P.C.C.M. 64 Part 3 on the KPD

Hello!

Trains arrive with cars for the KPD.   The first is Penn Central Extra #1805 from Selkirk to West Mill.  This secondary train will stop to pick up cars at the interchange with the Kings Port & Western.  The PC does not enter the KP&W's Williams Yard but exchanges cars with the local road via this interchange.  

Extra 1805 arrives with a nicely matching three unit consist of an F7A/ FP7/FP7.

The train slows so it can drop off seven cars at the interchange.

Cars to be dropped off include these three NYC double door boxcars loaded with toys for Battaglia Bros. Warehouse...

..and these four Evans coil cars, empty for KP Steel.

These seven cars came from the N.Y.C.T.L.  Other cars from John's layout include the aging Pacemaker and Early Bird cars, still in service!...

...Three 60 foot auto parts cars...

...and this Corning covered hopper

The train also includes a cut of three cars from Brian's Ralston Creek Railway: a CN and GT boxcar...

...and a GERN covered hopper. 

 A few "non-player cars" make up the rest of the train.

Extra 1805 leaves the coil cars and NYC double door boxes behind 

...and heads out of Kings Port toward West Mill.

See the interchange action in the video below:

Later in the day Extra 1805 arrives at West Mill and slowly enters the yard as the prime movers echo off the walls of Canton Box Co.

The train enters West Mill Yard

About an hour after Extra 1805 is tied down a loud rumbling is heard coming from the south end of town.   PC Extra 3007 arrives with cars from the Neal's A.P.R.R. Rock Ridge Yard via Weehawken.  The homogeneous consist theme continues with a pair of GP40s powering this train.

There are five cars from Rock Ridge on this train along with a string of hoppers from Weehawken. 

 KP&W #30112 and 30115 are empty for Peerless Appliance

KP&W #64450 and 64455 are being returned to Mayfield Yard for assignment.

A.P.R.R. #360358 carries wood crates for Zenith TV.

The string of empty hoppers will be sent to Mayfield for eventual forwarding to the LV's coal country.

Reaching WM Tower and the location of the yard entrance.

Two crewmen wait for the train to back into the yard.   The newbie brakeman scores no points with his portly old head partner Burt Logan by suggesting, "Hey Burt! You know what?  You should give those Grape Nuts a try, man!"

Actually Burt does find find it a little disconcerting how little room he has between the train and retaining wall!  Hmmmm...Can you eat those Grape Nuts with sugar?

Here is one from the "Why Didn't I Think Of This Before?' Department.   The lead to the car float serves as a temporary escape track for the caboose making for an easy op.

 After the caboose is set out, the string of empty hoppers is placed on the track next to the car float...

After the hoppers are set out the rest of the train shifts over to the next track..

...and the KP&W and A.P.R.R. boxcars are set out.

Two tracks full of cars for Mayfield.

The pair of GP40s is cut...

...pulls forward to access the switch to the engine tracks...

...and parks for service.

That's it for now. Stay tuned as cars are sorted and dispatched as local trains on the PC and KP&W to deliver cars to their destinations.

P.C.C.M. 64: Prelude to the weekend's posts on the KPD

Hey Virtual Ops fans!

This coming weekend's blog activities will focus on trains arriving on the KPD with cars from Neal's A.P.R.R., John's N.Y.C.T.L., and Brian's Ralston Creek RR to set out at local industries.   

Today's post is a special prelude to that action.

Cars are being sorted at Williams Yard including another Hoschton Railway Co. car, another gift from our late friend Engineer Ed who told me he was practicing weathering on this one.  It does look like this car has seen a lot of miles.

As the yard work continues a horn and warning bells alerts crewmen of the arrival of a Boston & Maine transfer run.   

I've been imaging for some time now that my freelanced Kings Port & Western has a connection with the B&M and have periodically included B&M boxcars in Williams Yard photos to convey the idea.  I recently created an F7A/ GP9 B&M "Blue Bird" consist to further reinforce the connection between the two roads and also to satisfy a long term interest in having some B&M equipment appear on the layout.   I purchased inexpensive locomotive shells from eBay and custom painted and decaled the units based on this prototype photo of a similar lashup I found online.

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/496073/ 

F7A #4233 and GP9 #1701 bring in a string of B&M and PC cars.

I painted a "purgatory box" caboose as a B&M hack as well!

 

Watch the B&M consist move to the engine yard in the video below.

I read a forum post written by a former railroad employee who commented that the B&M was careful to avoid assigning their newer GP38-2s on trains it interchanged with the Penn Central at Rotterdam Jct.  and Mechanicville.  Apparently the PC was notorious for hijacking the B&M units for use on their system, so the B&M would tend to power those freights with older First Generation units.

I'm imagining the KP&W might practice this sort of occasional "theft" as well so these blue units may appear beyond Williams Yard from time to time!

P.C.C.M. 64: Part 2 on the KPD

Greetings everyone!

In the my previous post, cars were blocked at Williams Yard and West Mill for trains headed to Selkirk and Weehawken.    Cars for John's  N.Y.C.T.L. and Brian's R.C.R. are awaiting a power assignment to take them to Selkirk.  First Generation diesel fans will enjoy the three Geep consist that gets the call for this train.

After pulling out of the engine track the lashup of GP7/GP9s stops at WM Tower to pick up orders. 

Papers in hand, the engineer backs the consist into West Mill Yard to pick up the cars for Selkirk and beyond.

Coupling up with the string of cars.

The N.Y.C.T.L. block starts with the NYC covered hopper behind the locomotives (above) and ends with the 50' PC boxcar (the notorious #360158) just behind the gon with the tank load. (below)

The four cars behind PC #360158 are headed to Elkart and points West for Brian to manage.

Air brakes are tested and the train gets the high sign to proceed out of West Mill

The conductor and towerman exchange waves as the transfer caboose rolls by the ACI scanner.  

Watch the Geeps couple up to the cars in West Mill Yard and pull them out before getting their caboose:

 The train, designated as Extra 7085, arrives at Kings Port to pick up the three TOFCs set out on the interchange track by the Kings Port & Western from Williams Yard.

The three Geeps are uncoupled from the train...

 ...roll past the cut of TOFCs....

...and pick them up to add them to the train.

The three TOFCs complete Extra 7085 which now sits and idles as it has orders to hold here for VW-1 (Selkirk to Weehawken).  The fireman stretches his legs and walks over to Ulster Ave to join the brakeman warning traffic at the grade crossing.  

VW-1's arrival is imminent .  The crossing is protected by lights and bells but no crossing gate.  The crewmen advise the driver of the "Woodie" station wagon to be patient.  Safety first!

A blaring horn soon heralds VW-1 as it surges toward the crossing. 

 A set of three GP38-2s leads the train southbound.

VW-1's caboose passes the Geeps on the Extra.

The Extra's crew hoofs it back to their consist.

...and slowly pulls their train north toward Selkirk.

Watch Extra 7085 and VW-1 meet here:

 Meanwhile, over at West Mill, the yard's SD9 is placing the last of the coal hoppers from Mayfield on the car float.

While that work is being completed the yard's SW9 is shoving a cut of cars for Weehawken to a ready track for the approaching VW-1 to pick up.  These cars will then continue beyond Weehawken to Neal's A.P.R.R. Rock Ridge Yard

The Rock Ridge cut will be placed at the entrance to the tunnel on the right side of the photo

An hour later VW-1 arrives at West Mill.

The GP38-2s are cut so they can change tracks to grab the Rock Ridge cut.

The Rock Ridge cut is pulled out...

...and coupled up to the rest of VW-1.

The train now complete, it heads out to Weehawken.

One last look at the Rock Ridge Cut before it leaves West Mill.  PC gons #576104 and 576123 are empty for Shapless Steel

The black HRC 40 Ft. boxcar is loaded with potent potables for C&P Restaurant Supply, the 50 Ft. orange HRC box is full of containers for Freihofers, and the two coal hoppers are going to RMO Electric.

VW-1's caboose indicates the end of the train and the end of this weekend's posts for P.C.C.M. 64.  Next week we'll see cars arrive on the KPD from three layouts!   Stay tuned for that and their ultimate delivery to consignees.