PCCM 107: Part 1 on the KPD

 Hello Virtual Ops fans!

We're back again with another Penn Central Car Movement series (PCCM) between John's New York Central Train Layout , Neal's  Atlantic Pacific RR , and my own Kings Port Division.   This time around we're focusing on interchange traffic as cars from John's layout and mine will be dispatched to Neal's to be forwarded to destinations "beyond his basement".

Usually my part in these series begins at West Mill Yard but today we're starting off by enjoying a warm sunny day in Mechanicville, NY where the sky is as blue as the GP18m #1754 seen pushing cars around the yard.

While the 1754 works the yard, B&M train BM-7 from Boston stops at Mechanicville with four APRR cars loaded with auto supplies for Ford in Louisville, KY (via Potomac Yard) and three PC RBLs empty for Nabisco (via Morrisville, PA). 

The train holds for Delaware & Hudson transfer PB-100 from Binghamton.

Watch video of all of this action below:

 A few non-PCCM cars are added to to BM-7 which then receives clearance to continue to Rotterdam Jct.   

The cars destined for Neal's Rock Ridge Yard and beyond will be cut at Rotterdam Jct. and interchanged with the Penn Central.   From there they will be forwarded to Selkirk on Train BM-17.

BM-17 arrives at Selkirk! 

The train will be humped and sorted.  The Hoschton Railway Co. car (the late Engineer Ed's freelanced line)  is loaded with auto parts from Buffalo and will be added to a train heading toward West Mill.

Selkirk crews assemble a train that includes the Hoschton car, the four APRR cars, and the three Penn Central RBLs.

It is dispatched from Selkirk as VW-1 to Weehawken with a stop at West Mill to pick up more cars for Rock Ridge Yard.  Watch VW-1 leave Selkirk while train EV-4 from Enola arrives.

We'll leave Selkirk for now and head over to the KP&W's Mayfield Yard where switcher #22 is building a transfer run to West Mill with cars loaded with auto parts from ACME Auto Parts.  The auto parts cars are destined for the Ford plant in Louisville, KY....

...along with four orange KP&W cars that are empty for Nabisco. 

Watch #22 finish assembling the train and then make way for a pair of F7As to couple to the head end of the train.   The Mayfield Transfer to West Mill then departs Mayfield Yard.

The KP&W transfer later arrives at West Mill....

 ...and sets out its cars on the main siding at the yard.  

The KP&W F units return to Mayfield caboose lite.

The VW-1 which we saw earlier dispatched from Selkirk arrives at West Mill.

The  U33C/ GP38 consist is cut to pick up the cars left by the KP&W ....

The string of cars is picked up by VW-1

 VW-1's brakeman walks the train, checking connections.

Once the air is up and clearance is given by the Dispatcher in Kings Port, VW-1 continues its journey to Weehawken where its cars will be forwarded to Neal's Rock Ridge Yard.

That's it for today!  Check Neal's blog to see what happens next!

PCCM 106 Feed the Furnace Part 3 on the KPD

Hello once again! 

We're wrapping up this one weekend series focusing on steel industry moves between John's New York Central Train Layout, Neal's Atlantic Pacific Railroad, and my own Kings Port Division.

After PC FP7s #4348 and 4369 arrived at the Kings Port & Western's Williams Yard they picked up a long string of gondolas loaded with steel coils, slabs, and one large steel girder load.   

The train designated as Extra 4348 leaves Williams Yard and travels north to Selkirk.  The train is seen passing through Selkirk in the video below on its way to John's Terminal Yard.

Back at Williams Yard a transfer run to West Mill is being prepared with cars for Neal's Rock Ridge Yard. The train will include the three PCCM cars (two PC corrugated gons #567123 & 567104 along with Empire Belt #509823).....

...and some non-player gons all loaded with steel coils for Shapeless Steel.

Watch Williams Yard's SW9 switcher #22 assemble the transfer to West Mill before a pair of GP9s couple up to it and run it out of Kings Port.

The transfer arrives at West Mill.

While the Kings Port & Western transfer comes to a stop in the background some West Mill crewmen check out a couple of Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic cars.  These new visitors to the yard are recent gifts from John.

The yard's SW9 pulls the KP&W caboose from the transfer train.

A string of gondolas loaded with steel coils for Shapeless Steel is removed from the transfer...

...and is set out for the next VW-1 to Weehawken to pick up

The rest of the cars are pulled from the KP&W consist that is idling away in anticipation of returning to Williams Yard

Once the transfer run's cars have been pulled away the KP&W GP9s can head back to Williams Yard.

Meanwhile the gons for Shapeless Steel await pick up by VW-1

VW-1 arrives an hour later and picks up the cars for Rock Ridge.

After making the pick up VW-1 is cleared for Weehawken where the gs will be forwarded to Neal's APRR.

That concludes out one weekend steel op!  Thanks for following along!  Check out the action on John's N.Y.C.T.L. and Neal's APR!

PCCM 106 Feed the Furnace Part 2 on the KPD

Greetings all!

We're continuing this one weekend series focusing on moving scrap metal to KP Steel which in turn will send steel related products to John's New York Central Train Layout and Neal's Atlantic Pacific Railroad

In our last installment several gondolas loaded with scrap metal that were forwarded from both John's Terminal Yard and Neal's Rock Ridge Yard arrived in Kings Port and were set out at the Kings Port & Western's Williams Yard

RS3 #556 and F7A #110 pair up on The Steel Job to deliver all of these gondolas to KP Steel.

Meanwhile at KP Steel, industrial switcher #3 is moving bulkhead flatcars loaded with steel slabs at the plant.

Watch the little switcher stop for the arrival of the Steel Job.

KP Steel is working around the clock to meet customer demands, day...

...and night!

After three work shifts the scrap metal is gone and the cars have been loaded with coils and steel slabs for Mid Island Steel.

KP Steel has also produced a steel girder for the New York State DOT #10 highway project.   Switcher #3 pulls it out of one of the mill's buildings before gathering more cars to be sent back to Williams Yard.

We won't see this action but Williams Yard sent out a pair of SD9s to KP Steel to collect the gondolas.  We catch them at the yard after the Steel Job has returned. 

There's the pair of SD9s heading back to the Williams Yard engine tracks.   A couple of the yard crew guys take a look at the large girder load that will be forwarded to the NY State DOT #10 highway project.

Most of the gons and the Evans covered coaches contain steel coils.

 

Williams Yard contacts the West Mill Yardmaster to alert him that a large manifest of cars is ready for them to take North to Selkirk and eventually to John's Terminal Yard.   The FP7 consist is ready to go.

The FP7s are cleared to leave for Kings Port.  They bring a pair of boxcars to use as safety buffers on the train waiting for them there.

That concludes the action for today.  Tomorrow The Penn Central FP7s will run a train of steel products through Selkirk to Terminal Yard as Extra 4348.   We'll also see a transfer run from Williams Yard to West Mill where gondolas loaded with steel coils will be picked up by a Penn Central VW-1 to Weehawken.  From there the cars will head to Neal's Rock Ridge Yard.

PCCM 106: Feed the Furnace, Part 1 on the KPD

 Hello!

Welcome to our three layout Penn Central Car Movement series #106!  This weekend we're running an op focused on providing scrap metal to KP Steel on my layout which will then, in turn, forward various steel products to consignees on John's New York Central Train Layout  and Neal's Atlantic Pacific R.R.

 We're calling this series "Feed the Furnace" and the furnace in question is shown below at KP Steel on my layout.

 

John's N.Y.C.T.L. gets things started by dispatching Extra 4369 West from Terminal Yard with several gondola loads of  scrap metal.  The train can be seen passing through Selkirk in the video below.  As the Extra continues south toward Kings Port train VE-1 is also seen leaving the yard for Enola.

Its going to be a good time to railfan near Ulster Ave in Kings Port!

A pair of B&O F7s that pooled with a KP&W train to Williams Yard yesterday return to Binghamton caboose lite.  Extra 4369 then arrives at Kings Port, pulls ahead of the yard lead, and backs into Williams Yard while a KP&W RDC heads downgrade from Marion.

After two rows of gondolas loaded with scrap are set out at Williams Yard the FP7s continue to West Mill with the buffer cars and caboose.

The FP7s are later seen resting at West Mill Yard

Its now time for Neal's APRR to contribute more gondola loads of scrap for KP Steel.  WV-2 arrives with more scrap loads.  The EBRR and two PC gons are the PCCM cars.  This scrap was forwarded from the M&E to the APRR at Rock Ridge Yard.

After setting out the gons WV-2 continues on its way north.   We're just in time to catch its caboose leaving town.

 After WV-2 leaves, the West Mill Yard crew begins assembling a transfer run for the KP&W's Williams Yard.  It will include the gons dropped off by WV-2...

...and some "non-player cars as well.

West Mill's SW9 #8951 puts the train together....

The string of cars for the transfer run to Kings Port will be powered by a pair of GP20s led by #2107.   A couple of West Mill trainmen perform a roll by inspection as it leaves.

Watch the transfer to Williams Yard in the video below:

The gons loaded with scrap are collecting at Williams Yard!

That's it for today.   Tomorrow we'll follow the KP&W's efforts to deliver all of this scrap to KP Steel.