PCCM 92 Special Coal OP: Part 1 on the KPD

 Hello!

We're running a one weekend "virtual ops" Penn Central Car Movement series featuring all coal train moves between John's New York Central Train Layout , Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R., and my own Kings Port Division.

Empty and loaded hoppers will gather at West Mill Yard for dispatch to Selkirk and John's Terminal Yard.  

Arriving first is a Kings Port & Western R.R. transfer from Mayfield Yard with loaded hoppers from the KP&W's Lehigh Valley Coal Connection.   Watch the pooled power GP9s shove the loaded cars into West Mill Yard in the video below:

After cars from the Mayfield Transfer are set out the Yard crew turns their attention to the car float that arrived fifteen minutes ago with eight empty hoppers sent from the Con Ed. plant in Port Owen. 

As usual, SD9 #6922 is assigned to pull the cars off the float.

The seasoned crew pulls two cars at a time to maintain the float's balance and to avoid dropping hoppers in the river!

After four moves all of the empty hoppers have been pulled off the float and are pushed into the yard.  These empty cars will be forwarded to Hudson Coal on John's layout for loading.

This string of eight empty hoppers will soon be joined by seven more coming in from Binghamton on the KP&W's next BiWi-3 that will stop at West Mill to set out the cut before continuing on to Williams Yard near Kings Port

Watch today's BiWi arrive below:

The string of empty hoppers is cut from the BiWi to be set out at West Mill.  These cars will be going to Hudson Coal on John's layout.

The KP&W F7As consist pulls the cars beyond the yard entrance and prepares to back them into West Mill Yard.

Watch that action in the video below:

The KP&W F7As return to their train and continue to Williams Yard.

The long string of empties on the right awaits forwarding to Hudson Coal while the cut of loaded hoppers is scheduled to run to Selkirk.

West Mill Yard prepares to dispatch the train of empty hoppers with six axle U28C #6533 assigned to pull the cars to Terminal Yard.  The single loco is powerful enough to haul the empties but will require helpers to get over the Division Summit at Marion.

Watch the U Boat leave the engine track, couple to its train, depart West Mill, and then roll through Ulster Ave in lower Kings Port, closely followed by a pair of helpers that will shove the train over the hill at Marion.  This is Extra 6533.

Now that the empty hoppers are out of the yard, West Mill's crew waits for the next transfer from Weehawken (WV-1) to pick up the cut of loaded hoppers and take them to Selkirk.

Watch WV-1 arrive in the video below:

The GP38/ GP38-2/ U33C lashup is cut from the train to pick up the loaded hoppers.

Watch the loaded hoppers get picked up and added to WV-1 for the trip to Selkirk in the video below:

WV-1's air pressure has been pumped up and all connections are good.  The train is now ready to depart with GP38 #7692 in the lead, followed by GP38-2 #8045, and U30C #6538.

Watch a roughly edited railfan video of the train leaving West Mill below.  Next stop, Selkirk!

After traveling north for an hour and a half the train reaches Selkirk Yard.

Watch WV-1 arrive in the video below.

Selkirk later dispatches an afternoon transfer to Mechanicville (NY-20) that includes the string of loaded hoppers from WV-1.  Watch the GP30/F7B consist assigned to the transfer roll past the train to get to the head end and then wait for an F7A/GP9B/F7A lashup heading to its own train that will take the B&A branch. 

NY-20 arrives at Mechanicville.   The loaded hoppers will be assembled into a unit coal train for the Bow Power Plant in New Hampshire tomorrow.

Come back tomorrow as John sends 15 more loaded hoppers to Selkirk that will also eventually be forwarded to Mechanicville for the Bow Train!