Empire Belt GP30s

Empire Belt GP30s
The EBRR GP30s round a curve on the Empire City Belt Line.

Saturday, March 5, 2016

The Trains are Running and the Projects Keep on Coming!

Greetings All

In the last blog entry we looked at PC Train VN-4 (Selkirk to Empire City) arriving in Empire City with a block of cars from PC Train KV-5 (Kings Port to Selkirk) As a follow up to that entry let's take a look at what happened to the VN-4 Block 1 cars and the projects needed to make that happen.

Local Train EC-1 (Empire City Local) is on track 8 in Terminal Yard with cars from block 1 of Train VN-4
Today's power is GP30 2218 and F7A 1602 
The road power from VN-4 is on track 9 awaiting the fuel truck.   

The first stop out of Terminal Yard is Hudson Coal where this 40' Hi Cube Boxcar with mining augers has been spotted. No card box? No Problem! A quick clip and we're all set.

Next stop is University Lumber and Millwork. EC-1 will have to remove these 3 empty Thrall All-Door Boxcars and spot two empty 50' plug door boxcars.

50' plug door boxcars PC 160502 and TPFX 5510 are spotted and the 
Thrall cars are now part of train EC-1

EL 73510 has been spotted at Berk Enterprises and awaits loading

The train crew of EC-1 is re blocking there train to get these Breadbox Trough Cars
 with steel coils for the Ford Plant to the front of the train. Due to switch alignments Tank Cars and Steel Shipments are delivered going towards Empire City's North Side Yard while Auto Parts and Auto Racks are switched in on the return from North Side Yard. An important piece of information overlooked by the duly chastised Terminal Yard switch crew.

 EC-1 with two steel coil coaches from Kings Port Steel rolls onto the Ford Plant siding under the newly constructed tank car unloading and pumping station. One of those projects I mentioned in the opening.

To gain clearance to the steel car track two cars from All City Storage need to be pulled out and placed on the track closest to the layout edge.

The newly arrived steel cars roll under the imagineered steel loading  structure. 
A new cement pad for steel coil storage and roadway has been added.
 Another one of those projects that cropped up.

Vents and Roll up doors have been added to the flat. The entire Ford Plant has been "opened up" to better show the auto parts and auto rack rolling stock. With the partial roof obscuring just enough to make the siding looking larger we can imagine the lading racks being loaded.  
Another one of those projects.

The empty breadbox trough cars are being shoved back to EC-1 after the All City Storage cars have been re spotted

 A close up of the imagineered tank car unloading facility and the 
corresponding car cards for this train movement

EC-1 cools it's heels back to the left while it waits clearance to cross the 
Commodore Vanderbilt Bridge into Empire City.

The Water Street Freight Terminal sits below the bridge and overpass while the City View Apartments are tucked into the curve.  

GP30 2218 rides tall and proud over the C.V. Bridge as it leads EC-1 towards North Side Yard 

Meanwhile a 1/87th scale rail fan spectacular is taking place!
EC-1 is crossing the C.V. Bridge, 
A PC E8A leads a passenger train up out of Empire City Station.
A M&E train rounds the curve towards EC Station and NY-4 thunders past on the upper level.

A close up of three of the four trains.

 The North Side Yard and Empire City trackage has been spun off to short line Empire Belt a wholly owned subsidiary of the N.Y.C.T.L. The E.B. will handle the last mile for the cars delivered to North Side Yard in train EC-1

Two look alike 50' NYC double door boxcars are spotted at Prestage Gear with loads of steel stock

The E.B. with two newly painted GP35s shoves it's cars towards the East Side.

A Cargill covered hopper is spotted at...Cargill! 

Some shuffling of cars at Ralph's Grocery Warehouse gives us a nice shot of our EMD power. The experimental red "P" on 2252 was applied in the early stages of the PC in 1968.

PC 77010 has been spotted at Ralph's Grocery Warehouse and Distribution Center

A old video of Train KT-1 to close this entry out.
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Thanks for reading and watching!

4 comments:

  1. What a great day at the NYCTL! Seems a lot of freight was moved and revenue generated for everyone. Nice to see the PC fleet in action.

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  2. Thank you Sir Neal! It was a good day indeed. The profits were up, management was happy and the local rail fans enjoyed the show.

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  3. I'm really impressed with how well everything you do works together. It's inspiring to see how stuff from train shows and the second-hand table at hobby shops can be turned into really worthwhile equipment, and then come together to produce an absorbing picture.

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