Hope you brought your flash lights as the sun is setting fast in West Mill. We're hoping there is enough light to observe the dispatch of a short KP&W run.
Shadows grow long at West Mill as our favorite NYC switcher pulls two cars for a KP&W extra running up the Mountain Branch.
The old Early Bird car with its "Central" brown body and newly panted PC green door is loaded with burlap bags for the AGWAY up in Bloomberg used for packaging livestock feed. The shipment comes from Billy Bob's Burlap of Batavia. This might be the last shipment, however, because AGWAY has been repeatedly disappointed by the quality of Billy Bob's wares. A new contract may soon be pursued with Moore & Co. of Empire City. PC #229046 is carrying a shipment from Berk Enterprises; can labels for Van Winkle Canning.
The cars are pulled from the yard.
Backing up by WM Tower to access the ready track
Pushed forward and set out for the KP&W.
Number 34, the KP&W's old Baldwin S-12 has been cooling its heels at West Mill's engine facility, awaiting such an assignment. The crew fires it up and happily it rumbles to life.
...and heads out to tack a KP&W caboose to the two cars in the background that will form its train, designated as Extra #34.
A quick visit to the caboose track finds KP&W bay window #2232 ready to go. The conductor and engineer briefly chat about their short hop.
Coupling the caboose to the PC 50 footer and the Early Bird.
#34 runs around the train to get to the head end.
The S-12 shoves the short train back toward WM Tower to access the mainline. Its getting darker!
Receiving orders from WM Tower.
#34 gets the green indication to head cab forward on the Mountain Branch toward Bloomberg.
And leaves West Mill behind. Cars will be delivered later in the dark of night. Local railfans may photograph them tomorrow morning.
Not long after Extra #34 leaves town, a red signal at West Mill Tower warns of the approach of AP-1; a hot shot freight from Terminal Yard to the Atlantic Pacific Railroad's Rock Ridge Yard. Word is that a number of newly painted company cars as well as some fresh ones from the Empire Belt R.R. are being transferred to Rock Ridge on this train. It would be an impressive sight to see the shiny new orange and Jade Green cars but the sun has set and left little light on the scene for railfanning.
A pair of six axle U Boats hauls the train through West Mill.
Few details can be discerned in the dark save for the lights in WM tower and the headlamps on the GE units.
Its too dark to make out much as AP-1 roars by. What a shame! Well, railfans at Rock Ridge will get a better view than this when the train arrives there in the morning light!
AP-1 rolls under the signal bridge at the South end of West Mill and into the short tunnel there. We didn't gt to see much of it and now its completely out of sight.
I can assure you, however, that those new A.P.R.R. and E.B.R.R. cars sure look great in the light of day!! Check them out on John's blog!
http://newyorkcentrallayout.blogspot.com/2017/11/ebrr-aprr-paint-project-conclusion.html
Pretty impressive paint jobs!
To: West Mill
ReplyDeleteTo: Terminal Yard
From Rock Ridge Yard
Acknowledgement of the Short Mountain Branch Move and Train AP-1 thru West Mill
Rock Ridge Yard Out!
Great work on the photos! I'm very impressed with night photos of AP-1 going thru West Mill. We'll await the arrival of AP-1 at Rock Ridge Yard...
To: West Mill / Rock Ridge
ReplyDeleteFrom: Terminal Yard
Acknowledge delivery of PC 229046 to Van Winkle Canning and Early Bird boxcar to Agway via KP&W train 34.
Terminal Yard out...
A cornucopia of great train movements! Seeing KP&W S-12 #34 in action was a great treat. Train movements in and around West Mill continue to impress. I'll echo Neal's comments on absolutely great photography and imagination at work to capture AP-1 roaring thru West Mill just after dark. Nice tip about Agway being less than thrilled with the burlap coming from Billy Bob's Burlap of Batavia. I'll have the Empire City freight agent pay Moore & Company a visit to see if they can secure a contract with Agway.
A truly great installment Ralph!
Thanks for getting AP-1 in there, the compliments on the newly painted cars and the shout out to my blog.
What a great ops session. The action, photography and a view of the new cars to boot. Great idea and even better photo skills. Thanks for a fun session.
ReplyDeleteReally great photography and action on the KPD. Really like the looks of your updated "Early Bird" car. Too bad about Billy Bob's burlap products being substandard. I really had high hopes for Billy Bob and his burlap products.
ReplyDelete