PCCM 99: Part 1 on the KPD

Hello and welcome to our 99th Penn Central Car Movements "virtual ops" series!

We photograph and film trains leaving our layouts to make them appear to arrive on each others' pikes.   We're happy that this time its a three layout event with John's New York Central Train Layout , Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R. , and my own Kings Port Division.

West Mill is often the center of attention in my installments and this morning is no exception.   The yard is mostly quiet at 08:15 except for SD9 #6922 pulling cars off the car float which arrived 20 minutes ago from Port Owen.  

We arrived a little late and missed the initial pulls, a few empty coal hoppers from the Con Ed plant, but we can still watch as the last four cars are taken off the float.  These include a pair of KP&W 38 foot hoppers that will head to Mayfield Yard, along with NYC double door boxcar #47063 and EL #73510, both loaded with bricks for Neal's Lumber and Hardware on the N.Y.C.T.L.

The boxcars full of bricks are set in the yard by themselves....

...while the KP&W hoppers are coupled onto a string of other empties bound for Mayfield Yard and the KP&W's connection with Lehigh Valley Coal County.

Its 09:25 and the KP&W's daily Mayfield Transfer to West Mill is arriving on the south side of town.  KP&W motive power is sometimes short at Mayfield so it isn't unusual to see a pooled KP&W/LV consist bring the Transfer to West Mill.  Watch the train arrive and back its cars into the yard:

The yard's SW9 tacks the KP&W's caboose to the Transfer's consist.

...and the cars from the Transfer are cut off.

The Transfer's power returns to Mayfield "caboose lite".

The yard crew is bracing for the arrival of several cars today.   Consists are prepared for a Southbound local powered by GP20s...

and a Northbound Local, or Kings Port Turn with a GP7/GP9 combo.  Both trains will return to the yard with several "pick-ups".

Watch the two sets of locomotives leave in opposite directions.  The South Local is dispatched "running lite"while the North Local is pulling two cars for Battaglia Bros. Warehouse .

 The North Local (Kings Port Turn) arrives at Kings Port by 10:55.

Its first job will be to pick up the black Hoschton Railway Co. car from Reynolds Beverage Distributors.  The 40 ft boxcar is loaded with beer and wine for C&P Restaurant Supply on Neal's layout.

Watch the pick up in the video below:

After the HRC car is picked up the Turn sets aside its caboose and then backs toward the PC/K&W interchange track to pick up cars from Blue Ribbon Flour and Battaglia Brother's Warehouse

LV NIRX #41000 is loaded with bagged flour for Freihofers on Neal's layout.  The TPFX #5510 is being returned empty from
Battaglia Brothers to Triangle Pacific in British Columbia.  After their pick-up they are shunted over to the next track so the Turn can deliver its two empty 50 foot boxcars to Blue Ribbon Flour.

The work at Blue Ribbon completed, the Turn pulls its remaining  cars away to reposition for the last job before returning to West Mill

The train shifts over to the main next to the Gulf facility, runs around the cut, and then picks up empty GM&O boxcar #21129 which is being forwarded as an intra-layout move to Quality Fabrictions, along with three tankers loaded with fuel for Terminal Yard's engine facilities.  

A surprising development occurs as an impatient driver apparently drove around the truck waiting at the grade crossing, raced across the tracks in front of the train, and sideswiped a junction box on the other side of the tracks, knocking it over and causing a small fire! 

Distracting as this may be, the Turn's crew completes its work and heads back to West Mill! (OK.  Full disclosure: I must have knocked the little box over with my ham hands and not noticed it until I started editing the video footage!)

The grade crossing accident made the local KPTV News!

13:35 After leaving Kings Port the Turn arrives again at West Mill.

There is one more car to pick up from nearby industries; NYC covered hopper #892010 loaded with grain from Empire Grain for Ronzoni via the LIRR on John's layout.  Watch the pick up in the video below:

After picking up the covered hopper the Kings Port Turn enters West Mill Yard.  Its  14:12 in the early afternoon.

14:55  The South Local returns with cars from Tri Mount Cement.

That'll do it for today.  Come back tomorrow for more arrivals at West Mill!