PCCM 109: Part 4 on the KPD

 Greetings virtual ops fans!

We are continuing our 109th Penn Central Car Movement (PCCM) series between John's New York Central Train Layout and my own Kings Port Division.  This weekend we're focusing on trains arriving on our layouts and the delivery of freight cars to their consignees.

We return to Selkirk in time today to see the arrival of John's Penn Central train SK-5, dispatched from Terminal Yard.  Just as SK-5 comes to a stop Transfer BM-17 from Mechanicville, NY also arrives powered by two PC GP40s sandwiching a pair of B&M GP9s.

BM-17 from Mechanicville brings in three empty 60 foot auto parts cars (the KP&W, NYC, and PC TOC cars seen in the background) heading to ACME Auto Parts from the Ford plant in Somerville MA...

 ...along with three Penn Central RBLs returning to the virtual ops from New England to be forwarded to International Paper Co.

 

These six cars will be added to train VW-1 heading south to Weehawken with intermediate stops at Kings Port and West Mill.

Meanwhile, in a quick turnaround three empty B&M RBLs are being prepared to be placed on NY-20, a transfer run back to Mechanicville.

Watch NY-20 and VW-1 both leave Selkirk.

An hour later VW-1arrives at Kings Port and sets out several cars for the KP&W at Williams Yard. It takes two back up moves.

After leaving cars at Williams Yard, VW-1 continues to West Mill

The GP38-2/ SD35 consist at the head end of VW-1 is seen idling in front of Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery while preparing to set out several cars.  That's Yardmaster Cappy Foster himself observing the proceedings.   Things seem to be going well, so Cappy is happy....

The locomotives will take the crossover to set out the cut of cars.

VW-1's brakeman uncouples the long cut for West Mill from the rest of the train. The TP&W boxcar at the end of the cut is going to Van Winkle Canning with a load of printed labels from Berk Enterprises.

Watch the set out in the video below.  The consist's bells get good use for safety during the moves required to drop off the cars!

After setting out the cut of cars for West Mill, VW-1 receives permission to continue to Weehawken.

Meanwhile we haven't forgotten about the NY-20 transfer from Selkirk to Mechanicville!  The B&M hub awaits the transfer's arrival.  Its a railfan kind of day in Mechanicville as both D&H and LV power can be seen to the right in the background!  Add that to the PC/B&M pooled power for NY-20 and that makes four liveries to photograph!

NY-20 arrives and stops near XO Tower.

 That will complete the action for today.  Check back tomorrow as both West Mill and Williams Yard dispatch local trains to deliver cars to their respective consignees.  That's how we make the money!

PCCM 109: Part 3 on the KPD

Hello again!

We are continuing our 109th Penn Central Car Movement (PCCM) series between John's New York Central Train Layout and my own Kings Port Division.  

Numerous freight cars have been brought into West Mill Yard during my previous two installments.  Among them are several PCCM cars scheduled to be forwarded to Selkirk and eventually to John's Terminal Yard.

It is 6AM at West Mill and the first pale light of the new day is dawning.  The "First Trick" crew has arrived and is checking out orders and switch lists for today's traffic.  Where's the coffee!?!

As the sun rises and the day gets underway switcher #8951 is busy assembling two blocks of cars that will be picked up by the first Weehawken to Selkirk Transfer of the day (WV-2).

The two mixed manifest blocks are sorted on two tracks.  A third block of empty hoppers that will also be picked up by WV2 can be seen in the background behind the locomotive tracks and the Yard Tower.

These three empty B&M RBLs are also riding to Selkirk but will be cut there to be forwarded to Mechanicville for eventual delivery to their home road at Merrimack, NH.

West Mill's crew has the blocks of cars ready for WV-2 to pick up.   The train from Weehawken will emerge from the South Tunnel.  Watch WV-2 arrive and pick up the two blocks of cars in the yard in the video below.

After picking up the two mixed manifest blocks of cars WV2 picks up the six empty hoppers for Hudson Coal on the N.Y.C.T.L.

Now completely assembled WV2 heads out of West Mill for Selkirk. We catch the tail end passing by WM Tower as towerman "Swede" Gustafsson provides a roll by inspection.

The train arrives at Selkirk an hour and a half later.   

Most of the cars on WV2 will be dispatched soon to John's Terminal Yard on Train TY-2.   As WV2 came to a stop an SW7 switcher was seen in the video moving three PCCM cars that will be included on TY-2:  Dresser Magcobar NIRX 42886 loaded with Bentonite for the Suffolk Co. Water Authority...

...TPFX 5510 loaded with wood for Astoria Lumber and LV 66392 carrying bagged Wescott Concrete for American Hardware.

The Dresser Magcobar car arrived at Selkirk on train NY-4 from Chicago while the TPFX and LV cars came from Frontier Yard in Buffalo.

TY-2 leaves Selkirk for Terminal Yard with the additional cars in tow.  Check out its arrival on the N.Y.C.T.L. in John's blog!

The three B&M RBLs were removed from WV2 at Selkirk and will later be included on a transfer run to Mechanicville, NY.

 

That's it for this weekend!  Check back next weekend as we continue our 109th virtual ops!

 

 

PCCM 109: Part 2 on the KPD

Welcome back to our 109th Penn Central Car Movement (PCCM) series between John's New York Central Train Layout and my own Kings Port Division.

Freight cars were gathering at West Mill Yard yesterday and more will soon arrive as a transfer run from the KP&W's Williams Yard is being assembled.

The Transfer to West Mill is a good size with significant tonnage so  three locomotives are assigned to the run, an F7 A&B pair along with GP9 #742.   The consist has finished fueling and awaits the hogger to take it to the head end of its train.

Meanwhile, in the background we see PC boxcar #360158 which was recently unloaded at Battaglia Brothers Warehouse.  It will be forwarded to nearby Blue Ribbon Flour as a one car "Bakery Job" that will be dispatched later today.

Watch the three loco consist leave the engine house and then pull the lengthy West Mill Transfer out of Williams Yard.  It will be seen crossing Ulster Ave before eventually arriving at West Mill Yard.

Immediately after the KP&W Transfer arrived West Mill's #8951 began work pulling cars.  It is seen below uncoupling the KP&W caboose.

After setting out cars at West Mill the KP&W Transfer's locomotives with the GP9 now leading prepare to return to Williams Yard.

West Mill Yard is filling up!

Watch the KP&W power pick up its caboose and run light to Williams Yard.  It meets the one car "Bakery Job" at Ulster Ave.

The Bakery Job continues on its way to Blue Ribbon Flour.  PC boxcar #360158 will be set out just beyond the overpass seen below.

Lets return to West Mill where a Penn Central Yard Local led by GP9 #7085 in its PRR livery and merger compliant number 7085 is being dispatched.  It will serve nearby Empire Grain by setting out two KP&W grain cars...

 ...and picking up loaded Rock Island and Cargill cars.

 

 It will also pick up this Hoschton car at the Canton Box Company.

 The short train also includes a covered hopper for the GERN Cement Flux Co.

 ...which will be set out just beyond Sal's Salvage by the silos.

Watch the first part of the action at GERN where the Local has to pull a pair of gons, set out the GERN car and then replace the gons it pulled from Sal's Salvage.

After completing its work at GERN the Yard Local moves on to Empire Grain where it will exchange empties for loads.

The Yard Local finishes its work by pulling the HRC car from Canton Box loaded with boxes for Quaker Oats, a new  industry that recently opened in Empire City!  Canton Box Co. is very happy to have another customer!

That's plenty of action for today!  Check back tomorrow s a train is dispatched for Selkirk with cars to be forwarded to John's N.Y.C.T.L.!

PCCM 109: Part 1 on the KPD

Hello and welcome to our 109th Penn Central Car Movement (PCCM) series!   

This multi-installment "virtual ops" involves an exchange of freight traffic between John's New York Central Train Layout and my own Kings Port Division.

The action on the Kings Port Division begins at the Kings Port & Western Railroad's Mayfield Yard where a crew is about to board RS3 #566 to run a transfer over to the Penn Central's West Mill Yard.

The transfer's manifest includes this aging former NYC Pacemaker boxcar loaded with new ACCO 55 gallon drums for Drywell Ink...

...along with a string of coal hoppers from the KP&W's connection with the Lehigh Valley's coal region.

After the KP&W brakeman checks all of the couplings and the air is up, the transfer is cleared to leave Mayfield Yard for West Mill.

Meanwhile over at West Mill all is quiet except for...

...this morning's carfloat arrival with a string of empty hoppers from the Port Owen Con Ed plant and EL Boxcar #73510 loaded with Port Owen Brick Company bricks for Gotham Builders Supply.

SD9 #6922 pulls the cars off of the float with the help of three spacer cars, a pair of flats and an old Pennsy gondola.

The EL boxcar is set out separately in the yard while the string of empty hoppers is put aside for the Mayfield Transfer which is expected to arrive within the hour.

 The Mayfield Transfer's RS3 rumbles out of the South side tunnel and later backs its train into the yard.

West Mill's switcher #8951 moves the transfer's caboose to assist the KP&W crew with the exchange of coal loads and empties

The KP&W crew then performs a runaround move with their #566  to get behind the string of empty hoppers and then pushes them out of West Mill for the return trip to Mayfield.

The Mayfield Transfer receives permission to access the mainline from the Dispatcher's Office in King Port.

The train leaves West Mill for Mayfield Yard.

 That was a lot of work for two PCCM cars!  :)

There is only a brief lull at West Mill to contemplate this further before the Bloomberg Turn arrives after having served the industrial park up in the Catskills.   The Turn gets a red signal to hold for a KP&W transfer from Binghamton to Williams Yard in Kings Port, the BiWi-3 running with two leased B&O F7As in the consist.

 

The Bloomberg Turn continues to hold while the BiWi-3 prepares to drop off six empty coal hoppers from Corning Glass.  They will later be forwarded to Hudson Coal by the Penn Central.

A KP&W crewman makes the cut to set out the six coal hoppers

The BiWi-3 makes the set out and then continues on to Kings Port.

The two PCCM cars delivered to Kings Port are PS2 empty covered hoppers for the KP&W to forward to Hedberg Aggregates.

The last railroad action for today will be the dispatch of two locals from Williams Yard to gather PCCM cars to transfer to West Mill.   A KP&W GP9 assigned to the "Steel Job" will pick up coil cars, gondolas, and empty coal hoppers from KP Steel.   Another GP9 ready to depart will collect cars from nearby businesses as the "Yard Local". 

 Watch the two locomotives depart with their cabooses from the Williams Yard Engine Facility in the video below:

 The Yard Local will be picking up three tankers loaded with diesel fuel for the LIRR Morris Park Engine Terminal...

...a former Early Bird Service boxcar now empty at the Team Track to be delivered to REVCO in Bloomberg...

 ...and two NYC double door boxcars loaded with Peerless Appliances for All City Storage and one of the company's special large cooling units for Suffolk County Community College.

 The Yard Local reaches Ulster Ave. where Gulf and the Team Track are located.

After making the pick ups there the Local heads to Peerless Appliance.

 The Yard Local makes its last pick up.

The two trains return to Williams Yard.  First the Yard Local which is then followed by a lengthy Steel Job.

That's it for today!  Check back tomorrow when a transfer frm Williams Yard to West Mill sets the stage for the dispatch of a train to Selkirk with cars for the N.Y.C.T.L.