NY-NJ Ops #2 / Part 3 / Dispatch of Outbound Train

 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 more train movements and a surprise guest to get our outbound train of NY-NJ traffic moving towards Rock Ridge Yard.

We start off the day with Alco Joe reporting to the engine terminal to pickup the power for today's Bedford Turn, Trains BT-27/BT-28. Newly renumbered NYC RS32 #2040 (ex NYC #8040) is making its second NY-NJ Ops appearance and its first with the new numbers.

Alco Joe has coupled up the Bedford Turn Alcos to the Bedford Turn freight consist and takes a few minutes to check in with Big Mike and Kar Knocker.

The Bedford Turn, Train BT-27 departs Terminal Yard.

The BT-27 freight consist is left on the mainline as the three Alcos switch onto the Bedford Secondary to work the local industries.

The first stop is at Neubaum's Coffee & Tea Importers to pull a non NY-NJ P&E boxcar with the large "Quicker via Peoria" slogan. Note that Neubaum's is the world headquarters for Blue Comet Presentations.

The next move is at the Hostess/Wonder Bread Plant to pull a group of freight cars including the ACFX bicentennial covered hopper that will be heading to Cargill in Rock Ridge, NJ for its next NY-NJ load.

Further down the long siding conductor Murray signals Alco Joe to a safe and easy coupling at the Key Food siding.

Four APRR RBLs loaded with packaged meals from Key Food are coupled onto the freight cars going back to Terminal Yard in Train BT-28.

Empty APRR boxcars #4182 and #4035 get placed at the Shaefer Brewery siding for their next NY-NJ loads of beer. Conductor Murray gives a friendly wave to the Bedford commuters who are probably not happy that freight cars are blocking both tracks.

The guys are nearing completion of their work as they couple the caboose onto the hind end of the soon to be Train BT-28 before shoving the remaining cars to the industries in the background.

The Bedford industries have been serviced. The three Alcos burble on the secondary track awaiting clearance to use the main and make their runaround move for the return trip to Terminal Yard.

Alco Joe might be waiting for awhile before he can get the BT-28 moving.

After yarding the BT-28 Alco Joe returns the power consist to the engine terminal and thanks engine hostler Wet Willie for putting this all Alco RS32-RS1-RS11 consist together.

Over in Terminal Yard conductor Murray greets Big Mike and Kar Knocker who are waiting to block the BT-28 freight cars into their next trains.

A couple of hours later Big Mike has twenty two cars of outbound NY-NJ freight traffic blocked and set out on departure track 8E. Kar Knocker will walk the train to ensure it is ready to go when the time comes.

Meanwhile we get a real motive power treat as PC Train NH-3 originating at Cedar Hill Yard in New Haven, CT has come thru Oak Point Yard in the Bronx with all ex New Haven power. The NH-3 is passing RA Tower and the Empire City railfans who are chasing the train as it makes its way to Terminal Yard. Can't blame them for this!!!!

Train NH-3 makes its way to Terminal Yard.

The ex New Haven power couples up to the NY-NJ freight cars that will be heading to Maybrook Yard for continued movement to the APRR Rock Ridge Yard.

Train HN-2 departs Terminal Yard.

Next Stop Maybrook!!!

This concludes Part 3 and the outbound portion of NY-NJ Ops #2 on the NYCTL. We'll be back next weekend to resume and finish up this virtual op. Be sure to catch all the action on Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific Railroad!!! 

Final Notes

When creating the NY-NJ Ops with Sir Neal we looked to explore other railroads and train routes to move our virtual ops traffic. One of these was the NH/ex NH large Maybrook Yard in Maybrook, NY. In this op I have given the New Haven or ex New Haven if you will an important role in moving NY-NJ Ops freight traffic across the Hudson River. This is not as far fetched as it seems. The ex NH Poughkeepsie Bridge is 73 miles north of New York City while the ex NYC Alfred H. Smith Bridge is 140 miles north of the Big Apple which could be argued that we are saving both time and money.

Several routes from downstate to Maybrook were available at the time of the merger. Even with a slightly meandering all ex New Haven routing from Empire City to Maybrook via Norwalk, CT, Danbury, CT, then west to the bridge and Maybrook it appears to save mileage. More direct routes from the city by the ex NYC lines to either Brewster, NY or Hopewell Junction, NY where they connected with the NH were also available. 

A Brief History

Prior to the 1969 inclusion of the New Haven RR into the Penn Central the NH's big Maybrook Yard located on the westside of the Hudson River had been a large gateway for western rail traffic to access New England via the NH's Poughkeepsie Bridge over the Hudson River.

Maybrook Yard was supposed to be kept open and operating as a condition of the merger. The sprawling PC aggressively marketed the single railroad approach siphoning freight traffic from the likes of the Erie Lackawanna and others while routing their New England traffic thru Selkirk Yard near Albany, NY and over the Alfred H. Smith Bridge that connected to PC (ex NYC) subsidiary Boston & Albany RR and New England.

Freight traffic thru Maybrook dwindled as a result and the PC basically abandoned the yard. The affected carriers protested but the 1974 Poughkeepsie Bridge fire that put the bridge out of service made the arguments a moot point. The fire happened shortly after the Penn Central abolished the bridge walkers who walked the bridge in between trains to ensure there were no fires or other issues.

Today the Poughkeepsie Bridge is the longest and highest walking bridge in the world. In our early merger years it is still alive and fighting for its life.

Thanks for reading and watching!!!

See you next week!!!

NY-NJ Ops #2 / Part 2 / Outbound Operations Continue

 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 a good amount of train movements to get the outbound NY-NJ freight cars moving towards the APRR and some off layout locations as well. To misquote the late Ed Sullivan today we have a really big show!

The big show starts in Terminal Yard with Big Mike and Kar Knocker taking care of the recently arrived EB-2 freight consist.

The second trick is coming to a close and the guys discuss going out for a few cold ones after work. Sounds good to me!

Over in the B&O 16th Street Yard the nocturnal B&O Transfer freight is ready to depart for Terminal Yard with non NY-NJ traffic.

The B&O Transfer heads to Terminal Yard.

Now working the Terminal Warehouse & Cold Storage Complex NYC boxcar #78746 and TPW boxcar #70126 are pulled from Lightning Press loaded with circulars for PC Richard in Rock Ridge, NJ.

Still working the TW&CS siding BAR boxcar #5226 gets pulled from Consolidated Grocery Distributors with groceries for ShopRite in Rock Ridge, NJ.

The B&O crew pulls freight cars from the TW&CS siding.

The freight traffic from TW&CS is delivered to Terminal Yard.

Freight traffic from Terminal Yard gets delivered to the TW&CS complex and the B&O Transfer heads back to 16th Street Yard.

Next we catch the B&O Empire Power Authority switcher pulling six PS2 covered hoppers loaded with fly ash from the coal powered plant.

The covered hoppers are shoved to Terminal Yard.

The PS2s are interchanged at Terminal Yard.

The B&O EPA crew heads back to the power plant.

A first trick yard crew couples up to the recently delivered PS2s in Terminal Yard.

The PS2s are coupled to the NY-NJ freight cars heading to Rock Ridge Yard in track 2 for movement to Atlas Cement in Bath, PA.

It's time now to check in at Bedford Park Yard where the action continues with engineer Robert R. reporting for duty. What's better than the Alco RS11 that is usually assigned here? Two Alco RS11s!!!

The work starts at American Hardware Supply with empty APRR boxcars #4035 and #4182 being pulled for movement to their next NY-NJ loads.

Non NY-NJ traffic including a rarely seen EBRR Express Car get pulled from All City Storage.

Robert R has the hind end of what will be PC Train BP-12 together as he proceeds to work the Bedford Park Ford Plant.

The first car being pulled from the Ford Plant is one of three empty APRR 60' auto parts boxcars.

Two more empty APRR 60'ers along with an EBRR empty 60'er and 50'er are pulled from the Ford Plant siding. The five empties will be heading back to IDEAL Auto Parts in Rock Ridge, NJ.

Train BP-12 is ready to depart Bedford Park.

The BP-12 heads to Terminal Yard.

Meanwhile at Terminal Yard Big Mike is back on duty and heads to the GP7s assigned to the yard for this op.

Non NY-NJ freight traffic going to Bedford Park is shoved into track #9 with a caboose on the front of the consist.

Robert R. chats with Kar Knocker after coupling onto the freight cars for Bedford Park that will depart as Train BP-41. 

PC Train BP-41 departs Terminal Yard for Bedford Park. 

Robert R. has completed his switching work and ties down the RS11s and caboose in the yard. 

Back in Terminal Yard the empty auto parts cars are shoved into track #2 with the other freight cars going to Rock Ridge Yard.

The empty APRR 40' boxcars have made the cutoff time for the Bedford Turn and will be heading to the Schaefer Brewery tomorrow for NY-NJ loads on beer.

We'll cut it here for today with EBRR pool caboose #1607 being coupled onto freight traffic going to the EBRR at North Side Yard.

We'll pick it tomorrow back in Terminal Yard with Alco Joe reporting for The Bedford Turn, PC Trains BT-27/BT-28.

This concludes Part 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 1/ The Gathering Begins

 Greetings All,

Welcome to NY-NJ Ops #2!!

Our second virtual op with my layout interchanging freight traffic with Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific Railroad starts today with the gathering of outbound NY-NJ freight cars for their movements to the APRR and some off layout locations if applicable.

Long Island Railroad Train MA-3 from Fresh Pond Junction in Queens, NY does the honors of kicking off this virtual op bringing NY-NJ and non NY-NJ freight traffic towards North Side Yard its interchange point for our virtual operations.

Train MA-3 arrives at North Side Yard.

After yarding the MA-3 engineer Jimmy Alco has run around the freight consist to grab the LIRR caboose.

LIRR caboose #91 is placed just beyond the yard throat to take advantage of the slight dip that keeps freight cars from rolling out of the yard.

The LIRR C420s couple up to non NY-NJ freight traffic heading back to Fresh Pond Junction as Train MA-4.

With the brakes released the C91 caboose rolls to the hind end of the MA-4 gently coupling on. 

LIRR Train MA-4 heads back to Fresh Pond Junction.

A short time later Senior Engineer Sir Neal and conductor John prepare to get started with today's work.

Caboose #1606 is spotted for easy boarding of the conductor.

The Belt Job is on the move!

The first stop is at the Quaker Oats Plant to pull empty NYC covered hopper #892010 for its next NY-NJ load.

Still working the Quaker Oats Plant EBRR boxcars #360279 and #358160 loaded with cereal products are pulled from the siding for their next movements towards ShopRite in Rock Ridge, NJ.

The Belt Job continues its work at Neal's Lumber & Hardware pulling empty EBRR boxcars #416079 and #416035 for their next NY-NJ loads as conductor John encounters local railfans running out of their VW van to watch the train moves.

The Belt Job is back together and prepares to head west.

The Belt Job heads to the Hohman Ave Industrial Park.

The Belt Job begins its work at City Pallet pulling NYC boxcar #47062 loaded with pallets for 3 Amigo's Warehouse in Rock Ridge, NJ.

The Empire City industries have been serviced for the day and the Belt Job gets ready to head back to North Side Yard. 

The Belt Job arrives at North Side Yard.

After sorting and blocking the freight traffic in the yard and a quick break Sir Neal heads back to the EBRR GP18s that will power Train EB-2 from North Side Yard to Terminal Yard.

Train EB-2 is on the move!

After uncoupling from the EB-2 Sir Neal brings the EBRR power to the fuel rack and checks in with engine hostler Wet Willie.

EBRR caboose #1606 and conductor John arrive at the caboose track courtesy of a Penn Central NW-2 switch engine and engineer.

The EBRR trainmen get into a cab at the Terminal Yard office.

We'll cut it here for today as Sir Neal and conductor John call it a day and head for their homes.

We'll pick it up tomorrow back at Terminal Yard and check in with the B&O at their 16th Street Yard and then head out to Bedford Park Yard.

This concludes Part 1 on the NYCTL. Be sure to catch the action on Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific Railroad!!! 

Thanks for reading and watching!!!

See you tomorrow!!!