Hello Virtual ops fans!
Its been a while since we ran a full three layout op between John's New York Central Train Layout , Neal's Atlantic Pacific RR, and my own Kings Port Division. We're back with a two weekend Penn Central Car Movement (PCCM) series including outbound and inbound trains!
The sun is up this morning at West Mill Yard as the car float from Port Owen docks at the West Mill apron. The tugboat Robert H. handling the carfloat can be seen on the right side of the photo below
The car float has been secured. It is loaded with eight empty coal hoppers from the Con Ed power plant and two boxcars from Port Owen Brick Co.
SD9 #6922, using an old PRR gondola and a pair of flat cars to reach the cars on the float, carefully pulls the hoppers and boxcars that came from Port Owen.
NYC double door boxcar #47062 is loaded with bricks for Neal's Lumber and Hardware on John's layout.
A pair of KP&W 38 foot hoppers will be forwarded to the Lehigh Valley for coal loading.
The orange KP&W boxcar is loaded with bricks for Neal's Lumber and Hardware based in Rock Ridge on Neal's layout.
The remaining open hoppers are set out in the yard. These cars will be forwarded to Hudson Coal on John's layout.
The KP&W boxcar, the two KP&W hoppers, and the NYC double door car are also set out in the yard for future handling.
After the car float was unloaded the first train of the day, the Bloomberg Turn heading up the Catskills, leaves West Mill. Right after the Turn leaves town an early morning local serving Trimount Cement returns with covered and open hoppers.
The open hoppers from Trimount Cement are set out next to the other string that was pulled off of the carfloat. They will also be forwarded to Hudson coal.
Even more open hoppers for Hudson Coal are expected to arrive at West Mill soon. Lets change our location and head up to Hedberg Aggregates in Marion where six more empty hoppers are about to make the journey down to the Kings Port & Western's Williams Yard. The nearby campground provides close access to the action at Hedbeg's.
The Hedberg Job leaves for Williams Yard
After drifting downgrade the train accesses Williams Yard from the north end. It can be seen backing into the yard while a KP&W Geep and transfer caboose acting as today's Yard Local leaves to pick up cars at nearby industries.
The Yard Local's GP9 #769 stops first at the Gulf facility on the river to pick up GM&O boxcar #21129. The red boxcar is loaded with drums of lube oil for the Terminal Yard engine facility. The tankers in front of it need to be temporarily moved and then re-spotted at Gulf.
The Yard Local then pulls three cars from Reynolds Beverage Distributors and the Kings Port Team Track dock.
The black and orange Hoschton Railway boxcar is the one PCCM car involved in this move. It is freshly loaded with beer and wine for C&P Restaurant Supply on Neal's layout.
After pulling from Reynolds, the Yard Local gets clearance to cross the main line and maneuvers itself a few tracks over to work Blue Ribbon Flour and Battaglia Brothers Warehouse. It pulls a number of cars off this shared industrial siding
LV NIRX #41000 is loaded with flour for Freihofers, the Cargill covered hopper is empty for Empire Grain...
PC # 229046 and P&LE #35892 have bagged flour for Ralph's Grocery Warehouse while the two NYC double door boxcars were pulled empty from Battaglia's Warehouse for Peerless Appliance
The Yard Local's pick ups are completed and the train heads back to Williams Yard.
After the Yard Local's pick ups were sorted at Williams Yard the crew assembled a transfer run for the Penn Central's West Mill Yard. The LV car next to the yard tower is at the head end of the string.
Today's assigned power for the West Mill Transfer is an F7A/ RS3 consist. Watch it couple up to the train, pull out of Williams Yard, and later arrive at West Mill:
West Mill's switcher #8951 gets to work organizing the strings of hoppers for a unit train to Terminal Yard.
While #8951 works in the foreground we see today's KP&W Binghamton-to-Williams Yard transfer (BiWi-3) approaching in the background. This train will drop off a short string of cars at West Mill including the last two open hoppers scheduled to be included on the unit train to Terminal Yard.
The BiWi-3 stops and cars are cut off for set out at West Mill.
The two brown 38 foot hoppers will be added to the unit train.
After the cars for West Mill have been set out, the BiWi's F7A&B power returns to its train and proceeds to Williams Yard in Kings Port.
The #8951 finishes assembling the unit hopper train.
A pair of FP7s is called to haul the hopper train to Terminal Yard. The units couple up to their train and, after receiving clearance to leave the yard, head out of West Mill.
An hour and a half later the train is seen rolling through Selkirk on its way toward Empire City.
That's it for today! Come back tomorrow as two more outbound trains are dispatched from West Mill!
