Terminal Yard Expansion

Greetings All,

The much anticipated long delayed building of the Terminal Yard expansion bench work is finally in the books. Let's take a look at where the project stands right now;

The bench work has been extended around the room and a center peninsula has been added.

The left side expansion is a tad over 12' long. The paper towels are to wipe away the tears when I realize that some grandiose plans for the expansion will not work as intended 

The wye is in and looks like it will work out nicely. This extends off track#9. Flexi Van / T.O.F.C. / C.O.F.C. tracks are on the right of the U Boats. The F.V./ T.O.F.C / C.O.F.C portion of the yard will be two tracks. One stub ended and one thru track with a switch to track #9 for the engine to escape. This will allow me to pull my 85' Athearn BB T.O.F.C. flats into position. Their swivel mounted couplers are not very reliable for shove moves.

The U Boats are in the original Terminal Yard on track #9. Looking behind them we can see track 9 curving to the expansion on a 22" radius curve. We can also see track #8 to the right curving to the expansion with a #4 switch with 22'' radius on the inside and 24'' radius on the outside. I'd like to place a weigh in motion set of scales for tracks 8 and 9 right where the U Boats are parked. The scale house etc would sit between the two tracks. 

Engine tracks to the left working out good. Caboose track in center not so much. Initial testing required too many moves to get the caboose to this track from an inbound train. The track to the far right connects to the wye and works perfectly for shoving a caboose in and pulling one out to tack on the rear of a departing train. The open space is for a building that will be for unloading M&E cars and servicing passenger cars. A Stores portion may be included for parts etc for the diesel fleet. 

Taking another look at this picture I'm planning to put fuel tanks into the middle of the wye. Some PVC pipe caps should work fine and the overhead crane will clear them easily.

That's it for now. I'll post follow up photos as the work progresses.

Thanks for reading!!

Penn Central Unit Coal Train / Unit Train Movement

Greetings All,

Today we'll take a look at a Penn Central Unit Coal Train that originated on Ralph's Kings Port Division layout in P.C.C.M 36.
http://kingsportdivision.blogspot.com/2017/06/pccm-36-action-at-west-mill.html  

The unit coal train is identified as URN-4 and runs from the Genesee Coal docks in Rochester NY to West Mill Yard on the Kings Port & Western Railroad using KP&W and B&O motive power pools. At West Mill the KP&W and B&O power and caboose are cut off and the Penn Central takes over for the trip to Terminal Yard and Hudson Coal on my layout.

Let's take a look at this Unit Train Movement;

URN-4 with it's pooled power rumbles into West Mill NY

KP&W and B&O power units on the the coal drag will be cut off for two newer GE U Boats for the run to Terminal Yard

  

The power swap at the West Mill engine tracks. The cabooses will also be swapped.

With the power and caboose swap complete URN-4 heads out of West Mill towards Selkirk and then Terminal Yard.

URN-4 rolls thru Empire City on the High Line

URN-4 passing Bedford Tower and getting the high ball and roll by inspection from Bedford Tower Operator 1/87th scale John B.

Holding on track#3 is the L.I.R.R. transfer train heading to Bliss Yard with a trio of empty NYC 50' double door boxcars for Circle Wire & Cable in Maspeth NY.  

URN-4 climbs the grade to Terminal Yard past Hudson Coal with it's tracks filled with loaded coal hoppers.

URN-4 arrives at Terminal Yard on Track 4. 

The Terminal Yard switcher has pulled the caboose from URN-4 and is shoving it to the caboose track at the rear of track#2

Dirty and dusty NYC offset cupola caboose 21278 will once again be assigned to the Coal Job so the Switcher pulls the string of cabooses to access 21278.

The big GEs head for the soon to be opened Terminal Yard engine facilities.

The U Boats will head past the turnouts in the distance and then reverse into the engine facility. 

 A few engines including the Coal Job's power units are waiting for their call to duty. A PC caboose sits on the new caboose track.

The Coal Job's two GP9s are coupled up and the train is ready to proceed to Hudson Coal.

Leaving the empties on the main the Geeps enter Hudson Coal to pull the loaded cars.

 The last of the loaded coal hoppers are pulled from Hudson Coal.

A dozen empties from URN-4 are shoved into Hudson Coal for loading.

With the empties in place and the loaded tonnage is shoved back up the grade to Terminal Yard. 

 The loaded coal hoppers are shoved into track#6

The Coal Job has uncoupled from the loaded coal hoppers on track #6 and coupled up to another group of empty coal hoppers on track #5. These cars will be delivered later today after Hudson Coal fills the twelve empties spotted earlier. The coal circle of life continues.

That's it for this Unit Train Movement. 

Thanks for reading!!!

P.C.C.M 36G / Dispatch of train NV-3

Greetings All,

Today we'll wrap up the origination parts of  P.C.C.M. 36 series with the dispatch of Train NV-3 (Terminal Yard - Selkirk). The freight car movements will continue on Ralph's Kings Port Division blog http://kingsportdivision.blogspot.com/ 

To:     West Mill / Rock Ridge
From: Terminal Yard

Dispatch of Train NV-3 (Terminal Yard - Selkirk) with a block of seven cars for the Kings Port Division's West Mill Yard.


The Terminal Yard Switcher is on track 2 picking up an caboose for NV-3

The West Mill block will be at the front of the Selkirk bound train starting with;
NYC 173861 loaded with beer for Reynolds Beverage.
B&M 109 empty to be forwarded to B&M via Williams Yard
PC 160502 and TPFX 5510 loaded with cabinets for Battaglia Brothers Warehouse

P&E 3638 loaded with packaging materials for Cavendish
NYC 67086 empty for ACME Auto Parts
TLDX 7241 loaded with barley for Cavendish

Train NV-3 leaves Terminal Yard behind an F7A- F7A-GP30 consist.The Cargill covered hopper acts as a buffer between the engines and the 86' NYC boxcar.

The size of this car requires some special considerations. I chose to place it between the two other Mayfield cars so switching the entire block would be easier along the line.

Leaving Terminal Yard and passing Hudson Coal.

NV-3 rumbles thru Bedford NY

The West Mill block is to the right of the UPFE reefer.

Crossing over to the mainline at Bedford Tower

On the High Line

Next stop Selkirk!

That wraps up my portion of P.C.C.M. 36.

Don't forget to follow the action on Ralph's Kings Port Division blog; http://kingsportdivision.blogspot.com/  You'll be glad you did!

Thanks for reading!!

P.C.C.M. 36F / Opening the Books and Car Movements at Empire City

Greetings All,

Disclaimer: Lots to post today so get comfortable, grab a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy!

And remember to check in on Ralph's Kings Port Division Blog to checkout what's happening with the earlier block of freight cars sent his way. http://kingsportdivision.blogspot.com/

To: West Mill / Rock Ridge
From: Terminal Yard 

Car Movements at Empire City


The 1/87th scale gangs all here! The 1/87th scale trainmen and tower operators of the N.Y.C.T.L. have gathered at Terminal Yard to welcome the newest N.Y.C.T.L. employee 1/87 scale ATJOE.

1/87th scale Engineer Ed and Conductor John will take charge of 1/87th scale ATJOE's first day of training and orientation. Hoping to ride in one of the legendary F-7s on the roster 1/87th scale Double E explains that they are great road engines but not good for switching with their limited ground visibility. With EC-1 having some switching work today the GP-35s will be 1/87th scale ATJOE's first motive power ride. Lesson #1 is in the books

Back at North Side Yard 1/87th scale Sir Neal chats it up with his brakeman conductor as they plan the morning moves. NYMX #1020 is a new addition to the roster having been purchased at a recent L.H.S. sale. It came in a Varney Box but not certain it is actually a Varney product.

The North Side Yard crew pulls this Cargill Covered Hopper from Cargill as 1/87th scale Bobby G sorts steel coils from Kings Port Steel in the Gervaise Pipe & Fitting yard.

1/87th scale Sir Neal has pulled these 57' Mechanical Reefers from Ralph's Grocery Warehouse, and cars from several other industries. 

The Cargill covered hopper, loaded with barley for Cavendish Fine Foods & Spirits in Kings Port NY, is set on track#2 with the other cars heading out of town later on the Empire City Turn from Terminal Yard

Good ol EL #73510 is on the move thru Empire City heading towards Walsh Steel Wool Products for a load of muffler mesh consigned to ACME Auto Parts in Mayfield NY 

EL 73510 is shoved into the Walsh Steel Wool Products siding 
instead of languishing in the virtual ops box. Readers will remember this car from earlier in the series when we focused in on the R.T.M.F. using EL 73510 as one example. We'll catch up with this car down the road in another P.C.C.M. series.

As 1/87th scale Sir Neal finishes up the morning switching duties in Empire City 1/87th scale ATJOE is about to take his first trip. Always the gentlemen 1/87th  scale Engineer Ed lets the new guy board first. "After you sir"

And away we go! Train EC-1 the morning Empire City Turn heads out of Terminal Yard. 

The empty NYC boxcars, destined for Circle Wire & Cable in Maspeth Queens to be loaded with wire for IBM in Binghamton NY, will be interchanged with the L.I.R.R. at North Side Yard. The AP RBL is also empty and is headed for Neal's Lumber & Hardware for a load of veneer paneling.  

EC-1 makes it's first stop at Heileman Brewery to pick up empty B&M RBL 109 and NYC 40' Hi Cube boxcar #173861 loaded with cases of tall neck bottled beer for Reynolds Beverage in Kings Port NY. 

1/87th scale Engineer Ed Points out to ATJOE the Heileman Brewery spotting location for 50' boxcars as he eases the cars to a stop.

EC-1 gets ready to proceed from Bedford Station. The trio of NYC boxcars would normally be in the virtual ops box at this point after they were pulled from All City Storage in an earlier installment but a new routing to the L.I.R.R. has them out on the layout in revenue service.

1/87th scale Double E has the GP35s and Train EC-1 moving at a nice clip over the Empire City viaduct. 

The 1/87th scale North Side Yard boys give ATJOE a hearty welcome as ED-1 enters the Hohman Ave entrance to North Side Yard 

1/87th scale Double E has cut off the B&M and NYC car from EC-1 on track 3 and shoved them onto the rear of soon to be Train EC-2 on track 2. The ol' Professor is showing his newest student some of the time saving moves that have made him famous.  

 EC-2 heads out of North Side Yard for the return to Terminal Yard

 EC-1 looking good thru Bedford NY.

Last stop before Terminal Yard.  EC-2  is at the University Mill Work siding and pulls PC 160502 and TPFX 5510 loaded with cabinetry for Battaglia Bros. Warehouse in Kings Port NY.  They'll shove back to Berk Enterprises and pick up a loaded boxcar from Berk Enterprises.

P&E 40' boxcar 3638 loaded at Berk Enterprises with packaging materials for Cavendish Fine Foods & Spirits in Mayfield NY is coupled up to the Cargill covered hopper, also destined for Cavendish. How about that! You can almost hear 1/87th scale EE after this move telling his passenger, 'This is how we do it around here'

EC-2 arrives on track 1 at Terminal Yard with cars for the Kings Port Division fore & aft.

But not to worry the Terminal Yard switcher will make short work sorting the cars brought in with EC-2 into their outbound trains.

With his first day in the books 1/87th scale ATJOE meets the guys at the Hitchin Post Saloon in Empire City for a round or three of Cavendish's finest.

That's it for today! Tomorrow we'll wrap up my portion of P.C.C.M. 36 and turn it over to Ralph for delivery and forwarding of the freight cars sent his way.

Thanks for reading!!!