PCCM 95: Part 1 on the KPD

 Hello!

We are starting Penn Central Car Movement series #95 !  Ninety five!   Each has been as enjoyable as the last and we continue to add more cars, routes, and consignees, making our "virtual ops" more complex, and hopefully a little more prototypical as we go.  This three layout series features John's New York Central Train Layout , Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R., and my own Kings Port Division.

As usual, West Mill Yard is quiet in the early morning but its a "calm before the storm" situation.  

Despite the initial down time, guys on the Extra Board will find plenty of work today!   We'll observe several cars gather at West Mill Yard before they are assembled into trains to be dispatched to John's an Neal's layouts.  

The first bit of work is a Southbound Local heading out to Tri Mount Cement and Half Moon Discount Lumber Distributors.   This morning's local will haul loaded coal hoppers for Tri Mount.  The train crew boards the lead GP9, still in pre-merger PRR livery.  The 7085 wears the "merger compliant" number applied and simple PRR herald that were applied in anticipation of the 1968 union with the New York Central. 

Watch the South Local back out of West Mill and then head forward to reach its consignees, meeting a Kings Port & Western BiWi-3 from Binghamton to Williams Yard powered by a pair of F7As.

After the BiWi comes to a stop one of the KP&W crewmen separates a cut for West Mill from the rest of the train.  

Watch the cut for West Mill Yard get set out by the KP&W covered wagons.

The three Penn Central RBLs are loaded with container board from International Paper for Tropicana on Neal's layout.  The two PS-2 hoppers are heading empty to Hedberg Aggregates, and the Corning covered hopper is traveling empty to West Hills Silica Sand via John's LIRR connection n his layout.

Continuing a trend of alternating Penn Central/ Kings Port & Western movements, the yard's SD9 #6922 pulls cars from the car float that just arrived from Port Owen.  The float is bringing in a group of empty hoppers from Con Edison along with New Haven boxcar #36116 with bricks for American Building Supply in Maine.

 The NH boxcar is removed first and set on track #2

 The empty hoppers are gradually pulled off the float after that and set on track #3.

Meanwhile a KP&W transfer from Mayfield Yard arrives at West Mill with more virtual ops cars from ACME Auto Parts, Amalgamated Container, and the Lehigh Valley Coal connection.

Watch the Mayfield Transfer arrive and shove cars into West Mill Yard in the video below.

After the cars from Mayfield are set out the KP&W Alco power will pick up the empty hoppers that were pulled off the car float earlier. The yard's SW9 #8951 helps out by attaching the road's transfer caboose to the back end of the coal hoppers.  

Watch the hoppers back out of West Mill in the video below.

The Transfer returns to Mayfield with the hoppers in tow.    A noontime KP&W RDC run from Mayfield is seen arriving at West Mill while the South Local returns to the yard.   

Watch a less dramatic version of "The Great Train Race" as the RDC and the South Local roll by.  The RDC continues on its way to   Williams Yard in Kings Port as part of its daily service. The South Local will stop at the yard entrance and back into West Mill Yard.

 

 

The next arrival at West Mill is on schedule at 2:15 PM.    BWm-2 from Bloomberg makes its appearance at West Mill after switching the industrial park in the Catskills.

 

While BWm-2 rolls onto the main in the background, a pair of RSD 12s and a transfer caboose under the sand tower prepare to head out light as the Northbound Local.  It will return with a number of "virtual ops" cars currently spotted at local industries.

Watch BWm-2 take the mainline and pass the yard entrance in the video below:

BWm-2 waits for the crewman to "bend the iron" to allow it to back into West Mill Yard.

Watch the Bloomberg cars back into West Mill and see the North Local power roll out of town in the video below:

West Mill is filling up with cars! 

That's it for today.  Stop by tomorrow when the North Local returns with more cars and the West Mill crew starts assembling trains.