central Car Movements (P.C.C.M.s) we only had a few cars in common and took advantage of each to increase the fun. A couple of them, like a NYC red and gray Pacemaker and the NYC Early Bird car were out of date for Penn Central era operations but we used them anyway. As our mutual rosters increased we retired cars that didn't fit the era.
Here is my NYC Early Bird car being pulled from a siding on my layout in its last virtual ops round, P.C.C.M. #15. We're currently involved in P.C.C.M.#40 so its been unused for along time!
I probably would have been content to shelve the car but John recently shared this photo along with a comment about being glad to know that Early Bird cars could be run on Penn Central trains since he owns a few of them. All credit for the photo goes to John Spring and his collection.
NYCTL John referred to this as a "down the road project". Well, it turned out to be yet another example of what he and I refer to as the "virtual ops catalyst"...a motivation to improve things on our layouts with the virtual ops fun in mind...and I didn't want to wait for "'down the road" to get it going.
Within 48 hours I had painted the brown doors on my Early Bird PC green and posted this photo of the old NYC boxcar still generating revenue in the PC era.
John has similar plans for his own Early Bird car #90718 so we can now reintroduce them into the virtual ops. We've noted that an older car like this isn't suitable for commodities that are "clean loads". The car will most likely be used for shipping machine parts, oil drums, pallets of cardboard, live stock feed, etc.
I did an internet search about New York Central Early Bird cars and it shouldn't have surprised me that the first link that came up was a blog entry John wrote back in 2012 abut Pacemaker and Early Bird Service. I'll attach a link to his post for a little historical background about the cars.
http://newyorkcentrallayout.blogspot.ca/2012/08/pacemaker-freight-and-early-bird-service.html
Meanwhile I still need to work out some car routing options for this oldie-but-goodie that now fits in our Penn Central era for virtual ops.
Thanks for reading!
Hello patient blog followers!
After some preliminary moves to prepare for the arrival of this train from Weehawken, the signal bridge on the south side of town indicates WV-2 is about to arrive at West Mill.
The power at the head end of WV-2 rolls past some of the cars that it will soon be picking up and running to Selkirk for transfer to Terminal Yard in Empire City.
More cars emerge from the tunnel including empty hoppers for Hudson Coal.
The yellow top of the Morton Salt covered hopper is barely visible behind the NYC auto parts car. Its followed by one of the A.P.R.R. 50 foot white RBLs.
Another B&M RBL car, this one loaded by Freihoefers for Ralph's Grocery Warehouse, and two KP&W cars from Three Amigos Warehouse that will be forwarded to Battaglia Bros.Warehouse in Kings Port, mark the rear of the train. The KP&W boxcars are the only two cars on WV-2 that will be set out at West Mill .
WV-2's power passes the block of cars for Terminal Yard headed by the two B&M cars seen waiting on the next track.
A cut is made behind a group of empty hoppers on WV-2. The train pulls ahead, switches tracks, and backs into the block of cars for Terminal Yard.
WV-2's locomotives pull the Terminal Yard block forward.
The train switches over to the mainline and backs toward the rest of WV-2. A pair of empty Empire Belt hoppers can be seen behind the consist.
Now that WV-2 is reconnected, Yard switcher SD9 #6922 is sent out to grab the two KP&W cars to be set out at West Mill.
#6922 travels past the length of the train.
Switching tracks, the SD9 couples on to WV-2's caboose to pull it with the two KP&W cars.
The cars are dropped on the next track and the caboose is returned to the rear of WV-2.
#6922 returns to the other track and moves the two KP&W cars into the yard for later delivery to Battaglia Bros warehouse.
WV-2 is ready to go. After getting permission, and the green signal, it heads out toward Selkirk.
The next day a local out of West Mill sets out the two KP&W cars at Battaglia Bros. Warehouse.
That's it for West Mill's involvement in P.C.C.M. #40! Follow the continuing action on John's New York Central Train Layout.
http://newyorkcentrallayout.blogspot.com/
Continuing our 40th "virtual ops" series, West Mill Yard prepares for the arrival of Train WV-2 (from Neal's layout) by setting out a cut of cars for it to pick up. WV-2 will then forward them to Terminal Yard on John's New York Central Train Layout.
The Yard Switcher pulls half of the cut out of the yard, starting with the two gons of steel slabs for Midland Steel and ending with the behemoth 86 foot NYC auto parts car for Ford.
Once past the yard entrance, the cut is backed into a siding next to the mainline for WV-2 to pick them up later.
The switcher returns to the yard to grab the second half of the cut for Terminal Yard.
Starting with the two B&M RBL cars loaded with new bottles for Heileman Brewery...
..and ending with the two empty flats for Terminal Yard's TOFC facility.
Cars slowly roll past the conductor as he signals the switcher to keep backing the second half of the Terminal Yard cut into the first.
Once the cut is in position for pick up by WV-2, the switcher leaves the string of cars and returns to the yard.
The Terminal Yard cut from rear to front.
The Red signal for the main indicates a train approaching West Mill, but its not WV-2. Its a short Penn Central commuter train headed by FP-7 #4362, pulling two coaches.
The train briefly stops at West Mill's small utilitarian station...
..and then heads north, giving passengers on the right side of the train a view of the cut of freight cars waiting for WV-2.
Leaving West Mill on time, the commuter train is keeping a good pace in front of WV-2 which will arrive at West Mill shortly.
Next up: WV-2 finally arrives!
