PCCM 97: Part 2 on the KPD

 Welcome back everyone!

John's New York Central Train Layout, Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R., and my own Kings Port Division have been running our annual Holiday Coal Op, moving empty and loaded hoppers to serve consignees to the North.  If you've been following John's blog you know some of the coal has gone WAY NORTH!

In his installments this weekend John dispatched two unit trains of loaded coal hoppers, both designated as UB-2A.  Each is heading to Selkirk, will continue on to Mechanicville, and then arrive at the large Bow New Hampshire power plant.

Before the first UB-2A arrives, PC train BA-4 for Beacon Yard in Boston departs Selkirk on the old B&A line.  An EMD GP38-2 and two GE U33Cs are assigned the task of climbing the Berkshires. 

While BA-4 rolls out of Selkirk the skies are starting to look a bit steel blue/gray as an early winter storm is approaching and is expected to dump on the region tomorrow.

The first UB-2A arrives at Selkirk.  Watch it roll by the big yard and later pass through Mechanicville on its way to the Bow, New Hampshire Power Plant in the video below.  The train is powered by an FP7/F7B/FP7 consist.  UB-2A meets the daily B&M train from Rigby, Massachusetts (RM-1) arriving at Mechanicville.

The predicted winter storm arrives at Selkirk the next day, as does the second UB-2A unit coal train dispatched from Terminal Yard!  

Watch the second UB-2A stop a Selkirk, receive a power change, and then continue to Mechanicville on its way to the Bow, New Hampshire Power Plant in the video below:

The storm intensifies at Selkirk.

Trains continue to run today despite the weather!  Snow was not a friend of the Penn Central as some notable storms during the PC era severely disrupted Northeastern railroading.  

Watch as PC train EV-4 from Enola arrives and stops at Selkirk with  some former PRR power at the head end.  You'll see the PC/B&O F7A consist that was on today's second UB-2A roll by.  Its moving to couple up with a mixed freight that will run through West Mill and points west to return the B&O units to home territory.

 The storm has reached West Mill and snow is starting pile up.

Watch as the PC/B&O powered mixed manifest rolls through West Mill while the yard's SW9 pulls a pair of cars.

 That's the last train of the day at West Mill, which will give the yard crew some time to shovel out some switch points....

...and later do a little decorating for the Holidays!

Thanks for following our annual Holiday Coal Op!  May your stocking not be filled with anthracite!   Joyous holidays to all!

 

 

PCCM 97: Part 1 on the KPD

 Hello!

 'Tis the season for our annual Holiday Coal Run!   The moves will involve empty coal hoppers being sent from Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R.  and my Kings Port Division to John's New York Central Train Layout for loading at his Hudson Coal.  The loaded hoppers will be forwarded to consignees to the North...some very North!

The action on the Kings Port Division begins at West Mill Yard where SD9 # 6922 is fired up to work the recently arrived car float carrying empty hoppers from the Con Ed plant over in Port Owen.

While #6922 is started up to work the carfloat we can see the unit train of empty hoppers Neal's APRR dispatched from Rock Ridge Yard to Selkirk rolling by in the background.  SW9 #8951 photo bombs the scene while moving a caboose.

Watch the carfloat unloading action in the video below:

After the carfloat's empties are set on Track #3 the sound of First Generation Geeps can be heard from the South end of town.  Its the Cement Job returning from Tri Mount Cement with more empty hoppers!

Watch the Cement Job arrive and back the empty hoppers into West Mill Yard, next to the carfloat string that was set out earlier.

West Mill is beginning to fill up with empty hoppers!

After the West Mill crew removed the Cement Job's caboose it readied the two tracks full of hoppers for pick up by a scheduled unit coal train (URN-1A) which will be arriving soon.

Watch URN-1A arrive headed by pooled PC/B&O F7A power.

West Mill is a crew change and engine service stop for this train before it continues over the "Selkirk Hurdle" on its way to Terminal Yard on John's layout. The original crew steps off....

...and a West Mill crewman uncouples the consist for the hostler to bring the units into the locomotive service pad.

Watch the F unit consist leave the train for service in the video below:

The B&O units are occasionally seen at West Mill on run-through trains like URN-1A.  Local railfans always enjoy seeing foreign roads make an appearance here.  The LV and KP&W are more commonly seen at West Mill.

While URN-1A's power is being serviced, West Mill's RSD12 #6869  is assigned the task of adding the empty hoppers from Con Ed and Tri Mount Cement to the train for Terminal Yard.  Watch it work in the video below:

The string of hoppers has been pulled beyond WM Tower and the entrance to West Mill Yard.  The portly West Mill switchman bending the iron to align the switch for the mainline contemplates starting a routine of having Grape Nuts for breakfast tomorrow.  Darned billboard advertising!  You see it every day and it gets in your head!

Watch the hoppers get the shove on the mainline to join the rest of URN-1A in the video below:

RSD12 #6869 leaves the hoppers and returns to the yard.

The PC/B&O lashup is sanded, fueled, and ready to go.  Watch the West Mill hostler bring it back to the head end of URN-1A.

The new crew boards the lead unit to take URN-1A to Selkirk and Terminal Yard.   Connections are checked by West Mill crewmen and the air is pumped up.  The dispatcher in the Kings Port Tower several miles away gives URN-1A permission to depart West Mill.

 Watch URN-1A leave West Mill in the video below:

An hour and a half later the train reaches Selkirk Yard.

Watch URN-1A roll through Selkirk on its way to Terminal Yard in the video below:

That concludes the first installment of this special coal op from the Kings Port Division.  Check Neal's and John's blogs for more action!  Come back here on Sunday to see the hoppers that will be loaded at Hudson Coal on John's layout make their way to northern consignees!

 

 

PCCM 96: Part 6 on the KPD

 Hello once again!

This is the final installment of my Kings Port Division's involvement in our 96th Penn Central Car Movement series or "virtual ops"with John's New York Central Train Layout and Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R.

You may recall that PC train VKW-5 from Selkirk to West Mill dropped off cars on the KP&W/PC interchange at Kings Port.  They were originally dispatched on train SK-5 from John's Terminal Yard.

The KP&W's Williams Yard has sent out a pair of SW9s to deliver cars to local industries and bring one back to the yard for further forwarding to Binghamton, NY.

Watch the switchers shove three gons of scrap from Gershow Recycling for KP Steel's Basic Oxygen Furnace in the video below:

After setting out the scrap gons the switchers get around the remaining two cars.

PC plug door boxcar #360158 is loaded with products from Superior Furniture for Battaglia Brothers Warehouse.   Watch the switchers pull the car away from the Corning hopper (NAHX #90404) and run it down the industrial lead to the warehouse before returning to push the covered hopper loaded with West Hills silica sand back into Williams Yard.

The warehouse's loading dock is on a lower level beyond the ballpark.

Three hours after the Corning hopper was brought into Williams Yard we now see it tacked behind a pair of KP&W F7As that will power the next WiBi-4 transfer run to Binghamton NY.

Watch the WiBi leave Kings Port in the video below:

While this action is going on in Kings Port, the yard crew at West Mill has assembled a Yard Local to serve nearby Empire Grain and LaRoche Cycle.  The green NYC covered hopper is the virtual ops car for the grain facility.  The old NYC former Early Bird Service car is loaded with gears for LaRoche Cycle from Prestige Gear.

Two "nonplayer cars" will also be spotted at Empire Grain.

Watch the delivery for Empire Grain in the video below:

The hotshot WiBi-4 that left Kings Port is now arriving at West Mill.  The Yard Local holds at Empire Grain while it passes by.

After the WiBi clears town the Yard Local continues on its way to LaRoche Cycle with the Early Bird car.

After a quick runaround move the GP9 is able to shove the Early Bird up to the Team Track platform where a LaRoche Cycle truck will pick up the load of gears.  The use of a jade green replacement door on the brown boxcar is a pure Penn Central low cost maintenance move!

Returning now to West Mill Yard the last bit of work involves loading cars onto the car float for Port Owen.  A string of KP&W boxcars that was transferred here frm Mayfield is in the way of some loaded coal hoppers for Port Owen's Con Ed plant.

The hoppers for Con Ed and EL boxcar #73510  and NYC #47062  both loaded with bagged iron ore for Port Owen Brick Co. will be put on the float. 

The yard's SD9# 6922 will work the float as usual.

Watch the KP&W boxcars get set aside while the hoppers and EL and NYC cars are placed on the carfloat in the video below:

After the tugboat Robert H. leaves the float apron with the loaded barge it takes 45 minutes to dock at Port Owen.  After arriving the float is unloaded by SD9 #6925.

The six axle EMD unit sets out the two boxcars for Port Owen Brick and prepares to shove a cut of loaded hoppers to Con Ed.

While there are still some cars left in the yard; the "nonplayer" KP&W boxcars from Mayfield that will catch the next BiWi to Williams Yard....

...KP&W #644450 and 644455 empty from Quality Fabrications for Woodstock Hills Natural Soda, and two NYC double door boxcars empty from IBM for Zenith which are all being held at West Mill until space is available on the spurs for the respective businesses...

...I will not be showing these intra-layout moves...you'll just have to take my word for it that they will be done!  Cappy Foster will make sure of it!

Thanks for following along on this 96th fun series of virtual ops Penn Central Care Movements!

 

 

 

PCCM 96: Part 5 on the KPD

 Hello everyone!

As we continue our 96th Penn Central Car Movement series with John's New York Central Train Layout, Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R. , and my own Kings Port Division we're at West Mill waiting to see what train will be dispatched next.   

It looks like it will be a Bloomberg Turn for the industrial park in the Catskills.   APRR RBLs #60327 & 60358 are loaded with Empire Millwork console cabinets for Zenith TV and a former NYC Pacemaker boxcar is full of Moore & Co. burlap bags for Agway.

PC #299046 is loaded with printed labels for Van Winkle Canning from Berk Enterprises while PC #77047 is carrying City Pallets pallets for Woodstock Hills Natural Soda.

KP&W #30112 and #30115 are empty for Zenith TV.

A bay window NYC caboose is added by SW9# 8951.

Since the yard is so full its difficult for locomotives to run around this train.  SW9 #8951 pulls the cars out of the yard for the assigned power to couple up with their train on the mainline.

The cars sit on the main ready for the usual pair of GP20s assigned to the Bloomberg run.

Watch the two units leave the engine track and couple up to the train.

After the units couple on to the train and the air is pumped up, the Bloomberg Turn heads out on the branch up to the Catskills.  Watch it leave town while the PRR GP9 and Fingers O'Malley's transfer caboose return after completing the Cement Job set out.

The Turn makes its set outs at Van Winkle Canning and Woodstock Hills Natural Soda (partially seen on the right).

After that, the Turn heads to the Bloomberg Agway and sets out the old Pacemaker with its load of burlap bags.

The Turn proceeds to Zenith TV where it drops off four cars today.   A corner of Zenith's plant can just be seen on the left.

 

While the Bloomberg Turn finishes its set outs, work is being done at West Mill to get a cut ready to be picked up by the next KP&W Mayfield Transfer due to arrive within the hour. Five cars are heading to AME Auto Supply...

The brown NYC #80755 on the right is loaded with parts from Reliable Machine for Peerless Appliance, the Cargill hopper is going to Cavendish Foods and Spirits with a load of barley, and the empty PC depressed well flat #766053 is for Amalgamated Container Co.

Watch the Mayfield Transfer arrive at West Mill below:

The train backs into West Mill Yard and couples its caboose to the cut it will take back to Mayfield. Its two Geep consist then runs around the cut to shove it out of West Mill for the trip home.

After the train backs out of West Mill and is aligned on the main it heads toward Mayfield.

After reaching Mayfield Yard the cars are put on a local to serve:

Peerless Appliance.  NYC #87055 loaded with parts from Reliable Machine is spotted at Door #3.

ACME Auto Parts:

86 footers NYC #67086 and PRR #125291 are set out first...

...followed by 60 foot PC/TOC #350562, KP&W #50335, and NYC #53051.   These cars will be loaded for Ford.

Cavendish Foods and Spirits:

Cargill TDLX #7241 is full of barley to help create some of Cavenish's finest beverages. 

....and finally, Amalgamated Container (ACCO):

PC Depressed Well Flat #766053 is ready to load a large tank for West Chemical.

Well stop here for today but there is more action to follow tomorrow!