P.C.C.M. 50 Prelude #2

Hello everyone,

This is another installment of action that occurred prior to the big launch of P.C.C.M. 50 on Saturday.  Those cars that will be dispatched from West Mill to Selkirk had to come from somewhere!

We dive into the action right away as a local dispatched from the Kings Port & Western's Mayfield Yard is at work pulling cars from Cavendish Foods, ACME Auto Part, and Peerless Appliance.

This Penn Central Covered hopper is loaded with brewing and distillation remnants that will be used as cattle feed at the Union Stockyards in Colorado.

ACME Auto Parts has five loaded cars for the Ford Motor Company. 

The local moves on to Peerless Appliance to pick up two KP&W boxcars loaded with washing machines.

 A RDG boxcar and NYC gon remain at Peerless Appliance as the local returns to Mayfield.   The cars the local picked up will be forwarded to West Mill.

The next day, farther down the KP&W's mainline to Salamanca NY, work is done at Corning Glass.

SD9 #897 seems to get around on the KP&W as it pulls a pair of B&M RBLs and an NYC Hi Cube loaded with bottles for Heileman's Brewery.  OK...I forgot to switch out locos for this series of pics!

Cars are also pulled from International Paper.   These three PC cars are loaded with cardboard container material for Tropicana. 

The cars from Corning and International Paper are later forwarded to Binghamton and placed on a train headed for West Mill.

At the same time a transfer run from Mayfield arrives at West Mill setting up a KP&W meet!

The transfer run with an ALCO consist from Mayfield holds....

...as  Extra #110 from Binghamton, powered by a pair of F7As, approaches from the south side of town. 

Extra #110 passes by the waiting Mayfield Transfer.

Shortly after the caboose passes by Extra #110 will push its cars into West Mill Yard.

Once Extra #110 has cleared the Mayfield Transfer takes the main to eventually enter West Mill Yard and drop off its cars as well.

West Mill Yard is filling up in anticipation of the dispatch of the train to Selkirk!

I'll post one more prelude installment featuring the Penn Central bringing cars to West Mill prior to Saturday's big event!

Thanks for taking a look!

P.C.C.M. 50: Prelude #1

Hi all,

Our group of virtual ops enthusiasts or "virtual opsaholics" as John R. described himself (see his first post about the upcoming series)....
https://newyorkcentrallayout.blogspot.com/2018/09/pccm-50a-prelude-1.html 

 ...is about to participate in our 50th Penn Central Car Movement Series!  We figure this is a huge deal and plan to celebrate with our most ambitious virtual ops car forwarding so far.   As John noted in his blog, " all involved will launch their portions of the series on Saturday September 29th, 2018. The focus on that date will be the dispatching of trains from each layout in the direction of Perlman Yard at Selkirk NY. 

Some of us are posting preludes to photo-document the arrival and sorting of cars at our respective yards that will eventually be dispatched to Selkirk.   

On the Kings Port Division the Penn Central receives cars from the freelanced Kings Port & Western R.R. which today is running the Bloomberg Turn A.K.A. the "Mountain Run" to pick up cars from local industries to be set out at West Mill Yard.

A pair of KP&W Geeps at West Mill get the call to power the Mountain Run. 

 The Geeps in place at the head end, the Turn leaves West Mill with cars for Agway and other Bloomberg business.  Meanwhile a trio of big 6 axle GE Penn Central U Boats is preparing to run light to Selkirk in response to a power shortage at Pearlman Yard. 

While the Bloomberg Turn takes the KP&W's Mountain Branch, a KP&W RDC is seen approaching the commuter station.  

After arriving at Bloomberg the Turn works an industrial area that includes Zenith TV (left in the foreground) and Quality Fabrications.

Two cars are pulled from Quality Fab.  

The string of cars backs up on the foreground track to pick up an RI boxcar from Zenith.

Crossing several streets, the Turn approaches Van Winkle Canning and Woodstock Hills Natural Soda.

Backing its cut of cars toward Van Winkle Canning it picks up an Atlantic Pacific RR RBL boxcar and a Triangle Pacific car.

After pulling the cars beyond the turnout the cars are backed into the spur next to Woodstock Hills...

...to pick up a 40 foot Illinois Central boxcar.   This completes the pick ups from Bloomberg.

The Turn heads back to West Mill....

.....but needs to pause at a red indication before being able to access the Penn Central mainline.  

The cause for the delay?  Its a PC work train hurrying out to deal with a minor derailment on the River Line south of West Mill.

Its an all GP9 show as the consists pass each other!

Once the Big Hook goes by the Bloomberg Turn receives permission to take the main and enter West Mill Yard.

The cars are backed into West Mill's ladder tracks.

The job done, the Turn's power is cut and heads for servicing.

That's it for now.  More cars will be gathered at West Mill by both the KP&W and Penn Central in upcoming installments.

Thanks for taking a look!

Lots of Penn Central Trains at Kings Port

Hi everyone.

Just a quick post about four trains I set up for continuous running on my layout in anticipation of friends visiting during a Labor Day weekend bar-B-Q we held.  

I arranged the trains to be ready in case folks asked to see the layout.  Non-modelers enjoy watching trains roll by more than observing switching moves.  As it turned out we spent lots of time outside during a beautiful late Summer day and never went down to the basement,.  Still, I thought I'd film the trains in action for this short video.

Thanks for taking a look!

P.C.C.M. 49D: Setting out cars at KP Steel and more.

Hello railfans!

In the last installment Unit Coal Train UKP-1 arrived at Kings Port and is preparing to set out loaded hoppers at KP Steel.  After pulling ahead of KP Steel's holding yard and cutting its caboose...

 ...the train will set out 15 hoppers of Hudson Coal into the mill complex.

(11:10)   The first cut of cars is backed into KP Steel's holding yard.

(11:35) The first cut set out on Track 1, the second cut is pushed into Track 2.

After the second cut is set out the three U Boats pull ahead and then back up to reclaim their caboose.

The work at KP Steel completed UKP-1 now consists of three six axle GE units with a combined 9900 horsepower to pull six remaining coal hoppers and a caboose...a bit overpowered!  

The three U Boats idle at Ulster Ave waiting for a northbound freight to pass before being allowed to take the main to West Mill.  

(12:22)  The northbound passes through Kings Port with a lashup consisting of a GP38-2 and F7B at the head end...

...pulling a string of loaded hoppers from Empire Grain in West Mill.

(12:29) The grain train's caboose passes over Ulster Ave.  

UKP-1's crew took a lunch break at Dave's Diner while waiting for the other train to pass.  The coffee at Dave's is so much better than the swill the guys at KP Steel were choking down earlier this morning.  Just a good honest Cup o' Joe.

The crew boards their locomotives.

(12:44)  UKP-1 gets clearance to take the main and proceed to West Mill.

Leaving Kings Port.

(13:35)  UKP-1 arrives at West Mill Yard.

The three U Boats roll behind GP40 #3007 which will soon take over as the power for the six car coal train to Weehawken.

The large consist is cut from the short train... 

....and moved to one of West Mill's locomotive service tracks.

The trio of GE units will be fueled and sanded in preparation for the next northbound unit coal train of empty hoppers from the Genesee Coal Docks.  West Mill is a crew change and power change location for this operation after KP&W and B&O power bring the train in from Salamanca.  

The U Boats tied down, GP40 #3007 powers up and leaves the service track...

...runs around the coal hoppers ...

 ...and then couples up at the head end of what is left of UKP-1.

 Air is up and the train gets the high sign to proceed to Weehawken

On to R.M.O. Electric on Neal's Atlantic Pacific RR.!  See the continuing saga of UKP-1 here:
 http://atlanticpacificrailroad.blogspot.com/

Thanks for checking in on the current "virtual ops" action!!!!