PCCM 90: Part 4 on the KPD

Greetings!

Welcome back to our 90th Penn Central Car Movements "virtual ops" series between my layout and John's New York Central Train Layout !

Last weekend's posts featured the outbound trains that we (virtually) sent to each other's layouts.  This weekend we will follow the progress of those trains arriving on our layouts and the subsequent delivery of freight cars to their various consignees; the business of railroading in 1/87th scale.

John dispatched train Penn Central train SK-5 from Terminal Yard to Selkirk. This train was headed by a very cool consist of GP30 #2228, F7A #1802, and GP40 #3007.   Watch the train arrive and stop at Selkirk in the video below:

 The four TOFCs are destined for the B&M's Mechanicville Yard

Watch the TOFCs get set out at Selkirk by SK-5's power.   After that the locomotives head to the engine tracks and a new consist is coupled up to the remaining cars on the train.

The train, now powered by U33C #6552 and GP38-2 #8150,  is designated as VWm-6 running from Selkirk to West Mill.

Watch VWm-6 depart Selkirk.  A caboose hop rolls by shortly before the train heads out; just part of busy operations at Selkirk Yard.

About to continue on the next step of their journey, the four TOFCs are added to Selkirk-Mechanicville transfer NY-20.

Meanwhile PC train VWm-6 is working its way south to West Mill. A railfan caught the train's caboose crossing Ulster Ave.

Watch the train arrive at West Mill in the video below:

After VWm-6 arrived SW9 #8951 got to work sorting cars into three trains;  a transfer to the KP&W's Mayfield Yard, a Cement Job, and a Northbound local.

The trains will include some additional cars such as a Penn Central and a KP&W PS-2 that arrived on the morning car float.  Both are empty from Port Owen Brick Co. for Hedberg Aggregates. These are intra-layout moves following the Rail Traffic Management Form.

A couple more empties pulled from the car float are for Tri Mount Cement.  These are non-player cars not involved in the virtual ops.

We didn't get to see red GM&O boxcar #21129 get dropped off by a KP&W transfer from Mayfield earlier this morning. The boxcar will be joining the three tank cars heading to the riverside Gulf facility after being forwarded empty from Peerless Appliance

More intra-layout moves include PC gon #288673  heading empty to Amalgamated Container Co. after having been unloaded at Williams Yard in PCCM 87.  The depressed well flatcar PC #766053  will be forwarded to Peerless Applaince

These two NYC double door 50 footers are also going to Peerless Appliance after having been unloaded at Battaglia Bros. Warehouse.

A caboose is tacked onto the rear of the transfer to Mayfield

 Watch the Mayfield Transfer depart in the video below:

After accessing the main line by WM Tower the crew get their orders prior to leaving West Mill.

Watch the train leave for Mayfield in the video below:

As the Mayfield Transfer's GP9/GP7 consist ducks into the tunnel at the northern side of West Mill we'll stop here for today. Come back tomorrow for more virtual ops action!

PCCM 90: Part 3 on the KPD

Hello!

Continuing the action of our 90th Penn Central Car Movement "virtual ops" series  between John's New York Central Train Layout and my own Kings Port Division, we are at Kings Port where Penn Central Train WKT-9 is picking up cars on the interchange with the Kings Port & Western.

The train is cut behind the string of empty hoppers.

WKT-9 pulls forward and shoves the hoppers onto the next track to pick up PC #360150 and four clam shell coil coaches.

The first pick ups are backed into P&LE #35892

The train is cut farther back to separate NYC boxcar #164000 from the rest of the train.

The train pulls forward to grab the girder load and its buffer flatcars.

The girder load and flats are set back onto the main and shoved toward NYC #164000 and the train's caboose.

The placement of the NYC boxcar as an additional buffer for the girder is an example of the recent attention John and I are attempting to pay to proper management of hazardous loads in relation to the caboose and the locomotives. 

After checking air and connections WKT-9 leaves Kings Port for Selkirk.  The train will run through Selkirk on the way to Terminal Yard on John's N.Y.C.T.L.

 Watch the run-through at Selkirk in the video below:

That's it for this week!  Check out John's blog to see his side of the action!  See you next weekend for more!

PCCM 90: Part 2 on the KPD

 Hello again!

We're continuing our 90th Penn Central Car Movement Series, the fun "virtual ops" between layouts that are actually over a 1000 miles apart.  This time its a two layout operation between John's New York Central Train Layout  and my own Kings Port Division.

Yesterday we observed a number of cars arrive at West Mill Yard from several trains, both from the Penn Central and the Kings Port & Western.  We left as SW9 #8951 began assembling the strings of cars into a train for John's Terminal Yard.

The train being assembled will be designated WKT-9, a run from West Mill that stops at Kings Port to pick up more cars before running through Selkirk on the way to Terminal Yard.  

While this work is being completed at West Mill there is action to follow in Kings Port in preparation for WKT-9's arrival there later this afternoon.

KP&W S-12 #34 out of Williams Yard has collected PC plug door boxcar #360150 from Blue Ribbon Flour.  The car is loaded with bagged flour for Hostess.

The car is placed on the interchange track with the Penn Central at Kings Port to wait for WKT-9.

Nearby KP Steel will be adding a string of four loaded clam shell coil coaches (two for Gervais Pipe and Fittings and two for Ford) along with a large girder beam for the NY DOT Region 10 project.   The girder load is protected by flat car buffers on either side.  These cars  will also be picked up by the WKT-9.  Watch the action as one of the steel mill's industrial switchers shoves cars out of their yard while a work train passes on the main line in the video below:

 Eight cars now sit on the interchange track waiting for WKT-9

Speaking of WKT-9, the train has been assembled at West Mill and is about to be coupled to its consist.  Watch GP38s #7675, #7692 and FP7 #4348 roll into the yard to pick up their train in the video below:

The hostler turns the consist over to today's crew.   GP38 #7675 idles as the yard crew checks all connections among the freight cars.

The air is pumped up and the train has been given clearance to leave the yard and enter the main for the run to Kings Port.  Watch WKT-9 leave West Mill in the video below.  Note NYC boxcar #164000 at the end of the train.  This car will be employed as an extra safety buffer when cars are picked up in Kings Port.

The train arrives in Kings Port an hour later.  Watch it roll past KP Tower before it picks up cars from the interchange below:

After WKT-9 stops at Kings Port the train is cut behind a string of empty hoppers so the cars to be picked up from the interchange can be better blocked for Terminal Yard.

 We'll stop here for today but come back tomorrow to follow the action as the pick up is made in Kings Port and the train heads north to roll through Selkirk on its way to Terminal Yard.

PCCM 90 Part 1

 Greetings all!

We're starting our 90th Penn Central Car Movements "virtual ops" series.  Launching today celebrates the anniversary of the first ever virtual ops exchange between my Kings Port Division and John's New York Central Train Layout  which we kicked off on February 3, 2016!   

Looking past the caboose track of an otherwise fairly empty West Mill Yard we can see two GP20s waiting for permission to access the main to bring the Bloomberg Turn (BWm-2) into the yard. 

BMw-2 is holding for this morning's Kings Port &Western  BiWi-3 (Binghamton to Williams Yard).  Watch as the KP&W train arrives at West Mill powered by its last running C Liner and a pair of B&O F7's borrowed from Binghamton in the video below.

A brakeman separates the cut for West Mill from the rest of the train.  West Mill will be receiving eight empty hoppers and PC boxcar #229046 loaded with bulk cardboard from International Paper for Berk Enterprises.

Watch the the set out at West Mill Yard in the video below:

The KP&W's engineer chats with a Penn Central yard trainman about the aging C Liner.  Every run is expected to be its last but the old loco keeps plugging away.  The #890 has become a railfan favorite and has its own "Save 890!" fan club.   The KP&W isn't as sentimental.  Often facing power shortages, the line hangs on to every operating locomotive it has.

Time is running short and the BiWi is due to be heading for Kings Port.  Watch the KP&W/B&O power quickly return to its train in the video below:

After re-coupling and checking the air, the KP&W BiWi proceeds to Williams Yard.

Once the KP&W train has cleared BWm-2 receives permission to take the main so it can enter West Mill Yard.

Watch the Bloomberg Turn pull onto the main and pass by the old West Mill station.  NH boxcar #36116 loaded with Van Winkle Canning canned goods for Terminal Warehouse and the NYC Early Bird carrying REVCO kitchen gadgets for Ralph's Grocery Warehouse are the only virtual ops cars on this train except for the last car NYC #164000 which will later play an important safety role. 

The rear of the Turn is positioned just beyond the yard entrance

Watch BWm-2 back into West Mill Yard in the video below.

More "virtual ops" cars gather at West Mill later in the day.   The KP&W's MfWi-3 transfer from Mayfield Yard to Williams Yard headed by an RS-3/F7B consist makes a brief stop to drop off one car, the rusting NYC Pacemaker that today is just a shadow of its former glory.   The grey and red car is loaded with new 55 gallon drums from Amalgamated Container Co. for Drywell Ink.

Following close on the KP&W train's heels is the returning Southbound local that serves industries like Half Moon Wholesale Lumber Distributors.  The single GP9 is pulling a few Southern Railroad cars loaded with lumber products...

...including these two bulkhead flatcars with lumber for Gotham Building Supply

The Pacemaker and the bulkhead flats are later seen set out in West Mill Yard

More virtual ops traffic comes in, this time by carfloat.  P&E #3638 has just made the trip from Port Owen loaded with bricks from Port Owen Brick Co. for Neal's Lumber and Hardware

The last of the virtual ops cars that will arrive at West Mill to eventually be forwarded to Terminal Yard on John's layout are handled by the Yard Local and SW9 #8951

The first order of business is to pick up the brown P&LE boxcar #35892 loaded with Canton Box Co. cartons for Sunshine Biscuits. 

Next will be PC boxcar 104478, seen in the foreground, loaded with GERN cement flux

The siding is shared by Sal's Salvage and the two gons of scrap are to be held there.  The switcher temporarily pulls them to access PC #104478.

The PC boxcar is set aside and the gons are returned to Sal's Salvage

After that #104478 is brought into the yard with P&LE #35892.

Now its time to get to work assembling the next train to Terminal Yard

We'll leave the West Mill crew to their work but check back tomorrow as Train WKT-9 is assembled and dispatched with pick ups to make along the way at Kings Port!

PC Three Photo Challenge

 Hello,

We're having some fun with a new feature, the Three Photo Challenge in which we attempt to replicate (or at least approximate) three photos from this year's Penn Central Railroad Historical Society calendar.  John, Neal, and myself each selected three of the twelve images from the 2022 calendar and took photos on our layouts emulating the scenes pictured.

The Penn Central Railroad Historical Society's calendar is a very nicely made collection of full color photos from the PC era printed on good quality card stock.  It can be purchased from the PCRRHS using this link:

https://www.pcrrhs.org/store/calendar

While there, check out the rest of the site and consider joining!

It was a fun challenge to pick three photos to emulate and I did find some possible options.  My photo submissions for the challenge are not exact replicas by any means but they try to capture the spirit of the originals.  I will not be posting photos from the calendar itself in order to be mindful of copyright.

Appropriately enough, we are posting photos of Penn Central modeling today on February 1st, the anniversary of the 1968 merger between the New York Central and the Pennsylvania Railroad! 

OK, here goes! 

#1 March 2022.  The calendar photo shows PC E8A #4034 on the point of a three car passenger train passing McKinley Tower in Canton, OH in 1970.   The original photo features a tower with some low buildings in the background with lots of blue sky.  I set up a passenger train with an E8A near my own WM Tower.  I edited out structures seen above the retaining wall and colored the area blue to try to approximate this sunny day photo of a small train.

#2 October 2022 The calendar photo features FL9 #5028  on a Harmon Line passenger train at Bedford Falls, NY.  The FL9 is wearing the MTA yellow and blue but, as happened to some of these units, the yellow nose faded to white over time.  It is seen next to a passenger station with a row of several parked automobiles. I kit bashed an FL9 from a pair of F7A shells several years ago and it was fun to pull it out of the box and give it some camera time.  I photo-shopped the FL9's double headlight and added a number of autos to the scene to mimic the original photo

#3 December 2022  The calendar shot is from the winter of 1969 featuring a pair of GP40s; the second unit running cab backward with an orange C logo, followed by an F7A also running backwards.  I pulled out the photo-shopping stops in this one to turn my summer weather layout into a snow covered landscape.  The original photo includes a line of autoracks rolling behind the consist.  Not having any HO scale versions of those cars I cropped the shot behind the locomotives.  The calendar photo shows the train running under a bridge.  The best I could do with that was to have the train emerge from the overpass in Kings Port on my layout.   Should I mention that my photo is taken from the other side of the train compared to the original?   It is an approximation, remember!  :)

 I'm not sure how successful I was in emulating the three selected photos but it was fun to give it a try!

Check in on John's New York Central Train Layout  and Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R.  to see their submissions for the 3 Photo Challenge!

Anyone heard anything about prizes?  :)