PCCM 87: Part 4 on the KPD

Greetings all!

Welcome back to Penn Central Car Movement Series #87!   John's New York Central Train Layout and my own Kings Port Division are involved in a two layout "virtual ops" that is now focusing on inbound trains bringing freight cars to our respective layouts.  

Last weekend John dispatched train SK-7 to Selkirk with cars for my layout.  

The day before John's train arrived at Selkirk, B&M train BM-5  pulled into Mechanicville.   A D&H caboose hop is seen running by in the opposite direction after cutting off its train from Binghamton.

Virtual ops cars on BM-5 include SLRX #4244 (Swift) from Lawrence, MA with frozen meat for Shop Rite....

...and NH #36116 loaded with new cans for Van Winkle Canning from American Can in Deering Jct. Maine.

 

The two cars are then put on a transfer run from Mechanicville to Selkirk via Rotterdam Jct..  They are later seen below at Selkirk near the red TPFX boxcar #5510 which  arrived yesterday on MV-12 from Dewitt Yard in East Syracuse loaded with lumber products from British Columbia/ Vancouver for Mike's Lumber.  (On Neal's A.P.R.R.)

John's train SK-7 from Terminal Yard is seen below arriving at Selkirk with its FP7/FP7/F7A consist at the head end...

...followed by a trio of B&M RBLs being returned empty to Merrimack, NH from University Millwork in Empire City.

The three RBLs are cut off this train...

and moved over to the next track...

by  SK-7's original power.

 After making this move the twin FP7s and F7A #1802 head for Selkirk's locomotive facilities.

The B&M cars will later be transferred to Mechnicville on a train  headed by a GP30/ F7B consist.

The three B&M RBLs will later be put on a train to New England for their trip back to Merrimack NH.

Meanwhile the cars from SK-7 at Selkirk have a new consist at the head end composed of a former PRR GP30, F7B, and F7A

The train is now designated VKWM-13 (Selkirk-Kings Port-West Mill) for the remainder of its run with the  Swift, NH, and TPFX cars in tow.  The train leaves Selkirk Yard for Kings Port.

Before it arrives at Kings Port a steel job hustles to deliver empty gons on an intra-layout move to KP Steel.  The B&O gon is  non-player car.

The Steel Job manages to clear the main in time and all is quiet for about 20 minutes until...

 

  ...VKWM-13's arrival which can be seen below:

 

After the train stops, four empty coil cars are cut to be set out on the interchange track for KP Steel to pick up.

The coil cars are set out on the interchange and then another string of cars is prepared to be shoved backward into Williams Yard in the video below:

The last of the eight coal hoppers represents the end of the cut for Williams Yard.

Watch the cut for Williams Yard get the shove past the coil cars on the interchange track in the video below:

The remaining cars on the train wait to continue to West Mill until the cut for Williams Yard is set out

Watch them head to West Mill in the video below:

 As soon as VKWM-13 is gone KP Steel wastes no time claiming the four empty coil coaches.   Diminutive Industrial Switcher #3 heads out to bring them into the mill's yard.

An hour later VKWM-13 is observed at Marion, passing by Hedberg Aggregates...

It eventually arrives at West Mill where the depressed well flat car with the Caterpillar excavator will be dropped off at Sal's Salvage.

Watch VKWM-13 drop off the excavator at Sal's Salvage.  Sal seems to use a lot of these lately!   What became of the large tarp-covered load that was brought to his scrap yard by truck in the last series is a mystery, although law enforcement suspects a black market sale.  But, Sal ordered this unit from Caterpillar and it will be delivered today!

The yard is full so its fortunate that these are the last cars for West Mill in this series.  They will be sorted and placed on Northbound and Southbound locals, a run to Bloomberg , and the rest handed over to a KP&W transfer to Mayfield Yard and a WiBi train to Binghamton.

Check in tomorrow to follow this action out of West Mill!

PCCM 87: Part 3 on the KPD

 Hello once again!

We are continuing the 87th Penn Central Car Movements series in which we "virtually" forward cars to each other's layouts.  In the last two posts from the Kings Port Division several cars arrived at West Mill Yard to be sorted into trains for John's New York Central Train Layout  and Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R.  (which will not be participating this time but we hope to see in the next series).  The cars for the APRR will remain at West Mill until next series but its good to get them organized for the future operations.

The last cars expected to arrive will be coming in as part of a Kings Port & Western transfer run from Williams Yard to Mayfield yard.  The train's KP&W symbol is WiMf-6.

Watch WiMf-6 arrive at West Mill and stop beyond the yard limits so switcher #8951 can get behind it to pull a cut of cars into the yard.  This operation is a new development on the Kings Port Division that increases efficiency and fun.   Block control on my traditionally wired DC layout makes this possible.

 After the switcher couples up with the WiMf-6 train's caboose the cut for West Mill is separated for set out.

The cut is pulled past the yard lead under the Grape Nuts billboard.

Watch the cut for West Mill get shoved into the yard by Switcher #8951 in the video below:

Cars in this cut include two bulkhead flat cars for Half Moon Wholesale Lumber south of West Mill and P&E boxcar #3638 empty for Port Owen Brick Co..  These cars will be involved in some of the many intra-layout moves on the KPD this series. The  two PC corrugated gons loaded with steel coils will eventually be forwarded to Shapeless Steel on Neal's A.P.R.R.  

Watch the action in the video below as the two KP&W boxcars and caboose are returned to the train before it heads out of West Mill for Mayfield.

The cut from Williams Yard is the last of the 36 cars coming into West Mill for outbound trains to the N.Y.C.T.L. and APRR..   Now its time to get those cars moving closer to their final destinations!

As mentioned before, Neal's A.P.R.R. is not participating in this current series but the cars that will be heading to his layout next time have been separated at West Mill for future forwarding.  The remaining cars are going to be assembled into a train for Selkirk that will stop at Kings Port on the way to pick up four TOFCs set out at the interchange track near Williams Yard.

Trusty #8951 is hard at work blocking the outbound train.

Power for the train, which is designated as WMKV-12 (West Mill to Kings Port to Selkirk), is a GP38/F7B/GP7 consist that was part of the light engine run from Selkirk seen arriving at West Mill the other day to augment the motive power roster here.

Watch WMKV-12 depart West Mill in the video below.

By the way, PC #77047 loaded with Woodstock Hills Natural Soda for Ralph's Grocery Warehouse is carrying pallets of the company's newest product, Kale & Gooseberry Soda, seen advertised on the billboard in front of it! When the train's engineer saw the billboard he told his conductor that he wasn't sure about the soda but there were two more drinks he'd like to try, in sly reference to Johnny Cash's "Rock Island Line" song.  Hopefully some day he can enjoy a hot cup of coffee and a cold glass of tea, if not a Kale and Gooseberry Soda!

The train arrives at Kings Port to pick up four TOFCs waiting on the interchange.  

The TOFCs will be coupled to the rear of the train.  The caboose is cut for the pick up.

 Watch the train back into the TOFCs in preparation for the run to Selkirk in the video below:

The pick-up of the TOFCs completed, WMKV-12 proceeds to Selkirk with cars for John's N.Y.C.T.L.

Let's take a look at Selkirk action.  RI #35662 which was loaded with grocery products at Ralph's Grocery Warehouse in Davenport, IA for Ralph's in Empire City arrived at Selkirk yesterday on PC Train MV-12 from Dewitt Yard in East Syracuse.  LV #66392 loaded with bagged concrete from Wescott Concrete in Lakeport, NH for American Hardware Supply, arrived at Mechanicville on B&M train BM-7 yesterday and was forwarded to Selkirk today on a transfer run via Rotterdam Jct..  Both cars will be added to those coming in on WNKV-12 today

WMKV-12 arrives at Selkirk with GP38 #7675 in the lead.

After the train stops the three unit consist will head to Selkirk's engine facility and rejoin the big yard's power roster.  The train will leave Selkirk for Terminal Yard with a change in motive power along with boxcars RI #35662 and LV #66392.

Check out John's blog next weekend to see what lashup he chooses for the run from Selkirk to Terminal Yard!

That's it for the Kings Port Division's outbound part of this series!  Come back next weekend to follow the inbound traffic from the N.Y.C.T.L. !

PCCM 87: Part 2 on the KPD

 Hello!

Welcome to the second installment of our current Penn Central Car Movement Series between John's New York Central Train Layout and my own Kings Port division.   The KPD is managing 36 outbound cars this time around (including those that will be held for Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R. when he is next involved in the PCCMs) and most of them are gathering at West Mill Yard.

Today we'll welcome the Kings Port & Western's uniquely identified train MfWm-1 (Mayfield to West Mill), more commonly known as the Mayfield Transfer by West Mill Yard crews.    It is seen arriving below with its pooled KP&W/LV power as it takes the Penn Central mainline prior to backing into West Mill Yard.

Watch the long transfer with its mix of "virtual ops" and non-player cars arrive and roll past WM Tower in order to access the yard lead in the video below:

The train stops so its KP&W transfer caboose is located just beyond the switch for the yard lead.  The brakeman aligns the switch for the back up move.

Watch the Mayfield Transfer back into West Mill Yard in the video below:

The KP&W will pick up non-player cars for Mayfield Yard including several empty coal hoppers recently pulled off of the car float along with a pair of KP&W covered hoppers.  In order to make the pick up as efficient as possible the KP&W RS3 and LV GP9 receive clearance to occupy the Penn Central mainline for the next 45 minutes to receive the string of cars from West Mill yard switcher #8951.

The switcher is seen pulling the cars out of the yard while the LV/KP&W consist waits for them.

Now on the mainline, the switcher backs the cut of cars into the Mayfield Transfer's power consist

Cars are coupled to the rear of the KP&W RS3.

The caboose is tacked on and the Mayfield Transfer (now identified as WmMf-2 when heading toward Mayfield) is ready to depart.  

Heading back home to Mayfield!

The next train to be dispatched from West Mill is the Cement Job to Tri Mount Cement, south of West Mill.   The train will be delivering the non-player loaded coal hoppers that were just brought in by the Mayfield Transfer to power Tri Mount's kiln.

The train is seen getting its caboose from Yard Switcher #8951 prior to backing out of the yard.  Conductor "Fingers" O'Malley is complaining about working in the transfer caboose as usual.

Watch the Cement Job back to the end of the yard lead and then wait for an engine run sent from Selkirk to bolster the power roster at West Mill before leaving.  The train then runs south to Tri Mount Cement.

The Cement Job arrives at Tri Mount Cement

After exchanging loaded coal hoppers for loaded cement cars the train makes its way back to West Mill.  Watch it leave Tri Mount Cement and arrive at West Mill where it stops to let the KP&W's BiWi-3 (Binghamton to Williams Yard) pass by and slow to a stop on the main to set out four "virtual ops" cars at West Mill Yard.

 The BiWi pulls the set outs for West Mill in the video below:

After setting out the four cars the BiWi's F7As return to the rest of their train.

After BiWi-3 is reconnected and the air pressure is up, it proceeds to Williams Yard, closely followed by the Cement Job which will stop just beyond WM Tower to back into West Mill Yard.

 The Cement Job crosses over to the next track and enters the West Mill Yard Limits

Watch the Cement Job back into West Mill with six loaded cement hoppers for Neal's APRR.

That's it for today.  Check in tomorrow when the last cars to be forwarded to West Mill arrive and a train is dispatched for John's New York Central Train Layout!