PCCM 86: Part 2 on the KPD

 Hello again!

We're continuing the "outbound" part of this 86th "virtual ops" series between my Kings Port Division and John's New York Central Train Layout .     Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R. layout  is undergoing some renovations but we hope he can join us next time!

If you read my previous post you know that PC train (WKT-9 West Mill-Kings Port-Terminal Yard) left West Mill and then exchanged cars at KP Steel in Kings Port.  In this installment it will pick up cars from New England destined for Terminal Yard.  In previous PCCMs I imagined a connection between my freelanced KP&W railroad and the B&M at Williams Yard near Kings Port.  Cars from New England would be forwarded there for the KP&W to serve as a bridge line with the Penn Central.    While I very vaguely model my layout after the Penn Central River Line that followed the west side of the Hudson I am finding the idea of a B&M connection midway between Albany and Weehawken to be less and less plausible and have decided to make a change.   

The 1/87th folks on my layout understand what is happening this way:

(From the Kings Port Daily Freeman)

            Boston & Maine trains will no longer be seen at Williams Yard near Kings Port

 KP&W LOSES CONNECTION WITH THE B&M RAILROAD

Officials from the struggling Boston & Maine Railroad confirmed today that the line's connection to local hauler, the Kings Port & Western, will be discontinued effective the end of August.  While the move may benefit the B&M as a cost saving measure it severs an important Easterly connection for the Kings Port & Western.   

"It remains to be seen what the long term effects may be", said a KP&W spokesman who preferred to remain anonymous, "but we will continue to receive and forward freight traffic with other railroads including the Penn Central, the Lehigh Valley, and the Baltimore & Ohio.   We'll keep exchanging trains with Mayfield and Binghamton, AND there are major industries to serve locally in Kings Port."   

The spokesman is referring to Kings Port businesses KP Steel, Battaglia's Warehouse, and Blue Ribbon Flour.   Freight traffic from the B&M will be handled from now on by the Penn Central Railroad via a connection with Selkirk Yard and Mechanicville near Albany.    

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OK! With that change in mind lets check in at Mechanicville where a prototype connection between the B&M and PC actually existed.

A B&M run with pooled power from East Deerfield, MA drops off  four cars that will be forwarded to Terminal Yard on John's layout.

Mechanicville's XO Tower can be seen in the background.

B&M RBLs #105, 109, and 110 are loaded with Habitant Soup for Ralph's Grocery warehouse.

BAR #5226 is loaded with blueberries from Circle B Farm at Caribou, ME. for Empire Produce.

They are transferred to Selkirk Yard later that day.  The massive yard's distinctive hump tower can be seen in the background.

We now see Train WKT-9 arrive at Selkirk to pick up the four cars.  U33C #6554 is moving behind the BAR car.

WKT-9 passes the cut of cars it will pick up.  We can see the NYC covered hopper and the four coil coaches slowly roll by.

Moving over to the next track the U Boat backs its train into the waiting cars.

The yard crew quickly checks connections and waits for the air to pump up.    Once the train is ready it gets clearance to leave Selkirk Yard.

On to Terminal Yard!

 

That's it for the outbound part of this series!  Come back next week to see two trains of in-bounds descend on the Kings Port Division to test the local railroad men!