The year in review

 Greetings All,

Here is the N.Y.C.T.L.'s annual year in review.

As we all hunkered down in one way or another I realized how fortunate I was to have the hobby of model railroading to keep me occupied and somewhat sane. Let's enjoy a look back to see what if anything was accomplished regarding the layout, rolling stock etc. 

Locomotive Projects:

A quartet of Athearn BB General Electric U28Cs were designated as U23Cs beginning January 2020. In 1970 the Penn Central purchased nineteen (19) U23Cs numbered 6700-6718 for use in hump yard and transfer service. With my Terminal Yard in need of heavy yard power I turned to these Blue Box units that were mostly sitting idle. I renumbered the engines and added some of the yellow panels that were easy identifying features of this PC engine. 

U23C #6718 came into service in January 2020

With the success of PC U23C #6718 I did a rationalization of motive power for my freelanced Empire Belt RR that had two similar Blue Box units in the U30C series. U23Cs better fit the scope of my short line switching RR with transfer runs from their North Side Yard in Empire City to parent road Penn Central's Terminal Yard. 

EBRR U23C #6719 went into service for the Empire Belt in March 2020.

EBRR U23C #6720 also joined the EBRR in March 2020. The pair work very well together and with their U23C designation look right for their roles.

As the months wore on it became apparent that single U23C #6718 was struggling with some of the shove moves on the grade into Terminal Yard and moving larger blocks of cars between Terminal Yard and Pier 16 Yard. In October 2020 I cobbled together another Athearn BB U28C and dressed it up as Penn Central U23C #6710.

The U23C projects worked out quite well for the pocketbook, layout and my own imagination. Using some modelers license I added four "new" engines that better fit the layout's ops scenarios without having to buy more engines. That's a win-win-win-win!!

In February 2020 a new locomotive purchase and repainting added Penn Central F7A #1693 to my fleet. The PC ran their F units in many different trains and I wanted to have a powered A-B-A  Bachmann Plus set to run together and to mix and mingle with my other Bachmann units. Here is the newly painted 1693 with 1/87 scale Sir Neal at the throttle.

I continued looking at my already owned and never run locomotive fleet and identified a Conrail SD40-2 as having been stored serviceable for a very long time. After hemming and hawing over it for a few weeks I repainted it as Penn Central SD40 #6102. It went into service in April 2020

I found the story of this ex PRR unit to be fascinating with several interesting coincidences to my model train layout. Here's the post with the info and links.

Penn Central F7A #1728 joined the fleet in October. This was a repainting of a stored serviceable Athearn BB shell and a BB power chassis swap. This gave me a much needed powered BB F7A to mix and mingle with my BB fleet.

 

The last locomotive project for the year was ex PRSL GP38 #2010 that became Penn Central #2010 after it left EMD but before arriving on the PRSL. This was a newly purchased shell for use on an Atlas power chassis that was stored serviceable for years as a Reading unit.

Freight Car Projects:

In February I purchased some ex GAEX "Shippers Delight" boxcars. I liked the way they look, their story and usage. In a stroke of good fortune after posting this I got a note from 1:1 Sir Neal who had several such cars on his roster "stored serviceable" wanting to know if I was interested them. You guys know my answer!

In March I added several more freight cars from ''shake the box kits" like this LV 62082 that carried Rock Salt.

In May I dug out an undecorated Athearn Gunderson MAXI III five unit set and painted them for Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific Railroad. I think this is my best paint and lettering job to date.

An AP bay window caboose was included with the above project.

In July this 50' EBRR double door boxcar was released from the Patti O Paint Shop.

Also in July I continued with my track cleaning obsession and honored my late friend Engineer Ed with a trio of track cleaning Hoschton Coal Hoppers. Here's a pair at Hudson Coal.

An August boxcar rescue added TCC 248 to the fleet.

In September six of my first repaints were revisited and weathered.

 

Now they look like they've been earning revenue!

In November Emergency Grain Cars made from old livestock cars were added to the APRR and NYCTL fleets.

Specials

The traditional end of year Holiday Railfanning Special continued with a posting in January 2020. Other specials included an Independence Day Railfan Special in July with some vintage RR equipment like this New Haven Alco PA hauling a NH passenger train.

We celebrated 80 years of EMD F Units at the end of July.

In September Switcher Saturday gave us a look at the switcher fleet,  the newest switcher, a GE 44 tonner and old favorites like this EMD Lehigh Valley pup. 

A Christmas Steam Special closed out the yearly specials in smokey style!

Industries:

In May Neubaum's Coffee & Tea Importers moved from Empire City to a larger location in nearby Bedford.

New industry City Pallet moved into the vacant Newbaum site.

 

In October Schaefer Brewery bought out and moved into the Heileman Brewery.

Operations:

This year's biggest undertaking was going to the Car Card and Waybill operations for the railroad's non virtual operations. Several blog posts covered the introduction of this time honored easy to use operating system.

I was fortunate once again to be able to participate in the virtual ops also known as the Penn Central Car Movements, with PC Ralph and Sir Neal. We ran a total of twelve P.C.C.M.s this year and they continue to be a source of great fun and modeling inspiration.

I hope this end of the year review provided you a pleasant read. I look forward to continuing the blog for another year which will be year number eleven. Eleven years!! Time flies when you work on your model railroad projects!

Thank you for reading!!!!

See ya next year!!! 

P.S.
The annual New Year's Railfanning is well under way and should be ready for posting on January 1st. Take care everyone!

Season's Greetings

 Season's Greetings from the N.Y.C.T.L.!!!!

Penn Central Car Movements #79 / Coal Train Op / NYCTL Part 3

 Greetings All,

Welcome back to Penn Central Car Movements #79!!!

P.C.C.M. #79 a one weekend three layout virtual op focusing mainly on coal train operations on PC Ralph's Kings Port Division,             Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific RR and my N.Y.C.T.L. concludes today.

Freshly fueled GP7s are back on duty and pull out today's MR-1, a mine run to both T&R Gravel and Hudson Coal.

First stop is T&R Gravel to collect four PC PS-2 covered hoppers loaded with locomotive sand for the APRR Richmond Hill Engine Terminal in Rock Ridge NJ.

Four ballast hoppers for the APRR MOW Department also get pulled out of T&R Gravel.

MR-1 spots the PS-2s and ballast cars inside Hudson Coal before collecting the empty hoppers waiting on the yard lead. 

MR-1 starts pulling all of the loaded hoppers out of Hudson Coal.

MR-1 makes the runaround move at Bedford Tower and shoves the empties towards Hudson Coal.

The empties get shoved in for loading.

The empties are spotted and the coal cycle continues once again.

The GP7s couple up to the loaded hoppers waiting on the mainline.

No waiting today. MR-1 heads back to Terminal Yard.

MR-1 is back in the yard rolling across the weight in motion scale. Engine hostler Wet Willie has a six unit power set idling on track #1. 

The yard job pulls off the caboose and the Kar Knocker is ready to blue flag and inspect the train. Benny, Chooch, Easy and TC from the Kings Port Railfan Society are getting plenty of photos and video of the NYC H16-44s in action from their familiar VW Bug. 

The yard job shoves the cabooses to their track in the engine terminal for replenishment of supplies while Wet Willie befriends the K.P.R.S. guys and tells them he'll be turning a U-Boat on the wye once the yard job is clear.

Engine Hostler Wet Willie heads over to the 6533 as his new friends look on.

The 6533 is on the wye heading to the running track behind the tanks. I think this is the first virtual ops wye action.  

The 6533 is backed off the running track onto the other leg of the wye and is now turned for departure. Wet Willie tells the KPRS guys he's ready for a break after all the hard work and let's them know the yard job is ready to start building the outbound trains. 

The KPRS VW is in a prime location to watch the yard job at work.

Loaded coal hoppers going to R.M.O. Electric in Rock Ridge NJ are coupled up to PC caboose 26043.

Coal hoppers going to the PC Kings Port Division and Kings Port & Western Railroad are coupled up to a PC N5 caboose.

Extra 6024 gets ready to depart with a train of loaded coal hoppers for Wingdale State Hospital. Engineers Robert R and Big Mike get the call and Robert R will be qualifying on the Harlem Branch.

Extra 6024 rolls out of Terminal Yard six engines strong.

Extra 6024 heads for the Harlem Branch

Extra 6533 is next out with Sir Neal and fireman for a day conductor John getting the call off the extra board.

Extra 6533 comes out of Terminal Yard

Extra 6533 heads for Rock Ridge Yard via Selkirk

Next stop Rock Ridge!!!

Engineer PC Ralph and his trusty fireman get the call for Extra 2822 that will run to Selkirk with black diamonds for Kings Port and West Mill industries and interchanges.

Extra 2822 with assistance from the 1728 rolls out of Terminal Yard.

Extra 2822 heads to Selkirk with coal for West Mill and Kings Port.

Next stop Selkirk!!!

That concludes the N.Y.C.T.L.'s portion of P.C.C.M. #79.

Be sure to follow the action on PC Ralph's Kings Port Division and    Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific RR.

Thanks for reading and watching!!!

See ya soon!!!