Another post for John

John's cooking up something good on his  New York Central Train Layout Blog !    He asked me to post a pic of this locomotive that he can use in an upcoming post!

This is Kings Port & Western SD9 #897 pulling a string of coal hoppers for KP Steel.

 

The 897 was originally a Milwaukee Road unit purchased by the KP&W to augment its Williams Yard power.  The six axle EMD hasn't been seen on the rails very often during PCCMs but may make an appearance on a KP&W symbol freight to give it a chance to blow out the cobwebs.

Keep an eye on John's blog to see what this is all about!

PCCM 100: Part 7 on the KPD

 Hello one more time!

This is my final installment of  the King Port Division's participation in our 100th Penn Central Car Movement series which includes John's New York Central Train Layout , Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R., my own Kings Port Division, and a special welcome back to Brian's Ralson Creek R.R.!

There are still a few more PCCM cars to deliver to consignees.  We'll wrap it up today by starting at Kings Port where a short Turn that was seen dispatched from West Mill in my previous post has arrived at Kings Port.  GP20 #2107 is at the head end.

The Kings Port Turn's first job is to set out empty PC boxcar #77047 which was misdirected to West Mill.  It should have been set out at the KP&W's Williams Yard to be forwarded to Hedberg Aggregates.  Readers familiar with the Kings Port Division might wonder about that but bear with me.  All will be explained soon!

After setting out #77047 on the interchange track for the KP&W the Turn's GP20 backs a 40 foot HRC boxcar toward Battaglia Brothers Warehouse with a load of C&P Restaurant Supplies.

Battaglia Bros. is located just beyond Blue Ribbon Four on this industrial lead that goes under the bridge.

The GP20 then reclaims its caboose and heads back to West Mill.

That completes the brief work of an unusually short Kings Port Turn from West Mill!  Lets go back to Kings Port and see what's happening at the Kings Port & Western's Williams Yard.

PC boxcar #229046 loaded with Berk Enterprises packaging materials and empty Cargill hopper TDLX  #7241 will be forwarded by the KP&W to Blue Ribbon Flour.  

The yard's S12 switcher #34 is assigned to the short KP Yard Local

Watch the local set out the cars for Blue Ribbon Flour, pick up PC boxcar #77047 from the interchange track and begin building a train for Hedberg Aggregates including #77074, two empty PS-2 covered hoppers and four empty open hoppers in the video below.

OK, so what's going on with deliveries to Hedberg Aggregates?   Prior to the major alteration I made to the layout at the end of last year Hedberg's was on the mainline on the upper level of a continuous dogbone styled track plan. The wear and tear on motive power pulling long trains up the steep grade to this level concerned me for a long time.

After removing a large loop from the track plan and replacing it with a yard to create an "out and back" track arrangement, Hedberg Aggregates was cut off from the mainline and sits next to track on the upper level that is now an "out and back" arrangement of its own.  The ends of this track plan hide behind the structures for KP Steel (which is also the setting for Williams Yard, Mayfield Yard, Tri Mount Cement, International Paper, and Corning Glass depending on which building flats I place there! Here are the flats for William Yard in place. 

"Out and back" tracks continue from behind the building flats to pass through upper level KP Station...

..and the bridge over Ulster Ave. before continuing further upgrade to Hedberg Aggregates in Marion.

I've just started experimenting with train runs to Hedberg which I am imagining originate at "the north end of Williams Yard" that can't be seen on the layout.   Short trains serving Hedberg will travel up what will now be known as the "Marion Branch".   PCCM 100 provides the first opportunity to run this train in a blog post as cars are scheduled to be delivered to the aggregate plant this time around.

Working with the grade and strategizing set outs for the "facing" siding at Hedberg the KP&W places a GP9 at either end of the train.   Watch this trial run in the video below:

The lead locomotive moves to the siding to accommodate setting out the open hoppers. 

 I'm pondering expanding Hedberg Aggregates to include additional loading facilities where the hoppers are spotted in the video below.

I think this has potential to be a fun regular operation.

Well, that concludes the delivery of all cars forwarded to the Kings Port Division in this 100th series!   West Mill Yard is pretty clear (for now) after moving all the freight!

Time for a little celebration!  As dusk settles at West Mill fireworks fired from a barge in the river thrill local residents!

Thanks for following along on this milestone PCCM series and have a Great Independence Day!

PCCM 100: Part 6 on the KPD

 Hello once again!

We continue the "inbound" portion of our 100th Penn Central Car Movement series which includes John's New York Central Train Layout , Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R., my own Kings Port Division, and a special welcome back to Brian's Ralson Creek R.R.!

We're picking up the action on the Kings Port Division today at West Mill Yard where a transfer to the KP&W's Mayfield Yard is being prepared for dispatch.   The train includes three cars for Cavendish Foods loaded with grocery products from Three Amigos Warehouse and ShopRite on Neal's APRR....

...and PC boxcar #104478, seen behind the tugboat, heading empty as an intra-layout move to Amalgamated Container Co.

The train will be powered by a pair of F7As that you might recall brought in cars from Weehawken in a previous installment.  West Mill is putting them to good use before they are returned to Weehawken.

Watch the Williams Yard Transfer back out of West Mill with the four PCCM cars and a few nonplayer boxcars and hoppers.

Once on the mainline the Williams Yard Transfer receives clearance to proceed.  Watch the train leave West Mill and later arrive at Mayfield Yard.

After the Transfer is broken down, the four PCCM cars and one nonplayer covered hopper are assembled into a Mayfield Local.  Watch the Local leave while an LV Coal connection train pulls in.

 The Local sets out PC #104478 at Amalgamated Container Co.

It then delivers three boxcars and one covered hopper to Cavendish Foods & Spirits. 

Lets go back to West Mill Yard where Cappy Foster is clearing house!  We'll see the dispatch of a Cement Job to Tri Mount
cement, a Yard Local pickup/set out exchange at nearby Canton Box Co., the departure of a short Kings Port Turn, and the dispatch of the Bloomberg Turn,!  

Starting with the Cement Job, the crew for GP9 #7085, still in its PRR livery, board the unit near the engineer's lounge.

Watch the Geep couple to a string of coal hoppers and back out of the yard.

 The Cement Job is idling on the main while the engineer collects orders from WM Tower.

Meanwhile a one car Yard Local for Canton Box gets ready to move.

PC #360063 loaded with a cutting machine from Reliable Machine will be set out after the orange HRC RBL loaded with boxes for Freihofers is pulled.  You might remember that the HRC car was set out as an intra-layout move early in this series.

The Cement Job leaves West Mill!

The Yard Local gets to work!

RSD12 #  returns to the yard with the orange HRC car.   

Cappy and his crew are on a roll!  The Kings Port Turn is dispatched with a small number of cars...

...and the Bloomberg Turn is rolling out right behind it!

 Later that afternoon the NH car full of new cans from American Can is set out at Van Winkle Canning...

..and the old Pacemaker loaded with barrels of Drywell Ink is delivered to Catskill Mountain Press!

 

Meanwhile the Cement Job reaches Tri Mount Cement.

That's a lot of action in one day!  We'll tie up the loose ends and finish it up tomorrow!

PCCM 100: Part 5 on the KPD

Welcome back everyone!

We continue the "inbound" portion of our 100th Penn Central Car Movement series!  Our 100th Penn Central Car Movement series includes John's New York Central Train Layout , Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R., my own Kings Port Division, and a special welcome back to Brian's Ralson Creek R.R.!

Yesterday freight cars arrived at the Penn Central's West Mill Yard and the Kings Port & Western's Williams Yard.  Crews in both yards are busy assembling trains to forward the cars to their final destinations.   This has been complicated by a Penn Central train derailment in Kings Port that blocks the line between Weehawken and Selkirk and interferes with the KP&W's operations out of Williams Yard.

Speaking of Williams Yard, their SW9 switcher has completed a PCCM delivery by setting out PC gon #228673 loaded with pipe at the yard's ramp for the Hudson Valley Ag Coop.

 

Now the #24 is hard at work building the next WiBi-4 (Williams Yard to Binghamton).  Its adding two 38 foot hoppers that were loaded at Hudson Coal for Corning Glass Co.'s power plant.

The WiBi is almost fully assembled but can't be dispatched until the Wreck Train has finished clearing the Penn Central derailment near KP Tower.   Word is that they are close to reopening the line.

Meanwhile over at West Mill, in anticipation of the line being cleared #8951 pulls two cars that will eventually be picked up by the WiBi to take them to Binghamton.  The covered hopper is going home to Corning Glass Co. loaded with silica sand.  LV boxcar #7120 is returning to LV control at Frontier Yard.

Great news!   The Wreck Train has completed its work and the line is open!  West Mill's Yardmaster Cappy Foster is happy again, for the second time in one PCCM series!  :)

Watch #8951 set out the Corning and LV cars while the Wreck Train heads south to Weehawken.  You will notice the tank car that was damaged enough to load onto a flat while a short string of PC boxcars involved in the derailment is also heading to the RIP track for inspection.

Cappy's counterpart at Williams Yard is also happy that the line is clear so he can move the WiBi out of his yard!  Watch the assigned KP&W F7A &B consist couple up to the WiBi, take it out of Kings Port, and stop at West Mill to make the pick up.

The Corning and LV cars are picked up by the F7A&B.

After the KP&W brakeman walks the train WiBi-4 gets permission to proceed to Weehawken.   PCCM cars include the Corning and LV cars along with the two 38 foot hoppers at the rear of the train.

After arriving at Binghamton the Corning covered hopper and two 38 foot hoppers are placed on a local and delivered to Corning Glass.

Turning our attention to Williams Yard, more PCCM cars are forwarded to their consignees as the KP&W Steel Job's GP9 couples up to a cut of empty coil cars and a gon of scrap for KP Steel.

Watch the action from Williams Yard to KP Steel in the video below:

It looks like something interesting is happening at Ulster Ave!   Local law enforcement, KP&W personnel, and Penn Central crewmen (along with the KPRS!) are all anticipating the passing of a special Penn Central Extra #2228 hauling a large transformer for the Port Owen Con Edison power plant.  After the recent derailment neither railroad nor local officials want to take any chances as this special slow order trains rolls through Kings Port.

Watch an escort locomotive and caboose roll by, closely followed by Extra #2228 with its high and wide transformer load:

 The Extra arrives at West Mill closely watched by everyone!

The depressed well flat carrying the transformer is placed on the waiting carfloat for Port Owen along with coal hoppers for the power plant and a P&E car for Port Owen Brick.

The barge shoves off under the power of the tugboat Robert H.  Forty five minutes later its locked against the carfloat apron at Port Owen.

P&E boxcar #3638 is set out at Port Owen Brick.

The rest of the cars including the large transformer will be delivered to Con Ed by SD9 #6925.

Watch the set outs at Con Ed below:

That will do it for today!  Stay tuned for more virtual ops action tomorrow!