Greetings,
Five of the seven cars that arrived from Neal's Rock Ridge Yard a couple of days ago found their way to their final destinations via the Penn Central's WMB-1 to Bloomberg and on a transfer run to Williams Yard. The remaining two cars will be delivered in today's installment.
These include ACFX #62004 (Morton Salt) loaded with salt for Cavendish Foods.
Other "non-player" cars including KP&W boxcars and a string of GULF tankers will be added to this transfer run to the Kings Port & Western's Mayfield Yard. The yard's SW9 gets to work assembling the train.
In yesterday's post I mentioned locomotives that have been permanently assigned to West Mill for specific jobs. In addition to those chosen for runs to Bloomberg and to Kings Port/Williams Yard, I've decided that the three first generation Geeps seen below will assume the roll of powering Mayfield Transfers from now on.
Once the cars for Mayfield are gathered and coupled up to the three Geeps, the switcher attaches a Northeastern caboose at the end.
The Mayfield Transfer heads out of town with the two GP9s and a GP7 at the head end.
The "virtual ops" Morton Salt car is last in line.
Later in the afternoon the train arrives at Mayfield Yard. More virtual ops history in the making here as this is the first PC train photographed entering this facility.
Evidence of the KP&W's connection with the Lehigh Valley at Mayfield can be seen below. The KP&W will still regularly run trains from Mayfield exchanging loaded coal hoppers from its LV connection for empties at West Mill. The loads will be placed on the car float to carry over to Port Owen's power plant, while the empties return to Mayfield; one of my favorite layout ops.
The next morning a KP&W local delivers the salt to Cavendish Foods whose menu of products is not exactly on the healthy heart list! They are, as the sign says, "Jolly Good!", however.
One last bit of business! NAHX #90404 for Corning Glass, along with three "non-player cars" will be moved for easy pick up by a Westbound KP&W transfer run from Williams Yard to Binghamton. Switcher #8951 prepares to pull the cars...
...and places them on a siding for the KP&W to quickly access.
Williams Yard has dispatched WiBi-3 (Williams Yard to Binghamton, often referred to as "the WeeBee") powered by an F7A and two GP9s, now arriving at West Mill. Railfans concerned about my layout's increased emphasis on Penn Central trains in this series will hopefully be cheered by the presence of blue and orange units at West Mill!
A couple of RI cars that will be forwarded to Chicago are on the train.
That RI boxcar has seen some miles based on its road weary appearance. I got it cheap at a train show because of its poor weathering paint job. I decided to weather it even more and believe it looks better.
The train slowly passes by the cut of cars including NAHX #90404
WiBi-3 comes to a stop and its consist is cut from the train so it can grab the four cars set out by the Penn Central.
Pulling ahead past the West Mill business district to switch tracks...
...and coupling up with the cut left by the Penn Central.
The four cars are added to the train. The nice looking Corning car is becoming one of my new favorites!
Completely assembled now, the "WeeBee" tests the air brakes and then gets permission to proceed out of West Mill. The KP&W runs a lot of 1st Generation power.
One of the KP&W's high visibility cabooses marks the end of the train as it plunges into the tunnel at the south end of ton.
The next day a KP&W local to Corning led by RS3 #566 takes NAHX #90404 to Corning Glass.
That is the final delivery on the KPD for this series! Thanks for following along and many thanks to Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R. and John's New York Central Train Layout
Be sure to click on the links above to check out the action on their layouts!
Hello all!
West Mill crews have been busy sorting cars for out-going trains after seven from Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R.'s Rock Ridge Yard arrived yesterday in the opening of Penn Central Car Movement Series #70; "virtual operations" between three layouts this time!
Before getting to that though, I am announcing, without much fanfare, that West Mill is now officially a Penn Central Yard and no longer a location that will assemble KP&W trains. In fact, the Penn Central will now be taking over serving what I used to refer to as the KP&W's Mountain Branch, giving the PC more switching opportunities on my layout.
Not to worry though, my freelanced KP&W locomotives will still be seen entering West Mill Yard on transfer runs from Mayfield and Williams Yards, and those trains will pick up cars to take back to their respective yards of origin...so blue and orange locomotives will still be seen pulling freight out of West Mill.
I've also decided that, in addition to the trusty pair of RSD12s (seen below) that has regularly been assigned to local runs and transfers to Williams Yard,...
...PC locomotives GP30 #2212 and GP20 #2107 will be permanently assigned to West Mill for the Mountain Branch run.
Here they are seen resting at the engine service tracks while awaiting their assignments. I'm liking this idea already as the locomotives are on the layout instead of in hidden storage.
Here they are now in position at the end of West Mill Yard to take the head end of today's Mountain Branch Run now identified as Penn Central train WMB-1 (West Mill to Bloomberg)
The crew boards to start up the consist.
Meanwhile yard engine SD9 #6922 is pushing cars destined for Bloomberg industries toward the two waiting locomotives.
The string of cars includes KP&W boxcars 644450 and 644455 loaded with hardware for Quality Fabrications in Bloomberg.
SD9 #6922 pulls a caboose from the service track...
...and adds it to the string of cars, officially making this a train.
Watch the yard's SD9 shove cars into WMB-1's consist and then follow the train as it backs out of West Mill in the video below:
As WMB-1 backs cars across Railroad Ave., near the abandoned station and Canton Box Co., we get a closer look at KP&W boxcars 644450 and 644455 that will be delivered to Quality Fabrications.
The train backs past the yard lead and enters the mainline.
Now in position on the main and pausing at WM Tower for orders, WMB-1 will be the Penn Central's inaugural run up to Bloomberg.
Watch WMB-1 leave West Mill in the video below:
Watch WMB-1 set out KP&W boxcars 644450 and 644455 at Quality Fabrications in the video below:
That's as far as we'll follow WMB-1 this time around but we'll definitely see this train switching more industries in future P.C.C.M.s
Later, back in West Mill, the Penn Central prepares a transfer run to the KP&W's Williams Yard. Cars recently forwarded to West Mill from the A.P.R.R. that will be heading over to Williams Yard on this transfer include KP&W boxcars 30113 and 30115 returning empty to base, along with the sharp looking black HRC 40 foot boxcar loaded with restaurant supplies for Battaglia Bros.
Yard switcher #8951 is given the task of moving these cars in position for the transfer run's power to couple up and haul northbound. You can see the front of one of the RSD12s that will be at the train's head end in left side of the picture. Someone better move that red striped barrel off of the tracks! I think I caught it on my sleeve. D'Oh!
Additional KP&W cars are pulled out of the yard for this train.
A couple of gons and a B&M boxcar complete the train's manifest
Watch the RSD12s couple up to the train and pull out of town as the Williams Yard Transfer in the video below:
Watch the Williams Yard Transfer traverse the Kings Port Division
The last scene in that video is the first footage of a Penn Central train arriving at the KP&W's Williams Yard. The KP&W will take it from here by setting up a small train consisting of the HRC boxcar for Battaglia Bros. Warehouse and a couple of empty gons for KP Steel.
Meanwhile, KP&W boxcars 30113 and 30115have been set out in the yard for future assignment.
The short KP&W local powered by an S12 leaves Williams Yard and reaches the industrial lead for Battaglia Brothers Warehouse.
Cutting the HRC car and setting it out at Battaglia's...
The large warehouse sprawls behind the Kings Port Saint's field.
Loading docks are at a lower level. The HRC car with a load from C&P Restaurant Supply has been delivered.
That concludes this installment on the KPD! Stay turned for more and remember to check out the action in this series happening on
John's New York Central Train Layout and Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R.
