PCCM 95: Part 2 on the KPD

 Hello all!

This is my second installment of "outbound" posts in this 95th virtual ops being run between John's New York Central Train Layout, Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R., and my own Kings Port Division.

At the end of yesterday's installment a Northbound Local or Kings Port Turn was dispatched to pick up cars from local industries and also from the interchange track in Kings Port.  The local is powered by the usual pair of RSD12s.

The first stop is Reynolds Beverage Distributors and Booms Ready mix where the train will pick up two cars.

The old NYC Early Bird is loaded with bagged cement for Neal's Lumber and Hardware while BAR #5226 will head back empty to Maine.

The Turn then continues to its farthest stop before returning, the Kings Port interchange, where Empire Belt gon # 509823 waits empty.

The Turn's Alco power makes a run around to position itself for the trip home, and then picks up the EBRR gon.  It will be forwarded to Amalgamated Container.

Now that the work is completed at Kings Port, the train heads back toward West Mill.  One last stop before tying up at home though....

APRR hopper #9416 sits loaded at Hedberg Aggregates for the NY State DOT Region 10 project.   The Turn couldn't pick it up on the way to Kings Port because of the facing orientation of the spur.

Now, on the way back to West Mill, the spur is trailing and the hopper is easily picked up.

After finishing up at Hedberg the train returns to West Mill.

Only one car remains to be "gathered" at West Mill Yard prior to assembling a train for Selkirk.  TP&W #627 is just outside the yard at Canton Box company.   Old Reliable #8951 goes out to grab it.

After bringing in the TP&W car,  #8951 begins assembling a train for Selkirk, starting with the APRR  hopper loaded with aggregate...

....and a extra long pole load for Lilco that complete a block for the LIRR.

After the LIRR block is a group of cars for Empire City Industries.  It includes the Early Bird with bagged cement, NYC #80755 with machine parts for Reliable Machine from Quality Fabrications  ....

...the NYC Pacemaker is going to Moore & Co. with wire twisters and machine parts, and the two Southern RR bulkhead flats are carrying lumber to City Pallet from Half Moon Wholesale Lumber Distributors.

The TP&W car just brought into the yard is loaded with Canton boxes for Schaefer Beer.

Watch the #8951 pull the LIRR and Empire City blocks in order to couple them with more cars at West Mill.

After the LIRR and Empire City blocks were pulled forward a group of cars destined for the Bedford Park Yard area is revealed. The three 60 foot cars below are from ACME Auto Parts for Ford Motor Co.

PC #360158 is full of Zenith TVs for Superior Furniture while RI #35062 is also carrying TVs for All City Storage

Watch the #8951 finish assembling the train by shoving the LIRR and Empire City blocks into the Bedford Park Yard block:

While the West Mill crew completes a train for Selkirk their KP&W counterparts in Williams Yard have sent out a pair of SW9s, numbers 22 &24 to set out a quartet of TOFCs on the Kings Port interchange.

After setting out the TOFCs the two switchers cut off and head toward the industrial spur for Blue Ribbon Flour and Battaglia Brothers Warehouse.

The switcher pair pulls two cars from Battagila and one from Blue Ribbon.

PC #160502 carries materials for All City Storage, the black HRC boxcar is loaded with storage racks for Terminal Warehouse, and P&LE ##35892 holds bagged Blue Ribbon flour for Ralph's Grocery Warehouse

The three boxcars are coupled to the TOCFs on the interchange track and the 22 & 24 go back to Williams Yard.

A couple more cars will be added to the interchange cut, courtesy of KP Steel's industrial locomotive.   MCRR  and KP&W gons, #350623 and 2140 respectively, are loaded with steel slabs for Mid Island Steel.

The diminutive KP Steel loco tacks the gons onto the P&LE boxcar on the interchange.  This entire cut will be picked up by the train that is about to be dispatched from West Mill for Selkirk.

Lets go back to West Mill to check on their progress.  A pair of GP38-2s, units that are much appreciated on the King Port Division for their reliability, roll toward the yard to connect to their train to Selkirk.

After all connections are checked and the air is good, the train now designated as WKV-2 (West Mill-Kings Port-Selkirk), receives permission to leave the yard.

 About 45 minutes later WKV-2 reaches Kings Port and slows to a stop next to the interchange track.

WKV-2's crew confers about picking up the interchange cars

The GP38-2s cut off the train....

And pick up the interchange cut starting with the four TOFCs.

The interchange cut is coupled to the rest of the train.  A brakeman walks along its length checking connections.

WKV-2 receives word from the Kings Port Dispatcher that they are cleared to Selkirk.   The train heads out of town with several cars for the N.Y.C.T.L.!

Check back tomorrow to follow the train at Selkirk and see another train dispatched with cars for Neal's APRR.

 

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.