Big Doings on the N.Y.C.T.L.

Greetings Blog Followers,

Big doings continue in the Big Apple! Let's take a look at a colorful week that featured the Subway Series and other noteworthy layout happenings.

First up the New York Central Train Layout's Terminal Yard Train Master has become the local rail fans most popular N.Y.C.T.L. employee. With the Subway Series Special already on his scorecard the Train Master added to his growing popularity by consisting and dispatching some very interesting and colorful locomotive pairings. With the popularity going to his head the Train Master is actually thinking of setting up a phone line to take requests from rail fans.  Here are a some other noteworthy events from last week.

A four unit lash up consisting of two GP30s and two GP40s. But not just any four unit PC lash up. A rare red "P" PC GP30 and two very rare orange "C" GP40s

The four unit lash up that had the rail fans buzzing passing through Empire City Station
All units did in fact wear these paint schemes for the Penn Central

The Geeps pulling hard up the grade. Note the newly installed Wilcox Barriers on the layout edge.  

3175 brings up the rear of the consist while construction workers put the finishing touches on the Wilcox Barriers. The barriers are named after renowned rail photographer Bill Wilcox who noted the absence of the safety devices at the edge of the abyss to the concrete floor. 

A M&E Train heads towards the lower level on track 1

The newly famous ALCO FA-FB-FB-FA lash up leads the M&E Train into Empire City Station. The consist has become very popular with rail fans and train crews alike.   

What's This!! That's right a trio of SD40s in PC and BN livery!

Now we see the first unit is an HLCX Leaser. Unit#2 is in the BN white face scheme.
All are powered BB units.

Pipes, pipes and more pipes. Gervais Industries looks to be on a 24 hour work cycle!
CEO Bobby G has left his foreman in charge while he spent the weekend in the Big Apple with family and friends aboard the Subway Series Special. Looks like the profits are way up this year.

Clam Shell Coil Coaches on their way back to the Kings Port & Western for another revenue run.
KP&W CEO and President PC Ralph will make sure these cars are spotted quickly at Kings Port Steel. 

Another recently refurbished SDP40 in full Penn Central regalia leads a group of heavyweight coaches to Empire City Station. With the Subway Series the N.Y.C.T.L. has added some extra short haul passenger trains to handle the commuter crowds.

A baggage car has been converted to a temporary bar car and has been tacked onto the rear of the train.

Speaking of the Subway Series, NY Yankee fans arrive at the Grand Central - 42 Street Station. The Yankees are known to some baseball fans as the Evil Empire. Looks like the Yankee fans have taken that to heart. Or these guys have traveled a few light years for the game. Holy Cow!

Uh oh! The NY Mets fans have arrived at the G.C. 42 Street Station at the same time. The Mets are the young start ups in NYC being only 53 years old. Compared to the NY Yankees who have been around  since 1903 starting out as the NY Highlanders

The #4 train rolls through

What's This? The dark lord of the Evil Empire has stopped at Neal's Lumber to try and turn 1/187th scale Sir Neal Himself  to the dark side!
The Force is strong in 1/87th scale Sir Neal  and he would not be turned.
 Darth Vader left with a Let's Go Mets! ringing in his ear.

Now back to the trains!

Another set of coaches arrives at Empire City Station behind a NYC lightning striped F7A 

Surprise! A Penn Central F7A on the rear of the short passenger train.

Reason: the lighted coaches usually short out the reverse curve. 

Solution: Push Pull Mode with dual power on both ends 

The train heads back to Terminal Yard with the PC unit in the lead. This unit is up for a possible repaint as the PC fonts are wrong. It just might end up a NYC gray cigar band unit to consist with the lightning stripe unit. Both are MRC Platinum units. Both have steam boilers for passenger service. Although the NYC never had any F7As (or FP7As) in either passenger scheme the lightning stripe scheme looks too good to me to repaint. We shall see.