PCCM 108: Part 2 on the KPD

Welcome back Virtual Ops fans!   We're continuing the outbound parts of our three layout series between John's New York Central Train Layout , Neal's Atlantic Pacific RR, and my own Kings Port Division.  

Yesterday several freight cars arrived at West Mill including a number of empty coal hoppers.  They were assembled as a unit train that was dispatched to Terminal Yard for loading at Hudson Coal.

Today West Mill's crew anticipates the imminent arrival of the KP&W's daily transfer from Mayfield Yard that will include cars for the Penn Central to forward north to Selkirk or south to Weehawken, eventually arriving at John's Terminal Yard and Neal's Rock Ridge Yard.

The Mayfield Transfer arrives powered by twin KP&W SD9s.

KP&W SD9s pass by West Mill's own SD9 #6922.

Cars from ACME Auto Parts loaded for Ford in Somerville....

Cars for C&P Restaurant Supply

Other cars for consignees on the N.Y.C.T.L. and APRR

While the Mayfield Transfer's SD9s idle another KP&W transfer from Williams Yard can be seen arriving in the background with the two cylindrical covered hoppers and orange transfer caboose.  There is a lot of KP&W interchange action at West Mill this morning!

The KP&W SD9s cut off from the cars they brought from Mayfield.  Shortly after that the KP&W RS3 on the Williams Yard Transfer runs around its cars to claim its caboose and also leaves town!

 

West Mill's switching crew has its work out out for it but there are still a few more cars to come!   While the SW9 works the yard the Bloomberg Turn can be seen arriving in the background.

The last cars scheduled to arrive at West Mill for outbound trains this weekend include TP&W #627 seen at Canton Box Co. being loaded with cartons for the Schaefer Brewery...

...and PC 104478 loaded with bagged GERN Cement Flux for Lombo Concrete.

The two cars are picked up by a Yard Local run by #6951.

The #6951's work has just begun as it assembles the next transfer to Selkirk Yard.   The manifest includes GM&O #2119 loaded with Gulf lube oil for Terminal Yard's Engine Shop and IC #30130 full of Woodstock Hills Soda for Ralph's Grocery Warehouse.

NYC 47063 is loaded with Port Owen Bricks for Neal's Lumber and Hardware, the NYC #80755 contains machine parts for Reliable Machine, and the PC #77047 carries more Woodstock Hills Soda for Ralph's.  West Mill didn't bother blocking the two cars for Ralph's together since the entire manifest will be humped and sorted at Selkirk.

PC #104478 has the Cement Flux for Lombo, PC #229046 carries bagged flour for Ralph's Grocery Warehouse, and P&E #3638 hauls more bricks for Neal's Lumber and Hardware.

P&LE #35892 is loaded with flour for Ralph's and the RI #35062 carries Zenith TVs for All City Storage.

Four TOFCs for Terminal Yard

TP&W #627 with its cartons for Schaefer and the distinctive Dresser Magcobar boxcar is returning empty to its Texas home.

Bringing up the rear are three auto parts cars from ACME Auto Parts for Ford in Somerville, MA.

Power for the transfer to Selkirk (designated as train WmV-6) is a pair of GP30s with two F7B units in between.  Watch this consist roll by WM tower to pick up its train and then head north out of town after receiving clearance from the Kings Port Dispatcher.

An hour and a half later we see WmV-6 arriving at Selkirk.  After it stops another train from the old Boston & Albany line arrives.

The cars on this train will be go over the hump and, along with other cars that arrived from the APRR's Rock Ridge, be assembled into a train for Terminal Yard.   The train will also include boxcar LV#66392 loaded with bagged cement from Westcott Concrete in Lakeort, NH for America Hardware Supply in Bedford Park NY.  The LV boxcar was forwarded from Mechanicville, NY yesterday. 

Meanwhile, back at West Mill, SW9 #8951 is preparing a transfer for Weehawken to the south.   The LV NIRX #41000 is loaded with bagged Blue Ribbon Flour for Freihofers,

These four KP&W cars 30112, 30115, 644450 and 644455, are loaded with Mayfield Foods products for C&P Restaurant Supply

The KP&W 40 ft. boxcar carries bricks from Port Owen Brick Co. for Neal's Lumber and Hardware in Rock Ridge, the black Hoschton Railway car is loaded with wine and beer for C&P, and the EL car carries Van Winkle Canning products for Three Amigos Warehouse.

Six loaded cement hoppers are heading to County Concrete of Morristown, NJ.

The Morton Salt hopper is returning to its Rock Ridge home base.  PC #160502 is loaded with business machines from IBM for Three Amigos Warehouse.

Six loaded coal hoppers from the LV coal connection with the KP&W are headed to RMO Electric Co.

The #6951 finishes assembling the train which will be designated WmW-9.  Again, West Mill took little responsibility for blocking the train as it will be resorted in Weehawken for a train heading to Rock Ridge.

The train will be powered by an eclectic consist of twin RSD12s and a GP7!   Watch the power couple up to WmW-9 and lead it into the tunnel on the south end of town on its way to Weehawken.

That's all for today!   Come back next weekend to follow the inbound trains from the APRR and N.Y.C.T.L.!

PCCM 108: Part 1 on the KPD

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!