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!