P.C.C.M #41 G

Hi all!

I'm picking up on the 41st P.C.C.M. (Penn Central Car Movement series) now that it has been handed off to me and the Kings Port Division after six excellent introductory installments by John and his New York Central Train Layout.

See John's work on this series, which he calls the Tom Seaver Series in honor of the Hall of Fame Mets pitcher who wore the number 41.   https://newyorkcentrallayout.blogspot.com/2017/11/pccm-41f.html

Lots of cars are coming to the Kings Port Division and others will continue south to Neal's Atlantic Pacific Railroad so this is another three layout "virtual ops " series. http://atlanticpacificrailroad.blogspot.com/2017/11/getting-railroad-re-staged-after.html

ACTUALLY its a FOUR layout series as John dispatched a train to Chicago that includes a Los Feliz & Northwestern boxcar returning to John B.'s layout!  Welcome to the "virtual ops" fun John B.!  Here is a link to his layout blog.    http://trainweb.org/lfnwfan/

In addition to the train that includes the LF&NW car, two other trains were recently dispatched from The New York Central Train Layout's Terminal Yard.     Both carry cars for West Mill on my layout.

Speaking of West Mill, things are pretty quiet right now.

In fact, there is only one freight car in the otherwise empty yard, indicating how efficiently Yardmaster Cappy Foster and his crew keep traffic moving. 

Cappy and "old head" brakeman Wil Washburne look over an aged New York Central Pacemaker car.   Both of these guys were long term veterans of the "Central" before the merger and remember the glory days of the Pacemaker Trains in the early 1950s.  Its sad to see what condition this car is in now but its kind of cool to think of it as a survivor after all these years.  

The time for musing is over, however, as a red signal at WM tower indicates a train coming.  Its  VWM-1 (Selkirk to West Mill) with cars originally from train NV-3 to be set out at West Mill.

The train is powered by U33C #6554 and U30C #6538 which was the original consist dispatched from Terminal Yard.   After a little servicing at Selkirk they were sent down to West Mill with their train.

The train, including this massive 86 foot auto parts car, rolls past Sal's Salvage as it enters West Mill Yard.

Just another traffic tie up for folks living in West Mill...

Entering the empty yard....

...as more of the long train continues to pass WM Tower.

The tail end is seen passing near WM Tower while...

...the head end coasts by Cappy and Wil who observe the heavy U Boat pass behind the old Pacemaker.

VWM-1 slows to a stop as its consist approaches the engine crew office at the end of the yard.

And the crew ties the train down at West Mill.

 One of Cappy's capable Yard hoggers weaves his way between parked power to reach switcher #8951, still in its NYC paint.

The switcher is moving to pull the caboose at the end of VWM-1

And sets it on the West Mill caboose track.

This is just the start of the action involving the Kings Port Division's role in P.C.C.M. #41.  Stay tuned as a second train from Selkirk is due soon!  The formally empty yard will be a busy place!