PCCM 101: Part 4 on the KPD

 Greetings all!

We're beginning the "inbound" posts of our 101st virtual ops between John's New York Central Train Layout,  Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R., and my own Kings Port Division.

We'll start with a little railfanning around Mechanicville, NY where B&M freight BM-5 is arriving from East Deerfield, MA.  Three 60 foot auto parts cars from the Ford Plant in Somerville, ME (NYC 53051, KP&W 503353, and PC/TOF 50562)  are the "virtual ops" included on this train.

The three 60 foot auto parts cars are quickly put on transfer BM-17 from Mechanicville to Selkirk via Rotterdam Jct.  Watch the train arrive at Selkirk shortly after John's train SK-5 dispatched from Terminal Yard also arrives with cars for the Kings Port Division.

SK-5 is broken up and the cars are humped.   

 

Virtual ops cars that will be forwarded to Frontier Yard in Buffalo, NY on train VB-1 include TPFX #5510 for Triangle Pacific in British Columbia/ North Vancouver, and LV #8247 heading empty to Flint MI.

 

The distinctive Dresser Magcobar car will be returning to its home company in Texas via St. Louis on Train TV-5.

SK-5's manifest includes nine cars to be forwarded to the B&M at Mechanicville; two empty bulkhead flats, four TOFC flats, and three B&M RBLS.  Watch them depart Selkirk on transfer NY-20 to Mechanicville while Train VWm-5 leaves Selkirk for West Mill with cars from the N.Y.C.T.L. for the Kings Port Division.

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An hour later NY-20 arrives at Mechanicville closely followed by D&H transfer PB-99 from Binghamton with D&H/KP&W pooled power.

VWm-5 arrives at Kings Port where it will set out a number of cars at the KP&W's Williams Yard.  The front of the train crosses Ulster Ave far enough for the tail end to clear the entrance to Williams Yard.   The GP40/ GP38 consist then shoves the cars into Williams Yard.  After the set outs VWm-5 shrinks down to four cars for West Mill.

Cars left behind at Williams Yard include the three 60 foot auto parts for ACME Auto Parts,

PC gon #525702 loaded with scrap for KP Steel's furnace, 

Two 50 foot double door NYC boxcars from Ideal Toys for Battaglia Brothers Warehouse,

Two gons with pipes for the Hudson Valley Ag Coop unloading ramp in the yard,

LV #66392 and LV NIRX #41000  both empty and destined for Binghamton on the next KP&W WiBi-4,

...P&LE #35892 loaded with Star Liquor for Reynolds Beverage Distributors and EBRR # 360279 loaded with Reliable Machine cutting machines for International Paper Co.

Meanwhile, back at West Mill its shift change time at WM Tower

The Second Trick tower man starts his day off with a red board indicating the arrival of what is left of VWm-5.

Things are hopping at West Mill!  VWm-5 arrives just as today's WV-2 from Weehawken shows up to set out cars from Neal's  APRR.

The Rail Traffic Management Form that governs our car forwarding has several cars coming to the King Port Division from Neal's layout this time!   WV-2 sets them out before continuing on its way.

A crewman makes the cut for West Mill behind the Swift reefer. This car was supposed to continue to Selkirk but has a hot journal box.  It will be serviced at West Mill.

The long string from the APRR is set out at West Mill Yard and WV-2 continues on its way to Selkirk.

That's it for today.  Tomorrow we'll start delivering the cars that have arrived on the Kings Port Division!

PCCM 101: Part 3 on the KPD

 Hello!

We're getting to the point of dispatching trains to each other's layouts  in this 101st virtual ops Penn Central Car Movements series between John's New York Central Train Layout,  Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R., and my own Kings Port Division.

At the end of yesterday's installment we saw VW-1 leave Selkirk for Weehawken.  The big transfer run will make an intermediate stop at West Mill to pick up cars.  Among them are two cars for Neal's APRR; a 50 foot Hoschton Railway Company boxcar and PC #360063.   The rest are "non-player cars".

A crewman walks the length of the cut of cars in anticipation of their pick up by VW-1.

VW-1 has now arrived at West Mill.  Watch it make the pick up in the video below:

After picking up the cut of cars from West Mill, VW-1 continues on its way to Weehawken.

Meanwhile, at Selkirk, empty coal hopper unit train Extra 4348 has undergone a change in power and crew and is now designated as train EH-90 for Terminal Yard.  It is seen leaving Selkirk for the N.Y.C.T.L. in the video below.

 

Lets head over to the KP&W's Williams Yard where we hear the characteristic rattling of an Alco RS3.   Its KP&W #566 getting ready to run a short local run to Blue Ribbon Flour and Battaglia Brothers Warehouse to pick up three cars.

A lot of action will be condensed in the video below.  Another Hedberg Run heads uphill to Marion while RS3 #566 rolls toward Blue Ribbon Flour and Battaglia Brothers Warehouse.  The KP&W local picks up three cars and returns to Williams Yard.  Later in the day the Hedberg run returns with hoppers loaded with aggregate for a New York State DOT project that will eventually be forwarded to the N.Y.C.T.L.

Williams Yard has cars to transfer to West Mill including Cargill car TDLX #7241 loaded with Blue Ribbon flour for Ronzoni, a 40 foot Hoschton Railway Company boxcar carrying storage racks for  Terminal Warehouse, PC #229046 carrying bagged flour for Ralph's Grocery Warehouse, PC boxcar #77047 loaded with bagged landscape rock, PC gondola #288673 empty for ACCO, five steel coil coaches from KP Steel for Midland Steel, and the six hoppers loaded with aggregate for the NYS DOT project

The transfer run for the Penn Central's West Mill yard is set up on three tracks.  The transfer's consist, RS3 #566 and GP9 #761 couples to the first part of its train.  After fully assembling the cuts the West Mill Transfers leaves the yard and heads out to Kings Port where it picks up three tank cars at the Gulf facility.

The KP&W Transfer arrives at West Mil.

West Mill's #8951 gets to work breaking down the transfer from Williams Yard and assembling a train to Selkirk full of cars for the N.Y.C.T.L.

While the yard switcher works on putting the train together a light engine run from  Selkirk arrives.   West Mill is short on road power so some of arriving locomotives will be used to power the long transfer run back to Selkirk.

 

 

The cars for Terminal Yard, assembled into two long cuts, are ready for power. A U33C and two GP38-2s roll out of the engine servicing tracks and couple up to the train that is now designated as WmV-6.   The black and orange Hoschton Railway and New Haven cars look good coupled together!

An hour and a half later WmV-6 arrives at Selkirk just as an F7A/GP9B/F7A lashup typical of trains on the Boston & Albany line rolls toward the engine service area.

The cars on this train will go over the hump at Selkirk and be reorganized into a train heading to Terminal Yard.  Be sure to check out how John will show this train arriving in his "inbound" posts!

That concludes the "outbounds" from the Kings Port Division for this series.  Come back next weekend for the "inbounds"!

PCCM 101: Part 2 onthe KPD

 

 Hello,

We're continuing the opening moves of our 101st Penn Central Car Movment (PCCM) "virtual ops" series  between John's New York Central Train Layout,  Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R., and my own Kings Port Division.

Several cars have already arrived at West Mill but more are expected.  They will then be sorted into outgoing trains for the APRR and the N.Y.C.T.L. as well as for intra-layout locals serving industries on the Kings Port Division.  

Switcher #8951 is seen organizing cars to expedite the assembly of a Yard Local that will set out more cars for the next VW-1 to Weehawken and deliver four covered hoppers to nearby Empire Grain.  A call from West Mill's Yard Office to the grain company confirms that they are ready to receive the hoppers from Agway that arrived yesterday on the Bloomberg Turn. 

RSD12 #6865 will power the Yard Local.

Cars are coupled in front of and behind the Alco for easy set outs.

#8951 adds a transfer caboose that will lead the short train out of the yard.  An unhappy Fingers O'Malley rides on the porch (he hates "them transfer cabooses") to safeguard the train as it rolls through the yard tracks and nearby crossings.  No need for a horn on this crummy as the brakeman's grumbling can be heard a mile away!  :)

Watch the Yard Local add four more cars to the cut waiting for VW-1 and then deliver four covered hoppers to Empire Grain.

The Yard Local freed up some much needed space at West Mill.  The middle track is now available to accommodate the arrival of cars on the Kings Port & Western's next Binghamton to Williams Yard Transfer, the BiWi-3. It's expected to make an interchange stop here at West Mill soon.

Watch the BiWi arrive and set out a cut of cars.   After completing the delivery the train's pair of F7A's returns to its train to prepare for the rest of the run to Williams Yard in Kings Port.

 Meanwhile, Switcher #8951 quickly moves two 38 foot coal hoppers to the next track to add them to a string of hoppers destined for Hudson Coal on John's N.Y.C.T.L.

While this is going on the BiWi receives clearance to proceed to Kings Port. We manage to catch the tail end of the train as it passes WM tower.

After the BiWi clears the main out of West Mill, the yard prepares to send out a transfer to Williams Yard that will follow it to Kings Port. SD9 #6922 will be assigned to this road job along with GP9 #7175.

The train includes empty open hoppers and PS-2 covered hoppers that will eventually be delivered to Hedberg Aggregates, now a Kings Port & Western run out of Williams Yard.  You can see the cupola of the train's caboose at the left.

Watch the SD9/GP9 power leave the engine facility, couple up to the train and take it to Williams Yard in the video below:

After the transfer arrives at Williams Yard a KP&W yard switcher shoves the PS2s and open hoppers to the North end of the yard where the junction with the Marion Branch is located.  You can see the Penn Central SD9/GP9 lashup that powered the transfer from West Mill in the background.

The GP9 #7175 and SD9 #6922 prepare to return to West Mill

Watch the PC power cross Ulster Ave on the way back home while a KP&W shove move to Hedberg Aggregates in Marion is led up the ascending grade by a specially outfitted caboose with horn, headlight, warning beacon on the roof, and extra safety striping.  

Once the cars have been set out the KP&W Geeps reclaim the caboose and pick up PC boxcar #77047 loaded with bagged landscape rock for Neal's Lumber and Hardware on John's N.Y.C.T.L.  The short train then returns to Williams Yard.

PC #77047 is later seen at Williams Yard awaiting its next move.

Meanwhile at West Mill more coal cars are being prepared to depart the yard.    This string is heading as a unit train extra to Terminal Yard on John's layout for eventual forwarding to Hudson Coal.

The 8951 pulls a caboose past the length of the unit hopper train

...and couples it to the rear.

Watch as a pair of FP7s assigned to the train couple to the head end, run it out of West Mill and through Kings Port on the way to Selkirk.

Lets move north to Selkirk before the unit hopper train designated as Extra 4348 arrives.   We see a transfer run to Weehawken (VW-1) headed by a pair of six axle U Boats and an EMD SD35 about to depart.  This train will stop a West Mill to pick up the cars for Neal's APRR that were set out on a siding next to the mainline earlier.

Watch VW-1 leave Selkirk while Extra 4348 arrives.

The hopper train is stopping here for a crew and power change.

We'll stop here for today.   Come back tomorrow to see more action at West Mill, Kings Port, and Selkirk!

PCCM 101 Part 1 on the KPD

 Hello,

We're starting our 101st Penn Central Car Movment (PCCM) "virtual ops" series moving cars from one layout to the next between John's New York Central Train Layout,  Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R., and my own Kings Port Division.

We arrive in West Mill in the morning, just in time to photograph an early move at Canton Box Co.  Switcher #8951 is seen pulling PC boxcar #360063 loaded with packaging for C&P Restaurant Supply on Neal's layout.

 

The PC car is later coupled to a 50 ft. Hoschton Railway boxcar that was pulled earlier from Canton Box carrying packaging materials for Freihoefers which is also on Neal's APRR.

 

Those are the only to cars in the yard until the morning carfloat from Port Owen arrives at 08:45.  The float is carrying six empty hoppers from Con Ed along with a depressed center well flat that carried a transformer to the power station.  The three other cars (P&E #3638 loaded with bricks, and empty PS2 covered hoppers KP&W #445052 & PC #883190)  are being forwarded from the Port Owen Brick Company.

SD9 #6922 is fired up for its usual assignment to unload the float

The 6922 gets to work pulling the cars off of the float...

...and setting them out in the yard.  The SD9's hogger talks to Yardmaster Cappy Foster about the locomotive running a little rough.   Its just been doing short back and forth yard work for a long time.  Cappy is planning to have the six axle EMD unit run in consist on an outgoing freight sometime soon to blow out the carbon.

 

The empty coal hoppers are set out...

...as are the depressed well flat and two PS-2s.   These three cars will be involved in intra-layout moves on the Kings Port Division

Shortly after this yard work is completed the Cement Job arrives from the south and backs its cars into West Mill Yard in the video below:

Switcher #8951 prepares to sort the cars that just arrived, including a half dozen empty hoppers and three loaded non-player Southern R.R.boxcars from Half Moon Wholesale Lumber Distributors.

 

 

 

The three Southern cars and the two that were pulled from Canton Box will be set on a siding for the next VW-1 to pick up for Weehawken.   The two cars for Neal (PC #360063 and the Hoschton car) will be forwarded from there to his Rock Ridge Yard.

 

Time to get to work!  8951 lines up for its first move.

Watch the #8951 couple two strings of coal cars together for delivery to John's N.Y.C.T.L. before it sets out the cut for Weehawken that includes two cars for Neal's APRR along with three nonplayer Southern RR cars.

Meanwhile, SD9 #6922 has been moved over to engine servicing in anticipation of an eventual road assignment.

While Cappy and the yard's hostler chat about the six axle EMD needing a good run to blow out the carbon, a horn blast from the south side announces the arrival of today's KP&W transfer run from Mayfield Yard.   It seems that Mayfield had the same idea about running one of their SD9s on the road!   Watch it pass by #6922 before backing cars into the yard with its F7A companion.

The Transfer from Mayfield brought in four non-player cars seen at the rear of the train that will be added to the cut waiting for pick up by the next VW-1 to Weehawken. 

PCCM cars from Mayfield include the EL car loaded with British cuisine packaged meals from Cavendish Fine Foods (blood pudding and bangers and mash presumably!) while 40 foot PC boxcar #104478 is carrying new 55 gallon drums for Drywell Ink from Amalgamated Container Co.  (ACCO).

West Mill's switcher assists the KP&W crew by tacking the blue and orange hack to the rear of their consist for the trip home.  Transfer runs between Mayfield Yard and West Mill are a cooperative effort and the crews from both roads seem to get along well.

Watch the KP&W consist head back to Mayfield running caboose lite while a Bloomberg Turn arrives and holds for the F7A/ SD9 to clear the main before bringing more cars into West Mill Yard.

That's enough for today.  Come back tomorrow as more cars arrive at West Mill!