Empire City Caterpillar Expands

 Greetings All,

Empire City Caterpillar Expands

Thanks to some thoughtful Christmas gifts from PC Ralph and Mrs. R. Empire City Caterpillar was facing the need to expand its operations. Lets take a look at the new CAT equipment, rolling stock and expansion.

A Bachmann New York Central depressed center flatcar came to the layout courtesy of PC Ralph via Santa. The Bachmann six axle flatcar makes an nice addition to my fleet and will serve in both PCCM and non PCCM operations.

Ralph went on a CAT safari to Menard's and came away with these great finds!! 

The missus did the same via telephone adding two more semi tractors with CAT equipment on lowboy trailers.

NYC 498991 has been released from the shop after having its deck, trucks, wheel faces painted and receiving a blast of Testor's Dullcote.

A CAT 950G has been transported from the newly leased nearby Caterpillar storage yard to the yard for loading onto the NYC flatcar.

The CAT 950G sits atop the NYC car with blocking provided by PC Ralph. Nice to think of that and supply it!!!

The new CAT fits perfectly on the wood blocking which fits perfectly on the depressed center flatcar.

CAT equipment is moving into the East Bedford storage yard located across the tracks from Terminal Warehouse & Cold Storage. 

The newly updated tractor trailers will augment this old unit that has been soldiering on for well over twenty years.

That looks much better!!!

As we can see the tractor trailers are very long and the Caterpillar showroom and lot are crowded to the point some of the equipment is being stored on the street.

Which brings us back to the newly leased Storage Yard.

It's amazing how these guys find out what's happening down state without cellphones!!! 

The big crane straddling the TOFC and 8A tracks will handle the loading and unloading of the TOFC and CAT equipment. 

From a scenic standpoint the tractor trailers and equipment loads add some nice visual interest.

A CAT 950G returns to either the Caterpillar dealership in Empire City, the storage yard in East Bedford or the floor of the layout room!

A train of Caterpillar equipment crosses the Empire City viaduct.

Heavy Equipment is on the move!

Depressed and standard flatcars with CAT equipment makes for a nice looking train.

CAT equipment and parts roll thru Empire City.

Herding The Cats!!!

Final Thoughts & Comments

A special thank you to PC Ralph for the very thoughtful gifts that have added more railroad operations and visual interest to the layout and the PCCM virtual ops as seen in PCCM 115. 

Thanks for reading!!!

See you soon!!!

Penn Central Car Movements #115 Part 4

  Greetings All,

Welcome Back To Penn Central Car Movements #115

We continue today with our 2026 PCCM two layout virtual op focused on Maintenance of Way train movements between Ralph's Kings Port Division and my NYCTL. Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific Railroad, currently on winter hiatus, will be returning soon.

We're imagining that at least several days have passed and the Long Island RR is returning the MOW equipment back to its shippers.

The action starts at Bedford Tower with Robert R., in his first 2026 PCCM assignment, receiving train orders from the towerman to proceed to Terminal Yard with Train BP-12.

On the other side of town just past EB Tower Long Island RR Train MA-3 is heading to North Side Yard in Empire City via the Bedford Main.

Train MA-3 rolls thru Bedford towards North Side Yard.

LIRR engineer Jimmy Alco is back on duty running LIRR Trains MA-3 / MA-4. On this day a pair of C420s provide the power.

The EBRR gang shoots the breeze as they wait for Jimmy Alco to get train MA-4 moving and to reclaim the caboose.

Train MA-4 departs North Side Yard.

With the MA-4 now clear the EBRR guys get right to work. PC Ralph will be at the throttle of GP18 7278 that will power Train EB-2 to Terminal Yard. Conductor Rocky will ride the 1605 caboose bringing up the markers.

The guys couple the caboose up to KP&W covered hopper 445052 and uncouple the caboose from the engine.

The engines are back on the head end and the air pressure test has been completed. The Hohman Ave. towerman gives PC Ralph a highball.

Train EB-2 departs North Side Yard for Terminal Yard.

After uncoupling from the EB-2 and grabbing the 1605 caboose PC Ralph and Conductor Rocky talk things over with Kar Knocker and Big Mike and are bid a fond adieu.

Over at the new Caterpillar equipment storage yard the Kings Port Railway Society guys hustle to see the CAT equipment get loaded onto their flatcars.

The overhead crane moves into position to load the three flatcars of CAT equipment heading to Milton CAT in Binghamton, NY.

The CAT equipment is tied down, blocked and ready for departure.

The LI-1 power is coupled on and building up the air pressure.

Big Mike tacks on the caboose.

PC Train LI-1 departs Terminal Yard.

Next Stop Oak Point Yard and then Selkirk!!!

This wraps up my portion of PCCM #115. Be sure to catch all the action and conclusion of this virtual op on PC Ralph's Kings Port Division.

Thanks for reading and watching!!!

See you soon!!!

Penn Central Car Movements #115 Part 3

 Greetings All

Welcome To Penn Central Car Movements #115

We open up the 2026 PCCM virtual operations with a two layout virtual op focused on Maintenance of Way train movements between Ralph's Kings Port Division and my NYCTL. Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific Railroad, currently on winter hiatus, will be returning soon.

The action starts with NYC RS32 8040 making its PCCM debut on the headend of Penn Central Train LI-2 from Selkirk passing RA Tower and moving towards Terminal Yard.

Train LI-2 makes its way to Terminal Yard.

The LI-2 motive power consist has been cut from the train and is placed at the fuel rack in the engine terminal.

Big Mike is back for a new year of virtual operations working the yard job with PC NW2 8807. He's on the back porch checking in with Kar Knocker who has also returned for another year of virtual ops

The LI-2 caboose is shoved into the caboose track and couples up to PC transfer caboose #18227.

The transfer caboose is coupled onto LI-2 freight consist for its next movement to North Side Yard as local Train EC-1.

Alco Joe, back for another year of virtual ops, has been called for Train EC-1 that will take the LI-2 freight consist to North Side Yard  is greeted by Wet Willie, our returning engine hostler, 

Meanwhile, over in Empire City at North Side Yard the Empire Belt RRs core four are back and ready to get the freight moving. Senior engineer Sir Neal will do the honors of taking the first EBRR revenue train, Train EB-2, from North Side Yard to Terminal Yard.

Train EB-2 is on the move.

Over in Terminal Yard Alco Joe checks in with Kar Knocker and prepares to depart with PC Train EC-1

The EC-1 departs Terminal Yard.

After cutting from Train EB-2 Sir Neal brings the EBRR consist into the engine terminal for servicing. Wet Willie is already sweating thinking about promptly servicing the five engine lash up.

Penn Central Train EC-1 arrives in North Side Yard.

Alco Joe and Conductor Murray check in with PC Ralph and Conductor Rocky as their locomotives are coupled onto the caboose.

Alco Joe departs Empire City caboose light.

Now back in the engine terminal Alco Joe has the four Alcos on the ready track and shoots the breeze with the EBRR guys as Wet Willie gets ready to fill the EBRR engines with diesel fuel. 

Over in Bedford, Long Island RR Train MA-3 from Fresh Pond is heading to Empire City and North Side Yard.

The MA-3 rolls towardsd North Side Yard.

LIRR engineer Jimmy Alco, back for another season of PCCMs, checks in with the EBRR guys before heading out with Train MA-4, the long train of PCCM freight traffic for the LIRR MOW Department.

KP&W PS-2 covered hopper 445052 loaded with cement from Tri Mount Cement is coupled onto LIRR caboose #12 that will bring up the markers for Train MA-4.

LIRR Train MA-4 heads to Fresh Pond.

Next Stop Fresh Pond!!

This closes out my part one of PCCM 115. We'll be back tomorrow for part two, that will focus on moving this PCCM traffic back towards Selkirk where we'll turn the op back over to PC Ralph and the Kings Port Division.

Thank you for reading and watching!!!

See you tomorrow!!!