P.C.C.M. 64, Part 1 on the KPD

Hello everyone!

We are kicking off a four layout "virtual op", or Penn Central Car Movement (P.C.C.M.) as we call them, in which cars are seen to move from one layout to the next in order to serve various industries.  

Participants include my own Kings Port Division and:

John R.'s New York Central Train Layout (N.Y.C.T.L.)

Neal's   Atlantic Pacific R.R. (A.P.R.R.)

and Brian's  Ralston Creek R.R. (RCR)

Be sure to check their blogs at the links above to follow this series' action on their layouts.

Meanwhile, two yards on my layout are preparing cars for a train to Selkirk where they will be then forwarded to John's layout or Brian's.  Starting at the Kings Port & Western's William Yard, three TOFCs are being readied for set-out at the interchange track with the Penn Central.  A PC train from West Mill heading North will pick up these cars for Selkirk and eventually for Terminal Yard on the N.Y.C.T.L.

The TOFCs are pulled out of Williams Yard...

...and set out for pick up.

Over at West Mill Yard Penn Central SD9 #6925  is assembling a cut of cars that will eventually join the three TOFCs on the train to Selkirk.  It is seen below ushering in a NYC covered hopper loaded with grain for Ronzoni.

The loaded car was just pulled from Empire Grain seen looming in the background.

PC #6925 pushes the covered hopper into the rest of a cut of cars for John's N.Y.C.T.L.

Other cars for the N.Y.C.T.L. include P&LE #35892 loaded with containers from Canton Box for Sunshine Biscuit, 

...a PC Hi Cube loaded with Peerless Appliances for Gimbles Warehouse,

...IC #30310 loaded with canned fruit and vegetables from Van Winkle Canning for Pilgrim State Hospital, and E.B.R.R. gondola #509823 with a large tank from Amalgamated Container for Crown Oil and Chemical.

Those five cars will be transferred over to the LIRR after they arrive on the N.Y.C.T.L..  One more car in the cut, PC 360158, is going empty to University Milling in Empire City.   The yard crew gives it one last hard look after recent events in which the 50 footer was suspected of being used for illicit activities by the Battaglia Brothers.   Despite law enforcement investigations nothing was ever confirmed and the car has been released for revenue service.  

 Four more cars will be added to this cut.   RI #35062 loaded with Zenith TVs and B&M #74005 with repair parts from Peerless Appliance are both headed for Lefty Martin's Appliance in Colorado on Brian's layout. 

Also for Brian's Ralston Creek RR are SP #127433 loaded with bagged Blue Ribbon Flour for Star Bread Co. and the red CB&Q gon loaded with shredded scrap metal for Ball Container

That accounts for cars going to John's and Brian's layouts.   Now we'll focus on cars headed for Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R.   Both of West Mill's yard engines are at work as SD9 #6925 backs up to couple up with a cut of cars for the A.P.R.R. while SW9 #8951 rolls back to grab a string of empty hoppers.

The A.P.R.R. cut includes two Hoschton Railway Company cars from the home railroad of our late friend Engineer Ed who was known for his good humor and generosity in sharing cars lettered for his road. Boxcar  #913001 was a gift to me from Ed...  The car is generating revenue this time by carrying cardboard boxes from Canton Box Co. for Freihofers.

This black and orange HRC 40 footer is a tribute car made in Ed's memory that all of us participating in the virtual ops share.  It is currently loaded with wine, beer, and spirits from Reynolds Beverage Distributors for C&P Restaurant Supply.

PC corrugated gons #576104 and 576123 are heading empty to Shapeless Steel.  That ALMOST completes the A.P.R.R. cut.  Two loaded coal hoppers for RMO Electric are expected to arrive at West Mill momentarily.  That KP&W SD9 seen in the background is at the head end of a coal train from Mayfield that includes the two cars for the A.P.R.R.  The KP&W train is waiting for clearance to proceed.

In anticipation of the Mayfield train's arrival SW9 #8951 is pulling empty hoppers to position them for easy pick up for the train's return trip to Mayfield in a loads/empties exchange operation. 

The empties are set out here for pick up later.

 While the A.P.R.R. cut waits for its last two cars...

...the KP&W train finally gets clearance to take the main and enter West Mill Yard.  This is the KP&W's "Car Float Run" from Mayfield bringing loaded hoppers from its LV coal country connection to West Mill's car float.  The coal hoppers will be ferried across the river to Port Owen's power company.

KP&W # 233 and 234, which will be added to the A.P.R.R. cut waiting at West Mill, are seen at the end of this train.

The caboose is cut and the hoppers are backed into West Mill Yard.

KP&W and LV pooled power are often seen on this run.

The train backs into the ladder tracks...

...and sets out #233 and 234 on the track the rest of the A.P.R.R. cut is sitting on...

...before leaving all the other hoppers on the track nearest to the car float for easy loading later.

The KP&W/LV run leaves the yard to pick up the empty coal hoppers set out for them earlier and heads back to Mayfield.

SD9 #6925 finishes up by shoving the two hoppers for RMO Electric into the rest of the A.P.R.R. cut.

 The stage is now set to dispatch a train to Selkirk with cars for the N.Y.C.T.L. and RCR, and to move the A.P.R.R. cut for easy pick-up by the next Penn Central run in the opposite direction from Selkirk to Weehawken .   Stay tuned tomorrow!