Minor Paint Project Delay

Greetings All,

The joint A.P.R.R. - E.B.R.R. paint project has suffered a minor delay as an emergency week at the beach took precedence and one portion of the paint project remains incomplete. 

While the 57' Mechanical Refrigerators are now painted I have not yet shipped them out to 1:1 Sir Neal and do not want to spoil his opening the boxes by having him see the cars posted here.

So instead let's take this opportunity to take a light hearted look to explore the time honored question of train layout owners around the world. "What happens when the lights go out"?

On the N.Y.C.T.L. with 1/87th scale Senior Engineer Sir Neal as the ringleader all kinds of shenanigans took place once I was gone for the week. Here's a look at some of them.

The Hohman Ave Tower has been turned into Sir Larry's Supper Club. That's 1/87th scale Sir Larry himself in the white jacket greeting his customers while 1/87th scale Engineer Ed has the parking concession.

Over at Neal's Lumber & Hardware 1/87th scale Sir Neal is making the final preparations for a concert with the boxcar acting as the stage. Below we seen plenty of beer and audio equipment being unloaded while the traffic backs up with cars being parked up on the sidewalk and in the street.  

After enjoying the show the gang heads over to Bedford Park for the annual Coupler Joust contest. 1/87th scale AT JOE is jousting for Terminal Yard and is looking to win this year's championship. 

 After a close battle 1/87th scale AT JOE is victorious!

To celebrate the newly won championship 1/87th scale John B is throwing a victory party at Bedford Tower.

The guys file into Bedford Tower to celebrate the win and their good fortune with AT JOE covering their betting action.

Sated with food and drink and with their pockets full of cash the guys head over to the Market Street Mob's Ace Cafe to try their hands at some games of chance.

That's 1/87th scale Sir Neal giving tonight's password to Tubby the doorman so the guys can gain entry. The guys will wind down their night here enjoying various games of chance that may or not be rigged.

As the dawn approaches 1/87th scale PC Ralph decides to take one of his famous high speed laps thru the pre-dawn streets of Empire City in his Ralph's Grocery Warehouse Hot Rod Shopping Cart drawing the attention of the Empire City Police. Looks like they might have PC Ralph this morning.  

Maybe not! 1/87th scale PC Ralph has found a gap and makes a hard right to sneak past the police car and escape once again. 

Not this time! The E.C.P.D. has sprung the trap finally corralling 1/87th scale PC Ralph and his 700 HP shopping cart.

 I hope to have the paint project in 1:1 Sir Neal's hands by the weekend and I'll post the paint project right after that. This will also give the 1/87th scale N.Y.C.T.L. gang time to sober up!

Thanks for reading!

E.B.R.R. Caboose Project

Greetings All,

I recently came across an AHM L&N wide vision caboose sitting new or like new in it's box languishing under my layout. This was a fortuitous find as I was looking to add a fourth caboose to my freelanced Empire Belt Railroad to go with the five sets of motive power on the E.B.R.R. roster.

Before getting too involved in the paint project my first move was to see if I could substitute metal wheels for the factory installed pizza cutter wheels. 

With the metal wheels now installed the caboose proceeded to the Patti O Paint Shop and was rattle can painted into the E.B.R.R. corporate colors. After painting a set of Kadee #27 underset shank couplers were installed.

The caboose is now ready for decals which have been cut and sit in the container. 

Decals have been applied and the project is now in the decal setting phase. Getting the decals to settle down over seams and rivets takes time so don't rush it. It can take many applications of your decal setting solution over several days or more before the decals are settled down satisfactorily. This phase will pretty much make or break a paint and lettering project. Any bubbles or silver spots can be poked with a pin and then you can reapply your decal setting solution. Once you're satisfied and everything is dry apply your clear coat to protect the decals.  

E.B.R.R. caboose #1607 joins the fleet at North Side Yard. Clear plastic 'window glass' was added using Plastruct Bondene to secure the clear plastic to the interior of the caboose body. Avoid using CA for this as it will fog the glass over time.

The 1607 sports a 'Respect the Red' safety slogan that I'll cover in upcoming blog entries. 

The Empire Belt RR caboose fleet outside of North Side Yard in Empire City.

The first three cabooses are Athearn BB units that were originally factory painted PC units that I renumbered badly. Once I learned the PC never had this type of caboose they became perfect candidates for my freelanced E.B.R.R. I have two more of these cabooses still in their factory PC paint. One of them, PC 26403, brought up the markers on recent unit coal train UKP-1 in P.C.C.M. 48. 

That concludes the E.B.R.R. Caboose Project! Stay tuned as the Patti O Paint Shop is hard at work with a big joint A.P.R.R.-E.B.R.R. paint project that I'll cover next. To quote Ed Sullivan it's gonna be a really big show!

Thanks for reading!!!!!

R.O.W. Improvements

Greetings All,

The virtual ops catalyst has struck again! Looking to improve my layout and photos for my portions of the virtual ops, aka the Penn Central Car Movements, has led me to redo some portions of the N.Y.C.T.L.'s right of way. Let's take a look;

I've always thought this seldom photographed location where the shelf layout joins the peninsula with the track leading down to the lower level had potential. After several years I've taken the steps to make it more photo worthy.

The track heading down to the lower level sits on painted cork and painted plywood.

Once again I turned to my bag of paver base and sifted out this batch of material to be used as ballast.

Same location now ballasted and with less shrubbery between the tracks.

A NYC Erie Built leads the train down to the lower level as a trio of freight cars spotted at Ralph's Grocery Warehouse look on. 

A NYC E8A comes around the curve on the newly enhanced R.O.W.

Another location on the layout that I thought could use some work was this colorful portion of right of way on the upper level of Empire City.

From a landscaping perspective it looks nice. For a working railroad it started looking a bit too green and manicured.

With the shrubbery removed and the paver base in place rail favorite EBRR Alcos come thru midtown from the east side.

The EBRR GP30's coming thru the west side into midtown .

All in all I think these two locations came out well and look forward to seeing trains roll thru these newly improved scenes.

Thanks for reading! 

P.C.C.M. 49B Dispatch of Unit Coal Train UKP-1

Greetings All,

Welcome back to the P.C.C.M. 49 series! The Penn Central takes center stage today as the Coal Job finally gets rolling and Terminal Yard dispatches Unit Coal Train UKP-1.

In the last installment the Empire Belt RR came to the rescue  promptly delivering a bunch of empty coal hoppers to the Penn Central's Terminal Yard to alleviate the severe shortage of such cars that were in dire need at Hudson Coal. Production at Hudson Coal recently ramped back up with 1:1 PC Ralph's Kings Port Steel and 1:1 Sir Neal's R.M.O. Electric coming off their summer hiatuses and placing orders for the black diamonds. 

We pick up the action today with 1/87th scale AT JOE running the Coal Job out of Terminal Yard. Here he is in RS-1 #9909, still in NYC paint but numbered into the PC, coupling up to the E.B.R.R. empties.

The Coal Job has shoved the E.B.R.R. hoppers back to pick up a couple of more hoppers and their assigned caboose. After an air brake test they are now on their way to Hudson Coal.

1/87th scale Brakeman Bill does the honors of connecting the air hoses as the Coal Job couples up to the first string of loaded coal hoppers.  

The next string of loaded coal hoppers features a couple of 1:1 PC Ralph's Kings Port & Western Railroad hoppers and a pair of 1:1 Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific Railroad hoppers.

The loads are out and the Coal Job is shoving in the empties.

Fifteen E.B.R.R. empties are now ready for loading at Hudson Coal and management is very happy to see these cars back in revenue service.

With the empties in place Brakeman Bill rides the front of the engine as AT JOE heads out to couple up to the loaded cars.

1/87th scale AT JOE has the Coal Job ready to head back to Terminal Yard but will have to wait for 1/87th scale Senior Engineer Sir Neal to clear the track as he runs the four Empire Belt Alcos caboose lite back towards North Side Yard.

Looks like the PC missed one! Or maybe two? At least one EBRR straggler was still in revenue service and is caught in today's group of loaded hoppers for pending unit hopper train UKP-1.

The Coal Job returns to Terminal Yard and heads toward the weigh in motion scale.

The cars are now weighed and Yard crew A will be along shortly to get this train to the outbound ready track. 

Yard crew A pulls the train back on the yard lead.

That allows the B crew to access the caboose track and tack on this PC caboose.

The PC caboose is in place, the B crew is out of the way, and the A crew shoves the 21 car train back to the ready track. Once that move is completed the Coal Job's focal orange caboose will be shoved into the caboose track.

1/87th scale Engineer Ed has been called for the unit coal train. Double E really likes the big power of the three U Boats he'll be running for this trip and eloquently poo poos 1/87th scale Big Mike's negative comments about them. 

To:     West Mill / Weehawken / Rock Ridge
From: Terminal Yard

Dispatch of Unit Coal Train UKP-1
Engines: 6533, 6554, 6538
Caboose: 26403
Block 1: 15 coal hopper for West Mill
Block 2: 06 coal hoppers for Rock Ridge
Loads / Empties: 21 / 0

UKP-1 leaving Terminal Yard for Selkirk with a U28C- U33C-  U30C lash up pulling 15 cars for Kings Port Steel, 6 cars for R.M.O. Electric and 1 PC caboose.

1/87th scale EE opens the throttle as he rumbles thru Bedford NY

A local rail fan catches UKP-1 at Bedford Station

UKP-1 going up and over the High Line. Next stop Selkirk!

That wraps up the moves on the N.Y.C.T.L. Be sure to follow up the action in P.C.C.M. 49C on Ralph's Kings Port Division layout which is the next stop for these loaded coal hoppers after they leave Selkirk. Ralph will then forward the six loaded coal hoppers for R.M.O. Electric to Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific Railroad layout as this three layout virtual op progresses. 

Thanks for reading!

P.C.C.M. 49A / Unit Coal Train Part 1

Greetings All,

Welcome to Penn Central Car Movements #49A! 

As promised in my last blog entry something was indeed in the works regarding the stored serviceable Empire Belt coal hoppers and engines at North Side Yard. 1:1 PC Ralph's Kings Port Steel and 1:1 Sir Neal's R.M.O. Electric are coming off their summer hiatuses and have placed some big orders for coal from my Hudson Coal which puts parent road Penn Central's Terminal Yard train master in a tough spot.

Let's listen in to this exchange as the PC tries to wiggle out of their latest mess.

Terminal Yard Office: Outbound call, Ring....Ring...Ring....C'mon pick up! Ring...Ring...
North Side Yard Office: Good Morning, Empire Belt RR, North Side Yard, 1/87th scale Senior Engineer Sir Neal speaking. How can I help you?
T.Y.O.: Sir Neal, this is 1/87th scale Big Mike says the well known gravelly voice. Listen I need a favor. You know all those empty coal hoppers I dumped on you last week? Well I need them back ASAP
N.S.Y.O.: What! Are you kidding me?! 
T.Y.O.: No. Hudson Coal is screaming for us switch out their loads for empties. Kings Port Steel and R.M.O. Electric are coming off their summer hiatus and their ramping up production. I don't have enough empties in my yard or in the division to handle this.
N.S.Y.O.: Ugh...Listen, you guys need to get your act together. This is no way to run a railroad.
T.Y.O.: I know, I know. I screwed up. Can you help me out of this mess?
N.S.Y.O.: We'll take care of it. How about the four engines you sent back?
T.Y.O.: No engines, I just need the hoppers. Keep the engines at North Side Yard. By the way maybe you can pick me up a large pepperoni pizza from Pizza Land?
N.S.Y.O.: You're pressing your luck. No engines, no pizza! We'll send the hoppers right over. 

We'll pick up the action at the Terminal Yard Office with 1/87th scale yardmaster Big Mike just off the phone telling ATJOE the Coal Job to Hudson Coal will be delayed until the Empire Belt delivers their empty hoppers. 

Over at the North Side Yard office 1/87th scale Sir Neal has just come out to give the guys the news. Here's the plan say's Sir Neal, "we'll use the Alcos as they need fuel anyway for the extra hopper train. I'll run it to and from Terminal Yard. Ralph use the GP30's to pull caboose #1604 off the train on track 1 and tack it onto the coal hoppers. Then shove the caboose and empties to couple up with the Alcos which I'll have ready on the main". 

1/87th scale Sir Neal has the four unit FA-FB-FB-FA lash up ready and idling on the main waiting for the coal hoppers and caboose. 

1/87th scale PC Ralph is at the throttle of this pair of EBRR GP30 workhorses and is pulling EBRR caboose 1604 from track 1

Coupling up to the empty coal hoppers on track 3.

Coupling the coal hoppers up to the Alcos as smooth as silk. The 1/87th scale engineers of the N.Y.C.T.L. like PC Ralph can always be counted on to avoid the damage causing rough coupling that plagues the rest of the Penn Central during this time. 

Terminal brake test completed 1/87th scale Sir Neal brings empty hopper train, Extra 1035, past Hohman Ave and tower operator 1/87th scale Larry D. Looks like Larry is giving Sir Neal the Brooklyn wave off and the leaky tire Psshhh as he rolls past. 

Empty hopper train Extra 1035 heads thru Bedford NY as it makes it's way to Terminal Yard.

Climbing the grade towards Terminal Yard 1/87th scale Sir Neal sees the tracks of Hudson Coal filled with loaded hoppers.

Extra 1035 arrives at Terminal Yard with the much needed empty coal hoppers.

After cutting off from the train 1/87th scale Sir Neal backs the Alcos towards the service track for fuel and sand. 

Terminal Yard switch crew 'A' couple up to pull the EBRR caboose off the empty hopper train and shove to the caboose track.

The 1604 takes on fuel for the stove on the caboose track.

It doesn't take long for 1/87th scale AT JOE in engine 9909 to grab these empty hoppers for the Coal Job that needs to get out of the yard right away.

We'll end it here for today and close it out tomorrow before turning the action over to Ralph's K.P.D. and Sir Neal's A.P.R.R.

See ya tomorrow!

Thanks for reading!