Hello there!
John and I are running a one weekend Penn Central Car Movement series (PCCM) that will feature mostly MOW and construction related loads. I'm starting today (Thursday) because I ended up creating more content that I originally planned! I hope you enjoy it.
You can follow the action on John's New York Central Train Layout blog Here starting on Saturday!
Meanwhile, its 5:45 AM at West Mill Yard and the sun has yet to make an appearance. The first trick crew has just arrived for work.
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After large quantities of coffee were consumed, opinions about last night's ballgame were disputed, and switchlists were reviewed in the crew lounge the guys are ready to head out to the yard tracks. Sunrise starts to light up the day at West Mill Yard.
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The first train of the day is the South Local which will serve Half Moon Wholesale Lumber Distributors and Tri Mount Cement. All of the outgoing cars are empties for Half Moon.
A trio of MEC bulkhead flats is coupled onto the boxcars, completing the manifest.
The South Local will be powered by a GP9/GP7 set, the GP9 #7085 still in its PRR merger compliant livery. The engineer and fireman head toward the lead unit's cab.
After powering up, the two First Generation Geeps move away from the engine service area to couple up to their train.
The Yard's SW9 #8951 tacks on a caboose for the run.
After the caboose is secured, connections are checked, and the air pumped up the South Local backs out of the yard and heads out of town. Why all of this focus on a trainload of non-PCCM cars? The South Local will return with six PS-2 hoppers of cement from Tri Mount Cement to be forwarded to the Long Island RR via John's Terminal Yard and North Side Yard.
Let's move on from West Mill Yard to Hedberg Aggregates where Kings Port & Western GP9 #769 spent the night after delivering six empty hoppers. The loco's morning crew has arrived by van and is preparing to fire up the unit to take the now loaded hoppers and a couple of PS-2s back down to Williams Yard in Kings Port.
The train heads downgrade until it reaches the junction at the north end of Williams Yard. It then backs into the yard tracks.
KP&W #24 is assigned to set the six hoppers loaded with aggregate out on the interchange track where they will later be picked up by a Penn Central Transfer to Selkirk.
This post is a bit of a travelogue as we change locations again! We're now moving over to the Binghamton, NY area to observe a set out and pick up at Milton CAT. This new industry on the KPD was inspired by John's Caterpillar dealer in Empire City. The NYC depressed well flatcar was recently purchased to join its PC counterpart in moving heavy CAT equipment.
KP&W local Extra #566 sets out two empty flat cars and then picks up the three cars loaded with heavy equipment. The three loads are consigned to Empire City Caterpillar.
Our next stop is the KP&W's CS Yard in Binghamton.
Among the freight cars sitting in the KP&W yard are five gondola loads of treated railroad ties. These will eventually be forwarded to the Long Island Railroad via John's Empire Belt at North Side Yard.
The KP&W's CS Yard interchanges with the Erie Lackawanna, the Lehigh Valley, and the Delaware & Hudson Railroads. The daily D&H transfer from their Liberty Street Yard arrives shortly before KP&W Extra #566 returns with the CAT loads. The first four cars on the D&H train are recent gifts from John and Neal! Thanks guys!
The CS Yard crew assembles a BiWi-3 transfer to Williams Yard in Kings Port with the CAT vehicles and treated ties included in the manifest. An F7A-B-A set is assigned to haul the train to Kings Port with an intermediate stop at West Mill to interchange with the Penn Central.
As the BiWi-3 works its way toward West Mill lets go back there...
....to catch the return of the South Local which made pick ups at Half Moon Wholesale Lumber Distributors and Tri Mount Cement.
The six cement hoppers will be forwarded to the LIRR while the two bulkhead flats loaded with plywood will be routed to Mechanicville.
Things get quiet for a couple of hours until a horn blast at the south tunnel heralds the arrival of the BiW-3 dispatched from Binghamton.
The BiWi-3's crew uncouples the gondolas loaded with ties and the three cars carrying CAT heavy duty equipment for set out at West Mill
The F7A-B-A set pulls the eight cars past the yard lead by WM Tower and shoves them into the yard tracks.
After completing the set out the KP&W consist returns to its train.
The engineer receives permission to proceed to Kings Port!
That's plenty of action for one day! Come back tomorrow as we complete the outbound portion of this series and send cars to John's N.Y.C.T.L.!
