Penn Central Car Movement 44B

Greetings All,

Welcome to the second installment of the Penn Central Car Movement 44 series! We opened up the action on 1:1 Sir Neal's A.P.R.R. layout, we'll continue the action here today and then send it over to Ralph's K.P.D. for installment #3.

This series is mostly focused on our virtual ops coal operations and the cycle of hopper cars and trains needed for delivering the black diamonds from my Hudson Coal to some of their respective end users featured on Neal and Ralph's layouts.

One of the cool features we've incorporated in this series is that UHC-1 and UHC-2 will 'meet at Ralph's' West Mill Yard. Trainmen of the entire Northeast look forward to seeing 1/87th scale Cappy Foster deal with these tonnage trains and the regularly scheduled manifest trains.

To:        West Mill / Rock Ridge
From:    Terminal Yard
Subject: Dispatch of Penn Central Unit Coal Train UHC-2
              Engines: 3007, 8024, 3180, 1802, 1908
              Total HP: 11,000
              Caboose: 416035
              Loads / Empties: 30/0
              Total Cars: 30
              Total Weight: 1,995 tons.
              HP / WT Ratio: 5.5:1

We start the action today at Terminal Yard with the Coal Job ready for departure. The GP20s will be heading to Hudson Coal with a string of empties while a string of loads waits on track 5 to the left.

The Coal Job makes it's way to Hudson Coal where we see the loaded cars we'll need to pick up before spotting the empties.

The familiar Coal Job caboose is shoved in to couple up to the first string of loads.

Track 2 is pulled and then track 3 will follow.

With the loaded hoppers pulled out the Coal Job is at Bedford Tower where they get permission to proceed and then change over to track #3 from tower operator 1/87th scale John B. 

Shoving the empties back thru Bedford towards Hudson Coal. The loaded train waits on track 2 with the caboose in place.

The coal cycle continues as the next batch of empties are shoved in for loading. These are the last available empties until Train UHC-1 arrives.  

The Coal Job has spotted their empties and it won't be long before they are loaded and ready to be pulled. By that time the empties from UHC-1 should be in Terminal Yard and ready for dispatch with the Coal Job.

The Coal Job is back together on track#2 and waits for an Empire Belt train to clear the tracks ahead of it. The E.B.R.R. train is headed for North Side Yard in Empire City.

The Coal Job is underway heading up the grade towards Terminal Yard. The two turbocharged GP20s have no problems with this train and grade.

Arriving back at Terminal Yard the Coal Job heads towards track 9 

 And the weigh in motion scale.

That done the GP20s have cut off the train. Yard power is this pair of GP9s and they have coupled up to the caboose. They'll take this cut of cars and couple them up to the loaded coal hoppers we saw sitting on track 5 in photo #1.
The hostlers have put together a nice group of first and second generation motive power for UHC-2. GP40 #3007 leads the train out of Terminal Yard.

The five engine consist boasts 11,000 HP. With the PC the hope is all units will stay online but there is no guarantee. Extra units assure the mainline will stay open but it comes with the cost of extra fuel and engine shortages. 

 UHC-2 at Bedford Station crossing over from track 3 to track 2

Up and over the Cornelius Vanderbilt Bridge and onto the High Line. The string of coal hoppers stretches all the way back past Bedford Station. 

Rounding the High Line curve we see several rail fans enjoying the action and some food from the benches. Next stop West Mill!!!

Thanks for reading!

Be sure to follow up the action on Ralph's K.P.D.!