Blog Roll

Saturday, October 29, 2016

P.C.C.M. 20 Part 2

Greetings All,

The latest Penn Central Car Movement series, #20, is in full swing on the N.Y.C.T.L. P.C.C.M. #20 originated on Ralph V's excellent home layout known as the Kings Port Division. For those unfamiliar the K.P.D. and N.Y.C.T.L. have been involved in 'virtual ops' since February 1st where we run joint or consecutive ops sessions using similar rolling stock and at time engines even though our train layouts are separated by a thousand miles and the equipment involved never leaves our basements. 

To keep the virtual ops manageable Ralph and I break the ops down into segments so we can easily document and follow the action on each others layouts via photo heavy emails. This blog entry will cover several of these segments and we'll conclude the 20 series with the next blog entry later in the week. 

Click here to catch up on the origination of the 20 series
http://kingsportdivision.blogspot.com/2016/10/derailment-affects-operations-at-west.html
and here for the transition from the K.P.D. to the N.Y.C.T.L.
http://newyorkcentrallayout.blogspot.com/2016/10/this-week-at-nyctl.html 
Now that you're up to date the next Penn Central Car Movements will make a little more sense. 
P.C.C.M. 20G
With the River Line shut down for several days last week on the Kings Port Division the service interruption was felt system wide and especially on the Metro Division. Metro Division trains for the West Mill Rail Hub on the K.P.D. were embargoed due to the line closure and congestion at West Mill, the West Mill Float Yard and Port Owen. Trains through Selkirk down the River Line were halted and due to rail traffic detours both Terminal and North Side Yards of the Metro division were at full capacity. Thankfully the line has reopened and now the dispatchers will have their 1/87th scale hands full getting trains into and out of the yards and to their consignees.

To: West Mill
From: Terminal Yard

Dispatch of trains NS-1 (North Side Yard - Terminal Yard)
                             EC-1 (Empire City Turn)

Cars from WMV-1 / VN-4 are blocked on track 7 and ready for power.
EC-1 or the Empire City Turn as it is commonly called has received it's road power for today, RS-1 9909, and awaits clearance to depart Terminal Yard.
Before we can dispatch EC-1 North Side Yard needs to make room
and get the train on track 3, NS-1 behind the GP20s, to out of Empire City and to Terminal Yard. NS-1 is performing it's terminal air test as it awaits clearance to depart.
The results of the derailment are seen below as North Side yard is at capacity, unable to forward these cars to Selkirk which suffered heavy delays from getting trains around the derailment.
Freight cars as far as the eye can see.
This being the Metro Division the heavy mail, express and passenger train traffic takes precedence and track space. A four Unit ALCO lash up below is on point of a Mail and Express train stopped Bedford Station 
Heavy M&E traffic stretches out on track 2
with Express, REA and Flexi-van cars 
Flexi-Vans with US Mail
Meanwhile a baggage dormitory car in NYC paint takes on express shipments
The North Side Yard to Terminal Yard Transfer run Train NS-1 passes the Hohman Ave tower and gets a wave from tower operator 1/87th scale Larry D.
Crossing to track 3 to pass the M&E train being loading at Bedford Station
The Transfer Run to Terminal Yard makes it way past 
the M&E Train      

P.C.C.M. 20H
To:     West Mill
From: Terminal Yard

PC train EC-1 (Empire City Turn) delivers cars to Ford, Heileman
Brewery and North Side Yard.

A short time later Train EC-1, the Empire City Turn has left Terminal Yard and is on it's way to Bedford Park where it will work the Ford Plant
Bedford Tower Operator 1/87th scale John B is working hard today keeping the rail traffic moving. The RS-1 has dropped PC 40' boxcar #167872 just past the Heileman Brewery lead and is proceeding to the Bedford Park Ford Plant with the two Breadbox trough coil steel cars from Kings Port Steel.
Heading towards the Steel Receiving Track
 Pulling the empty steel cars
Loaded cars spotted and 9909 heads back to couple up to the empties
Time to spot  PC #167872 at Heileman in door #1
PC 167872 has been spotted at Heileman Brewery's door #1
EC-1 #9909 has coupled back to it's train after dropping and picking up cars at Heileman's Brewery. The local crew waits for hotshot train NY-4 to clear the signals before it can proceed towards North Side Yard.
NY-4 with an A-B-B-A set of Lightning Striped F7s
NY-4 roars by on track 2, EC-1 holds on track 3 and we can see the
reworked Heileman Brewery lead.
With NY-4 now clear EC-1 can proceed to North Side Yard
All is temporarily calm at Bedford Station as EC-1 eases thru the
switches onto track 2
EC-1 heads thur Mid-Town on it's way to Terminal Yard
Approaching Hohman Ave and Terminal Yard 
9909 has uncoupled from it's train and has run thru Terminal Yard.
It will now back thru the yard to get around it's train to perform it's 
work in the yard but not before posing for this roster shot outside 
Ralph's Grocery Warehouse.

Terminal Yard out...

P.C.C.M. 20I
To: West Mill
From: Terminal Yard

EC-1(Empire City Turn) completes it work

EC-1 has spotted five cars for North Side Yard on track#1. The crew
will tack the caboose back onto it's train and then couple the engine
up to the front of the train.
The rear brakeman mans the caboose and protects the shove as EC
backs down the industrial lead towards Hohman Ave to gain access
to the west side reverse curve. What's up Larry D!
EC-1 is now going forward thru the curve as it starts out of Empire
City
    Riding the High Line out of town. Next stop Bedford Park 
We've dropped the caboose and pull forward to access the Ford Plant
Empties pulled from Ford are spotted with the caboose at the
Bedford Park Yard
NYC 67086 loaded with Auto Parts from Acme is spotted at Ford. The train shoves back to American Hardware Supply to set out the P&LE 40' boxcar
P&LE 35892 is spotted at American Hardware Supply and the crew
works picking up outbound cars at Bedford Park Yard 
EC-1 heads back into Bedford to continue it's work
PC E8A 4072 is stopped with a Mail & Express train at Bedford Station
Getting ready to take on an express shipment
9909 and EC-1 continues on it's way.
Time to work University Lumber and Milling. Empties TPFX 5510
and PC 160502 are pulled from the back end of train.
PC 160502 and TPFX 5510 are spotted at University Lumber & Milling The brakeman waits for the train to come out of the siding and back up to the GBW boxcar so he can hook up the air hoses. 
EC-1 encounters Extra 2875 West, a train of empties headed for Selkirk. The crew gives 2875 West a roll by inspection.
With 2875 West's caboose now clear of the switch to track 2 EC-1 gets ready to proceed.
Next stop Terminal Yard.
Terminal Yard out...


Thanks for reading!
Next installment we'll conclude the P.C.C.M. 20 series

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Arrival of Train VN-4 / Dispatch of Train UKP-1

Greetings All,

P.C.C.M. installment #20 opened up on the Kings Port Division with a BANG!!! http://kingsportdivision.blogspot.com/2016/10/derailment-affects-operations-at-west.html
Later 8 covered hoppers were forwarded via car float from the West Mill Float Yard to Port Owen NY due to the derailment on the main line between West Mill and Selkirk. When the line was cleared a few days later train WMV-1 left West Mill for Selkirk with 12 cars for the NYCTL.  An engine change at Selkirk and the train was designated VN-4 and dispatched to Empire City's Terminal Yard.

Train VN-4 at the Bedford Tower as Tower Operator 1/87th scale John B hands up train orders.

VN-4 stretches around the curve

over the Cornelius Vanderbilt Memorial Bridge

And the High Line

P.C.C.M. DISPATCH SHEET
Shaded areas and handwriting on bottom show 20 cars on Sunday's VN-4

Terminal Yard administrative aides apparently spent Sunday watching the football games on the office TV as the consist of VN-4 went from 20 cars to a block of 6 and 6 for a total of 12 cars. TV in office has been removed.

Meanwhile the N.Y.C.T.L. dispatched a unit coal train, UKP-1 
to West Mill for delivery to Kings Port Steel. This is Installment #21 of the P.C.C.M. series.
UKP-1
NYC caboose brings up he markers on UKP-1

Short video of UKP-1 making it's way towards Kings Port Steel


Meanwhile at Terminal Yard, VN-4 has to be doubled over to track 2 after being carded as 12 cars. VN-4 Road Power has used the engine escape switches between tracks 1 and 2 to run back around to the yard lead and grab the tail end of VN-4 and pull it into track 2

Terminal Yard Switch Crew couples up to VN-4s caboose and the block of empty covered hoppers.

 A brakeman rides the front of the empty hoppers towards track #4

The caboose is uncoupled
 and shoved to the caboose track at the rear of track 2 past the engine escape switches

 Back to work blocking the cars from West Mill for local delivery
 Cars from West Mill train WMV-1 / Selkirk train VN-4 are blocked on track #7. Empty covered hoppers are stored ready for assignment on track #4


Switch list, car cards and Dispatch Sheet ready for the Empire City Turn.

Next installment will cover the movement of freight cars from Terminal Yard in the Empire City Turn to their next or final destinations.

 Thanks for Reading!