At the end of the previous post West Mill yard switcher SD9 #6925 was taking a block of cars out to add to a train headed toward Selkirk and then to the New York Central Train Layout's Terminal Yard. The block behind #6925 will eventually be handed over to the Long Island R.R. after reaching Terminal Yard.
The end of the L.I.R.R. block is represented by the P&LE car passing the Morton Salt car that it will soon be coupled on to.
The block is backed onto the main and its waiting train.
Coupled up!
The caboose and other cars that had been cut to accommodate this block are tacked back on and, after air is built up, the newly completed train is ready to proceed to Selkirk.
Meanwhile KP&W coal train Extra 769 continues to wait for the Penn Central freight to get underway. The crew is getting bored...
A green indication on the board and a verbal OK from the dispatcher finally clear the way for the train to Selkirk to pull out.
Leaving West Mill!
The main line now clear, KP&W Extra 769 takes the main so it can enter West Mill Yard and set out its coal hoppers.
Meanwhile within West Mill Yard, a Special Extra train is being assembled. It will consist of both extra long and extra wide loads for the L.I.R.R. One of these is a P&LE drop end mill gon loaded with extra long utility poles for the NYS DOT #10 highway project. This load requires an additional flat car on either end because of the overlap extending beyond the gondola.
The load was shipped from Bell Pole Co. in Bloomberg located across the tracks from the Bloomberg Agway.
Two additional pole loads in standard 50 foot gons are included in the order that was recently forwarded to West Mill by the KP&W.
The short Special Extra also includes a wide load, this large air conditioning unit on a PC depressed well flat car. West Mill crewmen double check the heavy wooden shipping cradle.
The load is from Peerless Appliance. Its their first product of this size in a new line of heavy industrial cooling units.
Here it is picked up by the KP&W to be forwarded to West Mill.
As the Special Extra is assembled, coal hoppers from KP&W Extra 796 are backed into West Mill Yard behind it. These cars will be placed on the car float for transportation across the river to a power plant at Port Owen.
The empty car float (for now)
PC boxcars are placed on either side of the wide Peerless Appliance load to serve as buffers cars for safety.
One caboose on this train is for the train crew and the other is to accommodate Peerless Appliance employees riding along to monitor this first wide load shipment. Everyone gathers to board.
PC GP38-2 #8150 will power this short train all the way to Terminal Yard after turning the horn at Selkirk. An aging former NYC Early Bird Service boxcar is placed behind the locomotive as a safety buffer car between the engine crew and a pole load.
The train, designated as Extra #8150, carefully crawls out of West Mill and leaves town.
Flanges squeal as the long drop end mill gon takes this curve.
The WM Towerman does a roll-by inspection and waves a farewell to the caboose crew.
Extra #8150 will follow slow orders along the way and arrive at Terminal Yard well behind the previous manifest freight out of West Mill.
That's it for today! One more installment from the Kings Port Division will cover the journey of the two KP&W boxcars cut from the train from Weehawken the other day.
Thanks for following along!
