P.C.C.M. 57: GRT-3 Arrives at West Mill

Greetings virtual ops fans!   We're enjoying a quick back and forth grain train op between the Kings Port Division and John R.'s New York Central Train Layout.   A unit grain train of loaded covered hoppers was dispatched from West Mill to Terminal Yard and its nearby Pier 16 silos for international shipping. 

John's parts of the action featuring the train arriving and the cars being set out at the Pier 16 silos can be found Here

The train designated GRT-2 (Grain Terminal Yard-loaded) was seen in this N.Y.C.T.L photo arriving at Empire City behind a nifty looking GP30/GP38-2 consist....

...its cars were later spotted at the grain silos in another N.Y.C.T.L. pic.

...and once empty were gathered again to form train GRT-3 returning to West Mill with two large six axle GE U Boats with #6533 at the head end.  (Photo courtesy of the N.Y.C.T.L.)

The train is first photographed returning to the Kings Port Division passing the Blue Ribbon Flour silos at Upper Kings Port.

PC U28C #6533 passes two signal masts.

...and descends down grade toward Lower Kings Port.

The long train stretches back past Blue Ribbon Flour....

...and the local ball park, home of the Kings Port Saints.

Waiting for GRT-3 to pass before it can proceed is a short transfer run of RBL cars powered by a pair of GP9s sporting the fading pre-merger liveries of the two partners of the PC merger. 

The former NYC unit in particular could use a good fresh "Dipped Black" PC paint job!

The bridge over Ulster Ave is the place to be for railfanning today!

...and our intrepid heroes, the Kings Port Railfan Society are on the ball this time!   Benny, the wheel man, executes an abrupt and slightly illegal maneuver to reach the bridge in time to take photos!

The guys pile out of the VW Bug and climb up the hill for the best vantage point.  I wonder if they noticed the poison ivy?

See the action on video below!

 After the train reaches Lower Kings Port it is seen crossing the Esopus Creek bridge near KP Steel.  The heavy U Boats have been observed operating on the Kings Port Division since the beginning of the merger in 1968 but will eventually be reassigned to the former B&A and B&M routes in the Berkshires to battle their steep grades.

GRT-3 arrives at West Mill, passing Sal's Salvage Yard

Hey!  Look at that!  The Kings Port Railfan society continues to be on the spot today and parked just in time to catch the train as it rolls over Canton Street!

Welllll...they WOULD have caught the train and photo-documented its passing had they not aroused the agitated attentions of Sal himself for blocking the salvage yard entrance with their car! 

After a brief, yet enlightening, discussion with Sal that included several colorful invectives and assorted threats, our guys decide discretion is the better part of valor and hightail it out of the area.

They miss seeing GRT-3 approach West Mill in the background.  In the foreground we are treated to a KP&W operation in which RS3 #566 trades a string of loaded hoppers forwarded from the Lehigh Valley for a cut of empties to return to Mayfield. 

You can catch the arrival of GRT-3 in the video below!

As seen in the video above, yard switcher SD9 #6925 is called to pull GRT-3's caboose and then set the empty covered hoppers in the yard for later delivery to Empire Grain in the background.

After the caboose set out on the caboose service track,  #6925 pulls the first group of empty covered hoppers... 

...and sets them in one of West Mill's yard tracks.

We'll take our leave as the SD9's crew continues to place several more cars from GRT-3 in the yard.

That wraps up this virtual op series!

Thanks for following along...Oh, the KPRS guys want to know if anyone has any Calomine Lotion.  TC, Benny, Chooch, and Easy are complaining of itchy legs!