New PC Locomotive Consists on the Kings Port Division

Hi all!

I've been putting together some new power lashups on my layout thanks to the addition of some recent acquisitions.   I was alerted about an online clearance sale of Bachmann equipment (thanks Neal!) that included great prices on F7Bs and GP9s.

I couldn't resist the prices on this pair of B units painted in their C&O livery

...and this GP9 as a Pennsy pre-merger unit.

Adding these three allowed me to create some nice prototypical lashups such as a classic F7A-B-B-A four unit consist once I painted the C&O locos Penn Central black

I've often admired John R.'s (creator of the New York Central Train Layout) blog header photo of an FA-B-B-FA consist of NYC units...recently changed to a four unit lashup of his freelanced Empire Belt RR)   http://newyorkcentrallayout.blogspot.com/ 

Now combining a pair of Athearn F7A dummies with the powered Bachmann  B units, a four unit set can be seen running through Kings Port.  The two Bachmann F7B's run well together and can pull a decent sized train up my layout's grades. 

  
Another cool PC consist that I've seen proto photos of is the F7A/F7B/GP9 grouping seen in the pic in this link. 
http://www.railpictures.net/photo/419782/ 

One of the Bachmann units and a couple of Athearn unpowered units make it easy to recreate in HO scale.  The Bachmann GP9 runs well with the former C&O B units so I plan to paint it for the PC to create this consist with two powered units.

I've spent some time recently looking at a lot of PC consists and filmed the recently posted YouTube video seen below.

 Gotta love the PC for its variety of motive power and the interesting way they put them together!

Thanks for taking a look!

DVD inspires op!

Hello there,

In my last post in the P.C.C.M. 48 series I referred to a Kings Port & Western train bringing coal hoppers into West Mill from the Mayfield Branch.    While the coal train was a background move in that P.C.C.M. it is a newly developed op that I'll be using regularly for fun when I operate my layout.   

The inspiration for the coal train came from this John Pechulis Media DVD that I recently purchased.

I'm a fan of JPM DVDs for their great vintage video and their gravel-voiced narrator Mike Bednar who shares his experiences, insights, and opinions as a career railroader.  This DVD was a special treat for me as it featured my childhood home turf and brought back memories of seeing Penn Central trains when I was a kid.   

A reference in the DVD to the Wallkill Valley Branch having been briefly considered as a possible coal connection between the Lehigh Valley and PC at Maybrook Yard  caught my ear.  The Wallkill Valley Branch is the loose inspiration for my layout's Mayfield Branch.  I liked the idea of creating an LV coal connection between Eastern Pennsylvania and my layout via my Mayfield Branch operated by my freelanced Kings Port & Western.

In my new scheme, coal trains from Mayfield (represented by a hidden staging track) arrive at West Mill on my layout where they are cut and then loaded on the car float for a short trip across the river to Port Owen's coal operated power plant.  I've been trying to get my car float more involved in layout operations so that's a bonus!

 Here is a YouTube video I've made of the action!

Thanks for taking a look!