P.C.C.M. 82: Part 8 on the KPD

 Greetings all!

John's New York Central Train Layout and Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R.  wrapped up their installments for our 82nd virtual ops series the other day.  Today the Kings Port Division completes its involvement in the current Penn Central Car Movements by forwarding the remaining cars waiting in West Mill Yard.

Its time to dispatch the Bloomberg Turn that runs up the Catskills to serve Bloomberg's industrial park and other customers like the local Agway.  Power for this run is the usual GP20 set based at West Mill, seen here leaving the engine service tracks and heading to the yard lead.

Cars to be included on the Turn (WB-1) include P&LE drop end mill gon #40331 and its two spacer flats for Bell Pole...

..as well as a former NYC Pacemaker and P&E #3638 both loaded with drums of Drywell Ink for Catskill Mt. Press.

We may be pushing the understanding of the five car minimum required by West Mill for dispatching the Bloomberg Turn but its good to go!

Watch the twin GP20s roll past their train to get to the head end and then back the Turn out of West Mill Yard.

After backing past the yard entrance, WB-1 obtains orders from WM Tower prior to leaving.

Watch the Bloomberg Turn (WB-1) leave West Mill in the video below:

About an hour later the Geeps are seen setting out the Pacemaker and P&E #3638 at Catskill Mt. Press. No need to "stop the presses" here!

The last stop for the Bloomberg Turn is Bell Pole where PL&E #40331 and its spacer cars are set out for a load of utility poles.

Only two "virtual ops" cars remain; a pair of Southern RR bulkhead flats loaded with logs for Half Moon Wholesale Lumber.

Yard Switcher #8951 adds them to a cut of other cars going to Half Moon.

 A nice looking new caboose is tacked onto the rear of this short, single customer train.  The loud grousing that can be heard a couple of tracks over is from Fingers O'Malley complaining about the luxurious accommodations this local train's crew is getting while he rides in a spartan transfer hack!

Watch The Southbound Local get shoved out of West Mill

Once aligned with the main, the Southbound Local gets underway to Half Moon.

After arriving at its destination the Southbound local delivers its cars to Half Moon.

And that concludes the Kings Port Division's role in this enjoyably challenging 82nd series!  Thanks for keeping up with it!

P.C.C.M. 82: Part 7 on the KPD

Welcome back virtual ops fans!

We're continuing our virtual ops between John's New York Central Train Layout , Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R. , and my own Kings Port Division.

Cars that arrived at West Mill are being delivered to their consignees via the Penn Central and Kings Port & Western R.R.   The KP&W takes center stage as the daily transfer run from Mayfield Yard has arrived at West Mill with more loaded hoppers full of coal from the KP&W's Lehigh Valley connection.

After setting out the hoppers in the yard the KP&W F7/RS3 consist prepares to pull several cars to take back to Mayfield for eventual forwarding to Mayfield area industries.

Watch the Mayfield Transfer depart West Mill in the video below

The next day local trains from Mayfield Yard delivers cars to ACME Auto Parts,Cavendish Foods and Peerless Appliance. 

ACME receives 86 foot PRR #125291, NYC #67086...

...and Empire Belt #608279 all empty to load for Ford.

 PC Hi Cube #272242 loaded with bulk hardware from American Hardware is set out at Peerless Appliance

A KP&W local sets out two of their own boxcars #644450 and #644455 at Cavendish Foods loaded with food stuffs from C&P Restaurant Supply...

...along with PC #360063 loaded with packaging from C&P.

Turning our attention to West Mill its time for the Penn Central to deliver more of the cars that came from the N.Y.C.T.L. and A.P.R.R.

Three boxcars, EL #73510, NYC 47062, and KP&W #15638 are set on the car float along with coal hoppers destined for the Edison Power Plant across the river in Port Owen.  The boxcars are consigned to Port Owen Brick Co.

After a 45 minute voyage the cars arrive and are placed at Port Owen Brick Co.

The EL and NYC cars are loaded with bagged iron ore from T&R Gravel while the KP&W car is empty.

A last look at West Mill for this installment:

Two 38 foot hoppers loaded with ballast from T&R Gravel have been moved to a spot in the yard requiring some maintenance.

Before we leave here is a historical note!  April 12th is the anniversary of Andrew's Raid, otherwise known as The Great Locomotive Chase of 1862.  In an effort to disrupt the Confederate railroads, Union soldiers dressed as civilians stole "The General" and three boxcars as its crew stopped for breakfast at a hotel at Big Shanty, Georgia.  

The plan was to take the train to Chattanooga while sabotaging and destroying track and bridges along the way.   The operation was unsuccessful and some of the raiders were captured because The General ran out of fuel and water while being pursued by the relentless Western & Atlantic R.R. Conductor William A. Fuller.  

Here I'm imagining an Eastern Seaboard Promotional Tour by The General stopping briefly at West Mill.   The General actually did operate trains in later years and even visited the 1964 State Fair under its own power!  Here it gets a little help from a pair of PC F7s during its tour stop at West Mill.

That's plenty for today!  The final installment of this series will be posted tomorrow.  Thanks for following along!

P.C.C.M. 82: Part 6 on the KPD

 Hello!

After trains from John's New York Central Train Layout and Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R.  arrived on the KPD yesterday they are now being sorted and assembled into local runs and transfer runs to deliver the cars to their consignees. 

Starting at West Mill Yard we'll follow the latest Kings Port Turn as it is being assembled.  Th train will drop off cars for Reynolds Beverage Distributors, Booms Ready Mix, Hedberg Aggregates, and the riverside Gulf Facility.   GM&O #21129 is loaded with empty oil drums for the Gulf facility.  PC #77047 behind it has burlap bags from Moore & Co. for Hedberg Aggregates.

The former NYC Early Bird with the jade green door is loaded with steel wool for Booms Ready Mix while BAR #5226 is full of Schaefer Beer for Reynolds Beverage Distributors.

IC boxcar #30130 and PC #104478 are loaded with pallets for Reynolds Beverage Distributors from City Pallet.

 PC Transfer Caboose #18025 is tacked onto the end of this short train.

The Yard's pair of RSD12s is the usual power for the Turn. 

  

Watch the Kings Port Turn head out of West Mill in the video below.

The train arrives in Lower Kings Port where it sets out three cars for Reynolds Beverage Distributors and one for Booms Ready Mix.  After the work is done it continues on with only two cars in tow.

The Turn's next stop is Heberg Aggregates where it will pick up three loaded hoppers and drop off PC #77074 and its load of burlap bags. 

After finishing the work at Hedbergs the Turn proceeds to the Gulf Facility to pick up some tankers and drop of the GM&O car full of empty steel drums.  After cutting the caboose the train pulls forward of the switch to the Gulf spur.

Watch the switching work as the Gulf tankers are picked up in the video below:

 After the tank cars are pulled its time to set out the GM&O car.

Watch the Turn the set out the red boxcar and then leave town in the video below:

The Turn returns to West Mill

A little more West Mill action before we call it a day:  Yard switcher #8951 takes responsibility for a short local run to drop off the 50 foot Hoschton car at Canton Box Co. and pick up an empty P&LE gon from Sal's Salvage.

 

P&LE gon #40331 that will be picked up from Sal's Salvage can be seen in the foreground.

 

Setting the Hoschton car out at Canton Box Co.

Now making the move toward Sal's....

 ...and bringing the gon into the yard for eventual forwarding to Bell Pole in Bloomberg.

 

Flat car "spacers" are later coupled to either end of #40331 to accommodate the extra long utility poles that will be loaded at Bell Pole.  The end plates of the drop end mill gon will be lowered for loading.

I was going to say that's it for today but...HOLD IT!.  

Hedberg Aggregates  is calling Cappy Foster in West Mill's tower....

 The conversation is along the lines of, "Hey, thanks for the PC boxcar but where the %*&#!!! is the A.P.R.R. hopper we were supposed to receive?!"  Hmmmmm...where indeed?   Well...here it is...still forlornly sitting in West Mill Yard, missed by an oversight of the Turn's crew.  (or the 1:1 scale modeler!).  Cappy goes out to the tracks and delivers a tirade that starts to peel the paint off APRR #9416!

  

He personally supervises its inclusion on the next Kings Port Turn the next day and doesn't return to the tower until he sees it roll away.

A.P.R.R. #9416 has now been delivered!  Phew!

 

OK.  Now that's it for today!  There is still a lot more action from the KPD in this series as it received a lot of cars and has to move them in several directions!   Check back tomorrow!