Capital Improvements at North Side Yard

Greetings All,

North Side Yard located in Empire City on my New York Central Train Layout was an afterthought that was added on September 15th 2013. 

http://newyorkcentrallayout.blogspot.com/2013/09/north-side-rail-yard-starts-taking-shape.html

The whole concept of adding and planning the yard came as a result of my friendship with 1:1 Sir Neal of A.P.R.R. fame. I was very happy watching the trains go in circles (and still am) but as industries were added 1:1 Sir Neal stressed the need for a yard to handle the increased rail traffic. 

Here is a scene from September 15, 2013 commemorating the project  

   The yard went operational on September 29th 2013.

http://newyorkcentrallayout.blogspot.com/2013/09/north-side-rail-tard-operational.html

  

In 2015 I added a few buildings to the area, including Lee Beverage Distributors. These lasted in this location for awhile but their height and configurations were not not really suited for this area. The buildings got in the way of uncoupling cars and throwing the switches. But they were better than nothing so they stayed put for a few years.

 

While the yard functions well for the rail traffic into and out of Empire City little has been done in getting this area to look more like a rail yard. This photo is from one of the Penn Central Car Movements that began in 2016 with Ralph V's K.P.D. 

http://kingsportdivision.blogspot.com/  Not much to look at here other than the trains, the overhead crane (since removed) and the Star Wars Imperial Walker on the lower level photo bombing me. C'mon Man!

   

So I thought that adding a loading / unloading platform to the front of the layout would give it a more rail yard look, add a destination for reefer cars and L.C.L. cars and act as a team track. The platform would also protect the trains  from tumbling over the edge should an accident occur. 

   

I added this fence as an extra scenic element and to protect the dock workers and scenic details on the loading platform

The platform is painted and in position. Some 40' reefers are shoved into track 1.

The east end of the yard has a ramp for fork trucks etc to access the platform. 

This building was purchased used and built last year at a swap meet. I like the way it looks for a yard office and that will be it's designation. 

I've removed the black poster paper that I used to cover the plywood and installed some card stock to give the location a concrete look.

That drive thru looking window looks like a perfect place to add a figure of a yard master looking out at the yard.

Some lines drawn on the card stock for expansion joints, some card stock sidewalks and strip wood to hold the simulated right of way in place adds some visual interest to the scene.

An abandoned building in disrepair and fenced off is added to the east end for a track side late 60s early 70s urban feel. 

An overgrown lot and a No Trespassing sign add to the scene

Standard Electric is another used and built swap meet find. I added the greenery around the base of the building to hide the cast barrels and lumber. The buildings height is perfect for this area.

Looking from the other side of the layout we see the newly installed scene. The jade green truck is a Hot Wheels truck that I painted with a rattle can. The trees behind Standard Electric add some height and interest. They are positioned not to interfere with throwing switches and working with the rail cars. The gray structures are corner guards from a shipping box. They look good as storage sheds so I'm going to explore adding them permanently 

The 1/87th scale trainmen and tower men are checking out the new scene. The tower men are yelling for 1/87th scale Sir Neal to get off the tracks while he is checking out the new Coca Cola sign.  

In the P.C.C.M. 29 series the loading dock came into play to handle loaded PC 40 boxcar #77047. This car was consigned to Neal's Lumber and Hardware but another loaded car from the same train boxed this car out. Neal's 1/87th scale foreman chose the spot at the team track option and sent over a driver and some labor. The option was to consider the car constructively placed and then spot it at a later date. 

Again from the P.C.C.M. 29 series, L.I.R.R. 1556 rolls past the yard office thru the track ladder. 

A view down the yard showing the three tracks in action.

Thanks for reading!

P.C.C.M. 29I / Long Island Railroad Interchange at North Side Yard

Greetings All,

Today we'll wrap up the P.C.C.M. 29 series with installment 29I. The action will focus on the interchange of freight cars forwarded from West Mill Yard on Ralph V's Kings Port Division to Terminal Yard and then North Side Yard on my layout. 

The Penn Central and the Long Island Railroad interchanged cars at Fresh Pond NY in Queens County NY (one of the five counties that make up New York City) via PC Train LI-2. The New York Central interchanged L.I.R.R. rail traffic via their 60th Street Float Yard in Manhattan. 

For the N.Y.C.T.L. North Side Yard handles the interchange of freight cars between the L.I.R.R. and PC. 

We'll start the action off in Bedford NY with the L.I.R.R. transfer run heading towards North Side Yard.

The L.I.R.R. train holds on track 3 as PC train VN-4 from Selkirk with some T.O.F.C. cars heads to Terminal Yard on Track 2

The L.I.R.R. train heads over the Cornelius Vanderbilt Memorial Bridge while the E.C.P.D continue their work to clean up the Market Street Mob stronghold.

L.I.R.R. RS2 #1556 heading thru midtown towards North Side Yard

Heading around the west side of Empire City

And arriving at North Side Yard

L.I.R.R. #1556 has dropped it's train on track#2 and heads out of the yard via the east side yard ladder. 

L.I.R.R. #1556 has run around the yard tracks and is coupled up to the outbound cars being interchanged.

The North Side Yard switchers have done the honors and tacked on the L.I.R.R. caboose. A terminal air test is underway. 

The newly installed ACI scanner reads the ACI label on this KP&W gondola as it leaves North Side Yard for Eastern Long Island

Hohman Ave tower operator 1/87th scale Larry D has come down to give the L.I.R.R. train a closer inspection. The one thing 1/87th scale Larry D does not want for a gift is a stair master!

Bedford Tower operator 1/87th scale John B is busy juggling trains this afternoon. A three train meet like this would crush lesser 1/87th scale tower men.  

The L.I.R.R. transfer train is running back to L.I.R.R. rails with two gondolas of slab steel from Kings Port Steel consigned to Mid Island Steel off train WMV-5 that opened the P.C.CM. 29 series

The P&E boxcar behind the gondolas contains cases of soda from Woodstock Hills All Natural Soda. The BAR "State of Maine" boxcar contains packaged meals from Cavendish Fine Foods in Mayfield NY and the IC 40' boxcar contains packaged cake mix from Blue Ribbon Flour in Kings Port NY. All of these cars are consigned to Pilgrim State Hospital in Brentwoood NY and they originated on PC Train WMV-5 from West Mill to Selkirk. Eastern Long Island here they come! 

And that's it for the P.C.C.M. 29 series! Thanks for hanging in there and reading the entire series. It's been a lot of fun watching the series originate on Ralph V's Kings Port Division http://kingsportdivision.blogspot.com/  and running the ops on my own layout. And don't forget to check Ralph's blog to get the latest on PC Unit Train UKP-1 that was sent to West Mill in P.C.C.M. #30.

We'll take a little break before starting up the next P.C.C.M. series. Keep your eye out for a couple of layout projects I'll be posting shortly.

Thanks for reading!

P.C.C.M. 29H / Delivery of Freight Cars Forwarded to North Side Yard

Greetings All,

We're continuing the P.C.C.M. series today with the action taking place in Empire City's North Side Yard. On the N.Y.C.T.L. North Side Yard handles all rail freight traffic into Empire City except for L.C.L. freight that goes to the Water Street Freight House, most Express shipments for the R.E.A. and bulk mail for the Empire City Main Post Office. This traffic is handled thru the Empire City Passenger Station. 

The North Side Yard crew will be working the cars delivered by Train EC-1 in P.C.C.M. 29G. All of the cars from Train EC-1 being worked today originated on Ralph V's Kings Port Division.
http://kingsportdivision.blogspot.com/

Once again I've started with the Dispatch Sheet and filled in my moves on the bottom of the Switch List under NSY. As you can see the North Side Yard Switcher will work the yard and be responsible for four cars being delivered to their listed consignees. 

The first task is to separate cars for the Empire City industries and cars to be interchanged with the L.I.R.R. later today 

With the caboose in the lead the N.S.Y. Switchers are pulling the cars for the L.I.R.R into track #3.

Track #1 holds a few reefers being worked at the new loading dock / team track. This is the preferred destination for perishable freight that is usually bought while the cars are enroute. Industries and businesses in Empire City are welcome to have their cars spotted here for loading and unloading as well. Track #2 is empty for now and track#3 holds the freight cars for the L.I.R.R. interchange.

The N.S.Y. Switchers couple up to the cars to be spotted at Empire City industries. The EL and PC cars are consigned to Neal's Lumber and Hardware, The B&M car is for Superior Furniture and the TP&W car goes to Walsh Steel Wool Products.

The first stop is Neal's Lumber and Hardware. The orange A.P.R.R. car is being pulled out.

The EL 40' boxcar being spotted is loaded with bags of cement from Boom's Ready Mix in Kings Port NY. The PC car also for Neal's L&H is now behind the APRR car. It cannot be spotted here right now as the lead is too short for two cars.  

No worries. The crew spots the PC car at the loading dock on track #1 at North Side Yard where one of Neal's trucks and a driver await. This car is loaded with crates of the world famous Gern Industries cement flux.

That done the crew heads towards the West Side and gets a roll by inspection from Hohman Ave tower operator 1/87th scale Larry D.

Heading over the Empire City viaduct to access Superior Furniture and Walsh Steel Wool Products.

With the caboose cut off the train the crew shoves back into the West Side Industrial leads. The three cars to the left will be heading out of town on the next Empire City Turn, probably later in the afternoon.  

TP&W 627 is an empty car being spotted for loading. The car request shows it will be loaded with steel wool scrap for Boom's Ready Mix in Kings Port NY

The crew is now working Superior Furniture where B&M boxcar #110 is to be spotted. First the crew will need to pull that NYC boxcar. 

B&M 110 is now spotted at Superior Furniture. This dual air pak equipped RBL with cushioned under frame car is loaded with glass products from Corning Glass Works in Corning NY. This car originated on the Kings Port &Western Railroad. 

With the work on the West Side done the crew takes leisurely ride thru Empire City back to North Side Yard.

Where they arrive on track #2. The crew will break for lunch then put together the afternoon Empire City Turn, Train EC-3 while keeping an eye out for the L.I.R.R. Interchange train due in shortly.

Thanks for reading!

Tomorrow we'll wrap up the 29 series so hang in there for one more installment!

Don't forget to check out Ralph's Kings Port Division blog to see the origination of the P.C.C.M. 29 series and to check in on the unit coal train sent in the 30 series.

http://kingsportdivision.blogspot.com/