Possible Commuter Train Ops For The N.Y.C.T.L.

Greetings All,

This past week I did a little scenery work in and around Terminal Yard that included adding some figures to the passenger platform and began examining possible commuter operations for the N.Y.C.T.L. 

I'll be toying around with the commuter operations more as the Terminal Yard expansion moves further towards completion. Over the course of a couple of days I toyed with several options. Let's take a look at some of the preliminary ideas and consists.

First up here are my commuters. I sprayed them with Testor's Dullcote to prepare them for repainting. The figures are 1/100 scale and look to fit into some of my passenger cars very nicely.

The last of the 1/100 scale standing figures have been glued in place on the platform. I also added about five feet of Lichen behind the wall for some depth and color.   

Some burnt grass was added to the newest facades where the buildings meet the retaining wall. 

Speaking of The Facades here's three of them waiting on the New Haven RDC3s. These two RDC3's are Athearn BB products and neither one is powered. An NYC RDC3 from Proto 1000 is at the rear of the consist and that one is powered.  

With the RDCs having departed a commuter train featuring Atlas PC GP38 #7675 (The 'Sir Larry'), six Model Power PRR passenger cars manufactured in Brazil and an Atlas FP7 on the rear rolls into Terminal Yard. The Model Power cars came with metal wheels and I equipped them with body mounted knuckle couplers many moons ago. They worked very well in this set up. I like this train!

Here's the FP7 at the other end of the commuter train. The NYC GP20 continues as Terminal Yard power and is tacking the caboose on a departing ore train. The ore train is part of some intra layout moves I need to make to prepare for P.C.C.M. 41. I'll cover those in the next blog entry.

A Bachmann NYC Doodlebug with two Athearn BB HW NYC chair cars at the platform. eh......probably not going to make the final cut. I do like the white face and stripes though! 

Here's another attempt at a commuter consist this time with NYC 72' streamlined passenger cars from Athearn. I tried this one with  engines at one end and and RDC cab control car at the other end. The passenger cars have talgo mounted couplers and that was a mess to say the least. The two NYC engines are MRC Platinum units. They'd be perfect in this assignment.

Looking at the NYC consist we can see an RDC3 that I was using as a cab control car for this end of the train on the left. Looking at the passenger cars chosen we have two coaches on each end and two vista domes sandwiching a diner acting as a snack car. What strikes me as a no go here is it's almost impossible to enter or exit the train. Not counting the RDC there are two doors between the remaining five cars. Not a good idea for a commuter train.

Back to the drawing board I came up with this four car set of Bachmann Spectrum coaches (one is a combine) with a P-2000 NYC GP7 on each end. 

NYC 5756 is boiler equipped. The GP7s look good at each end and this train looks to be a keeper.  

This four car set of ACF coaches from Walthers is another strong possibility. A Proto 1000 RS2 at each end looks good and worked well in this configuration.

 Does this say commuter train? I think so.

Substituting the MRC Platinum NYC F7s for the RS2s is another possibility. These F7s are boiler equipped. 

I rummaged around under the layout and pulled out my son's PRR Spectrum passenger cars. Using three coaches and one combine I added his PRR E8A and a non powered Athearn BB F7A to the  other end. 

Not to be outdone by the PRR train the train foreman has assigned this NYC E7A to this commuter train.

Here's a video of it starting up and moving out.

I think the commuter trains will become a part of the ritual for the N.Y.C.T.L. operations. Having them with an engine at each end makes them simple to operate. The NYC GP7s, RS2s and F7As need the work so we'll give it to them! I know the NYC did not have F7As with boilers or in the gray lightning stripe scheme. They didn't have FL9s either but don't tell the commuters who rode into Manhattan behind them on the Metro North RR.

 Thanks for reading!