New York Central Train Layout

Saturday, July 11, 2026

Layout Odds & Ends / New HO Scale Bulkhead Flatcars / Pole Loads

Greetings All,

HO Layout Odds & Ends

New HO Scale Bulkhead Flatcars

Pole Loads and Current Projects

Four new Walthers 53' GSC bulkhead flatcars recently joined the fleet after getting tipped off by none other than 1:1 Scale Sir Neal that these freight cars were on sale at Walthers.

While I had been abstaining from model train purchases an email with the phrase "in case you don't have enough bulkhead flatcars" with the link to the Walthers website piqued my interest. So off to the website I went and here are the results.

Two of the four bulkheads pose for photos. Wood stakes have been added to the PC 750110 for pending loads.

ICG 920212 and the third PC bulkhead flat pose for the official NYCTL photographer.

The bulkhead flatcars come with their Proto Max version of the Kadee knuckle couplers and metal wheelsets. A pleasant surprise was that the couplers on all four cars perfectly matched the Kadee Coupler Height Gauge.

A look at the underside of the ICG bulkhead. Another nice feature is that the center sill is diecast metal giving the cars a good amount of weight when traveling empty.

I made a pair of lumber loads to fit the bulkhead between the wood stakes.

Four bulkhead flatcars of lumber get delivered to University Millwork in Bedford, NY. The bulkheads on the right contain a pair of existing lumber loads.

The PC and ICG bulkhead flatcars contain the newly built lumber loads. All four were weathered with rattle can sprays of flat gray primer and red primer.

The Bulkheads arrive in Terminal Yard

Easy Pole Loads for my 65' Mill Gondolas

I have two 65' mill gondolas in my fleet that usually carry steel products since they are "mill gondolas". Several years ago I purchased a package of wooden skewers with the intention of turning them into pole loads.

Recently I got tired of looking at them in the package hanging from a hook with my other train supplies so on a hot humid day I settled into the work bench to start the project. The "poles" are cut and glued to a scrap wood strip that has been cut to fit into the gondolas. Three removable stakes were placed into drilled holes on the base on each side of the car.

With the removable stakes removed I rattle can sprayed the poles with red primer allowing that to dry and then taped over the red primer to rattle can the bottom of the poles to represent creosote commonly seen on wooden poles in the Northeast.

The EJ&E gondola has arrived in Terminal Yard with a load of treated poles most likely heading to the Long Island Lighting Company.

Southern gondola 52357 is part of the two car block for LILCO.

Recent Videos

In late June my nephew's DJS Railway ran some freight transfers from their Sterling Yard to Terminal Yard.

See the video of the DJS in action.

A B&O Special was run in early July when my son Robert and his family visited.

B&O E8A #28 was one of a number of B&O and Chessie power featured.

Catch the B&O Special below.

A Happy Birthday America Special was run on July 4th to celebrate America's 250th birthday.

See the USA 250th birthday below.

Currently on the workbench

A Walthers Mi-Jack Translift Intermodal Crane kit that is currently being assembled slowly but surely.

A Walthers Kalmar Crane kit awaits its turn on the workbench.

A surge of high priority COFC / TOFC traffic is expected on the layout in the near future and the efficient loading and unloading of said equipment is paramount to the success of this highly profitable traffic led to the purchase of the above kits. More on this in future posts.
Final Thoughts and Comments
The answer to the comment "in case you don't have enough bulkhead flatcars" should have been "I do"!! A check of the freight car roster showed nineteen such cars on the roster that includes some rarely used pulpwood bulkheads. The bulkhead roster is now at twenty three and that should be more than enough for my needs. Hint, hint Sir Neal!!!
A big positive for this purchase is that the four bulkhead flats came with metal wheelsets and the Walthers Proto couplers that met the Kadee height gauge right out of the box.

Additional Links and Information

Penn Central GSC Bulkhead Flatcar #750105 in 1988

Penn Central GSC Bulkhead Flatcar #750105

Illinios Central Gulf Bulkhead Flatcar #920284

Freight Car Spotlight #3-2023 / Bulkhead Flatcars

Thanks for reading and watching!!!

See you soon!!!

Sunday, June 21, 2026

NY-NJ Ops #2 / Part 6 / Conclusion of Virtual Operations

Greetings All,

Welcome Back To NY-NJ Ops #2!!

Our second virtual op with my layout interchanging freight traffic with Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific Railroad concludes today with the final deliveries of NY-NJ traffic from the APRR Rock Ridge Yard to local consignees and interchanges.

We open up at Terminal Yard with Empire Belt RR Tarin EB-3 preparing to depart for their North Side Yard in Empire City.

Train EB-3 departs from Terminal Yard.

Now in North Side Yard Sir Neal and conductor John prepare to block the freight traffic in Train EB-3 with the NY-NJ freight cars held in the yard a the end of the inbound portion of this op.

NY-NJ freight cars are blocked into the EBRR Belt Job for movement to their respective consignees. Getting their next NY-NJ loads will be the empty EBRR boxcars going to Quaker, the four APRR gondolas heading to Gervais Pipe & Fitting and the NYC covered hopper going to Red Wing Milling at the right.

The Belt Job is almost ready to go.

Conductor John stands ready at the switch.

The Belt Job shoves out of North Side Yard and onto the Belt Line.

Empty EBRR boxcars #416035 and #416079 are spotted at the Quaker Plant for their next NY-NJ loads.

Four empty APRR gondolas are placed at Gervais Pipe & Fitting for their next NY-NJ loads.

Empty NYC covered hopper #892010 is shoved to the Red Wing Milling siding for its next NY-NJ load.

The Belt Job heads to the Hohman Ave Industrial Park with non NY-NJ freight traffic and returns to North Side Yard.

The EBRR trainmen head to the office to get their paperwork in order and prepare for the pending arrival of LIRR Train MA-3 as Sir Neal eyes the lounge chairs.

And here it comes!! Train MA-3 from Fresh Pond Junction is just coming into Bedford as it makes it way to North Side Yard.

LIRR Train MA-3 arrives in North Side Yard.

The EBRR trainmen greet new LIRR engineer Michael who has successfully bid on the MA-3/MA-4 job. Welcome to the NY-NJ Ops engineer Michael!!!

LIRR Train MA-4 departs North Side Yard with NY-NJ and non NY-NJ freight traffic.

Next stop Fresh Pond Junction!!!

Put it in the books!!!

This concludes NY-NJ Ops #2 on the NYCTL. Be sure to catch all the action on Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific Railroad!!!

Thanks for reading and watching!!!

See you tomorrow!!!

NY-NJ Ops #2 / Part 5

Greetings All,

Welcome Back To NY-NJ Ops #2!!

Our second virtual op with my layout interchanging freight traffic with Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific Railroad continues today with the delivery of NY-NJ traffic from the APRR Rock Ridge Yard to local consignees and interchanges.

We open up Part 5 at the B&O 16th Street Yard where the nightly transfer is getting ready to depart.

The B&O Transfer heads to Terminal Yard.

Non NY-NJ traffic from both 16th Street and Terminal Yards gets shoved to track 8A for movement to the Terminal Warehouse & Cold Storage siding.

After dropping the freight cars on track 8A the B&O engines couple up to EBRR and APRR 57'ers loaded with frozen foods from Birdseye at the TW&CS siding.

The loaded reefers are ready to get pulled from the TW&CS siding.

The B&O pulls the reefers from the siding.

The loaded EBRR and APRR reefers are coupled to the B&O caboose.

With their work at the TW&CS complex completed the B&O Transfer heads back to 16th Street Yard.

The B&O Transfer ties down at 16th Street Yard.

Fuel trucks refill the diesel fuel tanks under the EBRR and APRR 57' reefers to keep the mechanical refrigerators running and the loads frozen for their upcoming trip to the APRR's Rock Ridge Yard

Look at this!! Over in the engine terminal local railfans have gathered to check out the New Haven GP9 / RS2 combo and are rewarded with Alco Joe getting ready to board the newly renumbered NYC RS32 #2040.

Alco Joe has coupled onto the Bedford Turn, Train BT-27/28, that will be working Bedford industries.

The BT-27 departs Terminal Yard and arrives in Bedford.

Unhappy commuters watch the Bedford Turn working the Schaefer Brewery while blocking both the mainline and secondary track.

The APRR 40'ers are repositioned at the Brewery with non NYC boxcars and a MILW boxcar is placed at Neubaum's Imported Coffee & Tea.

The Turn begins to work the long Bedford Industrial Siding,

Non NY-NJ freight traffic is pulled from University Millwork and the Key Food siding.

The non NY-NJ freight cars are coupled onto the NY-NJ freight cars going to the local industries.

Even the jaded commuters at Bedford Station grudgingly admire the four TP&W RBLs as they pass by to access the switch to the secondary track and industrial siding.

Penn Central boxcars #360158 and #360063 loaded with paper goods from Marcal in Rock Ridge, NJ are shoved into the Key Food siding.

PC boxcars #160502 and #142770 loaded with pallets of bagged Morton Salt from Rock Ridge, NJ are also shoved into the Key Food siding.

The four TP&W RBLs loaded with plywood veneers from Mike's Lumber Distributors in Rock Ridge, NJ are placed at University Millwork.

The Bedford switching work is done and the caboose is tacked onto the freight cars going back to Terminal Yard.

Once again the Bedford Turn power gets held across from the station on the Bedford secondary track.

Here's the reason for the Bedford Turn power being held.

After being delivered to the engine terminal Sir Neal and conductor John reclaim their fully serviced locomotives.

Meanwhile back at Bedford Station Alco Joe makes his runaround move and heads back to Terminal Yard.

We'll close it out here with Alco Joe back in the engine terminal and greeted by engine hostler Wet Willie wondering where the crowd of railfans have gone.