New PC Locomotive Consists on the Kings Port Division

Hi all!

I've been putting together some new power lashups on my layout thanks to the addition of some recent acquisitions.   I was alerted about an online clearance sale of Bachmann equipment (thanks Neal!) that included great prices on F7Bs and GP9s.

I couldn't resist the prices on this pair of B units painted in their C&O livery

...and this GP9 as a Pennsy pre-merger unit.

Adding these three allowed me to create some nice prototypical lashups such as a classic F7A-B-B-A four unit consist once I painted the C&O locos Penn Central black

I've often admired John R.'s (creator of the New York Central Train Layout) blog header photo of an FA-B-B-FA consist of NYC units...recently changed to a four unit lashup of his freelanced Empire Belt RR)   http://newyorkcentrallayout.blogspot.com/ 

Now combining a pair of Athearn F7A dummies with the powered Bachmann  B units, a four unit set can be seen running through Kings Port.  The two Bachmann F7B's run well together and can pull a decent sized train up my layout's grades. 

  
Another cool PC consist that I've seen proto photos of is the F7A/F7B/GP9 grouping seen in the pic in this link. 
http://www.railpictures.net/photo/419782/ 

One of the Bachmann units and a couple of Athearn unpowered units make it easy to recreate in HO scale.  The Bachmann GP9 runs well with the former C&O B units so I plan to paint it for the PC to create this consist with two powered units.

I've spent some time recently looking at a lot of PC consists and filmed the recently posted YouTube video seen below.

 Gotta love the PC for its variety of motive power and the interesting way they put them together!

Thanks for taking a look!

DVD inspires op!

Hello there,

In my last post in the P.C.C.M. 48 series I referred to a Kings Port & Western train bringing coal hoppers into West Mill from the Mayfield Branch.    While the coal train was a background move in that P.C.C.M. it is a newly developed op that I'll be using regularly for fun when I operate my layout.   

The inspiration for the coal train came from this John Pechulis Media DVD that I recently purchased.

I'm a fan of JPM DVDs for their great vintage video and their gravel-voiced narrator Mike Bednar who shares his experiences, insights, and opinions as a career railroader.  This DVD was a special treat for me as it featured my childhood home turf and brought back memories of seeing Penn Central trains when I was a kid.   

A reference in the DVD to the Wallkill Valley Branch having been briefly considered as a possible coal connection between the Lehigh Valley and PC at Maybrook Yard  caught my ear.  The Wallkill Valley Branch is the loose inspiration for my layout's Mayfield Branch.  I liked the idea of creating an LV coal connection between Eastern Pennsylvania and my layout via my Mayfield Branch operated by my freelanced Kings Port & Western.

In my new scheme, coal trains from Mayfield (represented by a hidden staging track) arrive at West Mill on my layout where they are cut and then loaded on the car float for a short trip across the river to Port Owen's coal operated power plant.  I've been trying to get my car float more involved in layout operations so that's a bonus!

 Here is a YouTube video I've made of the action!

Thanks for taking a look!

P.C.C.M. 48H: Delivery of KP&W cars

Hi folks!

We last left West Mill just after two trains were dispatched toward Selkirk and eventually to Terminal Yard.

Shortly after Extra 8150 left the yard a West Mill crew began the process of loading the car float with the coal hoppers brought from Mayfield by the KP&W Extra #769.  The cars are pulled with a buffer flat car in between them and the switcher.

Approaching the car float apron...

The cars are loaded carefully to maintain the barge's balance.

Just as the last of the hoppers are set out on the float, the pair of KP&W GP9s that brought them to West Mill moves into the yard to pick up several cars going back to Mayfield.

They couple up to the two cars cut from the train from Weehawken.

...and shove them back into a string of cars already blocked for Mayfield Yard.

The cars are pulled from the yard...

..and a KP&W caboose is tacked on...

The pair of Geeps then runs around the train...

...and backs into its train now designated Extra #761

The new train is cleared to take the cutoff toward Mayfield Yard.

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After arriving at Mayfield the two cars are sorted and sent on a short local to Peerless Appliance.

Two trains have been dispatched to Terminal Yard and the two cars from Rock Ridge Yard have been delivered to their consignee.  This concludes the Kings Port Division's role in this current P.C.C.M. series!  Follow the rest of the action on John's New York Central Train Layout!

http://newyorkcentrallayout.blogspot.com/

P.C.C.M. 48G: Two trains out of West Mill

Hello again!

At the end of the previous post West Mill yard switcher SD9 #6925 was taking a block of cars out to add to a train headed toward Selkirk and then to the New York Central Train Layout's Terminal Yard.   The block behind #6925 will eventually be handed over to the Long Island R.R. after reaching Terminal Yard.

The end of the L.I.R.R. block is represented by the P&LE car passing the Morton Salt car that it will soon be coupled on to.

The block is backed onto the main and its waiting train.

Coupled up!

The caboose and other cars that had been cut to accommodate this block are tacked back on and, after air is built up, the newly completed train is ready to proceed to Selkirk.

 Meanwhile KP&W coal train Extra 769 continues to wait for the Penn Central freight to get underway.  The crew is getting bored...

A green indication on the board and a verbal OK from the dispatcher finally clear the way for the train to Selkirk to pull out.

Leaving West Mill!

The main line now clear, KP&W Extra 769 takes the main so it can enter West Mill Yard and set out its coal hoppers.

Meanwhile within West Mill Yard, a Special Extra train is being assembled.  It will consist of both extra long and extra wide loads for the L.I.R.R.   One of these is a P&LE drop end mill gon loaded with extra long utility poles for the NYS DOT #10 highway project.  This load requires an additional flat car on either end because of the overlap extending beyond the gondola. 

The load was shipped from Bell Pole Co. in Bloomberg located across the tracks from the Bloomberg Agway.

Two additional pole loads in standard 50 foot gons are included in the order that was recently forwarded to West Mill by the KP&W.

The short Special Extra also includes a wide load, this large air conditioning unit on a PC depressed well flat car.   West Mill crewmen double check the heavy wooden shipping cradle.

The load is from Peerless Appliance.  Its their first product of this size in a new line of heavy industrial cooling units.  

Here it is picked up by the KP&W to be forwarded to West Mill.

As the Special Extra is assembled, coal hoppers from KP&W Extra 796 are backed into West Mill Yard behind it.  These cars will be placed on the car float for transportation across the river to a power plant at Port Owen.

The empty car float (for now)

PC boxcars are placed on either side of the wide Peerless Appliance load to serve as buffers cars for safety.

One caboose on this train is for the train crew and the other is to accommodate Peerless Appliance employees riding along to monitor this first wide load shipment.   Everyone gathers to board.

PC GP38-2 #8150 will power this short train all the way to Terminal Yard after turning the horn at Selkirk.  An aging former NYC Early Bird Service boxcar is placed behind the locomotive as a safety buffer car between the engine crew and a pole load.

The train, designated as Extra #8150, carefully crawls out of West Mill and leaves town. 

Flanges squeal as the long drop end mill gon takes this curve.

 The WM Towerman does a roll-by inspection and waves a farewell to the caboose crew. 

 Extra #8150 will follow slow orders along the way and arrive at Terminal Yard well behind the previous manifest freight out of West Mill.

That's it for today!  One more installment from the Kings Port Division will cover the journey of the two KP&W boxcars cut from the train from Weehawken the other day. 

Thanks for following along!