PCCM 99: Part 3 on the KPD

Greetings virtual ops fans!

We're well into the "outbound" parts of our 99th 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.   Our outbound posts feature cars being gathered for assembly into trains that we dispatch to each other's layouts.    We'll start running "inbound" posts next weekend as those trains arrive on our layouts with cars to be delivered to consignees.

After two days of handling freight cars brought in by various trains West Mill Yard is ready to forward them as scheduled to the APRR and the N.Y.C.T.L. 

A cut for the APRR was set out on a siding next to the mainline yesterday for the next Selkrik to Weehawken transfer run (VW-1) which will stop at West Mill to make the pick up.   You can see the string of cars for the APRR waiting behind the engine service area. A few more cars needed to be added to the cut before VW-1 arrives.

These include EBRR #360279 with bulk paper from International Paper Co. for Marcal Paper,  PC #160502 loaded with IBM business machines for Three Amigos Warehouse..

....NAHX #90404 (Corning) empty for Pennsylvania Glass Sand, and LV #7120 carrying pickles and mustard from Heinz and Weber for C&P Restaurant Supply.

The cars will join the string seen in the background headed by the two white APRR RBLs for ShopRite.

The last additions to the APRR cut are pulled past the yard entrance switch near WM tower...

....and shoved toward the cut on the siding.

Now that all of the cars for Neal's layout are set out we'll wait for the scheduled VW-1 from Selkirk.   The train arrives two hours later.

The two GE units uncouple from the train to pick up the cut left for them at West Mill.

The VW-1 power makes the pick up.   We get a good slow look at the cars that are headed to the APRR in this series.  

A VW-1 crewman walks the train, checking connections prior to the departure.

After the air is pumped up the train receives clearance to proceed to Weehawken where the cars will be interchanged with the APRR for a run to Rock Ridge Yard.

Lets shift our attention for a moment and take a look at some action in Kings Port.

Six cars loaded with steel coils are ready to be set out at the Kings Port & Western/ Penn Central interchange track.  These cars will be taken to Selkirk by a train that will soon be dispatched from West Mill.

A pair of KP&W SW9s from Williams Yard pulls the cars to the interchange.

The string of cars is split to rest on either side of the Ulster Ave grade crossing to avoid blocking traffic and incurring the wrath of the KPPD for violating local ordinances.

Back over at West Mill the train that will pick up those cars is about to be dispatched as WmV-6 (West Mill to Selkirk).   The caboose end is seen on Track #1.

An NYC covered hopper loaded with grain for Ronzoni is at the head end.

The train's F7P/ GP38 power couples up to the train and takes it out of town.

An hour later WmV-6 arrives at Kings Port to pick up the cars loaded with steel coils.

VWm-6 arrives at Selkirk!

The cars will go over the hump and be reassembled into train TY-2 for Terminal Yard.  A  number of cars will be cut from WmV-6 for other destinations.

Cars destined for New England including three B&M RBLs returning to Merrimack NH, and the Swift reefer returning to its home company, are put on BM-10 for Rotterdam Jct.  The train will be taken over by the B&M there and run to Mechanicville where the cars will be placed on MB-4 for East Deerfield MA.  The transfer to Rotterdam Jct. is seen leaving below:

Other cars from WmV-6 were added to PC train VB-1 to Buffalo's Frontier Yard to be forwarded farther west.  You'll see the power from WmV-6 moving toward servicing prior to the dispatch of VB-1.

Later in the day FP7 #4348 and GP38 #7675 are assigned to power Train TY-2 to Terminal Yard.  The train is about to depart for John's N.Y.C.T.L.

That's it for the outbound posts from the Kings Port Division this series!  Check back next week as inbound trains from Neal's and John's layouts arrive with cars to be forwarded to various consignees!