Several grain cars were unloaded at Pier 16 in Empire City on John's layout for a boat heading to the Soviet Union as part of the famous 1972 shipment that became known as the "Great Grain Robbery!"
See the grain train action on John's New York Central Train Layout
as covered hoppers are set out at the massive Pier 16 silos near Terminal Yard and then pulled empty to be assembled into this train (Extra #2417 seen below) powered by three Alco Centuries heading back to Selkirk, and eventually to West Mill!
Later in the day Extra #2417 arrived at Selkirk and the power was switched out for a trio of GP38-2s for the run to West Mill.
Before the unit train of empty covered hoppers reaches the Kings Port Division, a pair of B&O F7As on a caboose hop back to their home rails keeps pace to stay ahead of it. The B&O units were part of a pooled power coal train from Rochester to the KP&W's Williams Yard. Their classic older livery was occasionally still seen during the Penn Central era.
Watch the B&O units roll by Ulster Ave in Kings Port with the empty grain train Extra #8150 not far behind in the video below!
The B&O units reach West Mill and continue on the westbound mainline without concern for Extra #8150 . The grain train will be cutting off the main here to enter West Mill Yard.
The B&O F7As heading home.
A half hour later Extra #8150 arrives at West Mill, passing Sal's Salvage and Canton Box Company.
Extra #8150 enters West Mill Yard.
The train's crew ties up their consist of three GP38-2s.
West Mill's SD9 #6922 moves to pull the caboose....
...and then pulls a cut of empty covered hoppers from the train right over to Empire Grain across the tracks.
Watch the SD9 pull out a cut of cars in the video below
After setting the cars near Empire Grain the SD9 will need to do a run-around move to shove them into the loading bay area.
That completes the operations cycle! Wherever the fruits of our "Amber Waves of Grain" might be shipped next time, be it Leonid Brezhnev's Soviet Union or a more friendly European customer, West Mill will be ready!
Thanks for following along and keep your eye on the upcoming 5th year of virtual ops!
To: West Mill
ReplyDeleteFrom: Terminal Yard
Acknowledge return of empty covered hoppers to West Mill and Empire Grain.
Terminal Yard out...
Nice wrap up to PCCM 69 Ralph!!! I really enjoyed seeing the B&O F7As leading the way to West Will for Extra 8150. Cool videos and photos abounded. The 1/87th scale PC personnel did their jobs well this series. Well done!!!
Nice wrap up to PCCM 69 and the great Grain Robbery! I hope the next time West Mill is called, it shall be delivered to a more 'Friendly' European customer, for sure! Happy 4th Anniversary!!
ReplyDeleteCongratz on 4 Great years of PCCM's! another fine series. I'm glad to see the KPD has done it's part to help cool the COLD WAR! As a history buff, I'll be looking up that 1972 grain shipment. sounds like we put our own Treasury at risk to help the REDS. Amazing we did that considering less then 30 years prior, Moscow took the entire Ukrainian harvest of wheat and sold it; Stalen forced a famine and starvation in the Ukraine. Anyway, I'm happy I stumbled across your excellent and entertaining Youtube vid's, which lead me to your PCCM's. I'm looking forward to many many more PCCM's to come!
ReplyDelete