Happy New Year!!! / What's New for 2022

 Happy New Year All,

Welcome to Year Eleven!!!

The New York Central Layout and blog is entering its eleventh year and the goal for 2022 will be a little more prototype and a little more freelance. There will be some other modeling features as I tighten up and spruce some areas of the layout that I think will be both fun and interesting.

In no particular order here is what is being planned for 2022.

Locomotive Spotlight:

A series looking at some of the prototypes and corresponding models on the NYCTL. NYC Lightning Striped FA1s and FB1s will be one such locomotive set in the Locomotive Spotlight.

 Random Running:

As an HO scale modeler I have accumulated a fair number of locomotives and rolling stock and enjoy running them during the year. This series will consist of a short blog post with video mostly featuring non New York Central and Penn Central trains which are prevalent all year long.

New York Atlantic GP38-2s #271 and #261 are one set of locomotives to be featured in the Random Running Series.

Passenger Train Spotlight:

A series that will take a look at the rise and fall of New York Central's post World War II Great Steel Fleet. From 136 trains in 71 tables in 1949 to an all nameless 8 trains in 10 tables foldout in December 1967. We'll review some of the models used on the layout to highlight the highs and lows of NYC rail passenger traffic. 

Freight Car Spotlight

We'll highlight a specific model freight car on the layout, detail it's build if necessary and compare it to the prototype if there is one. I bought this used car on 12-31-2021 from my LHS because it was in good shape and I liked the lettering. Did the SP have this car? What does the lettering mean? Let's find out!!

Workshop Reports

Detailing some of the many projects undertaken to repair and /or improve the rolling stock and motive power. Below is one part of one International Hobby Corp (IHC) passenger car project to be detailed in the coming months.

 

Locomotive Service Bulletins

As needed when introducing new locomotives to the layout or making needed repairs of issues that other modelers maybe dealing with. Getting a new in the box locomotive out of the box and layout ready will be one of the bulletins featured in 2022.

Paint Shop Reports

The Patti O Paint Shop will eventually open for business once the weather improves and be painting and/or adding decals to rolling stock or locomotives in 2022. The first project on the list will be adding HAZMAT decals to some of my tank car fleet.

 A Little More Freelance

Expanded Freelance Trackage Rights

When originally conceived the New York Central Layout and Empire City had no real fixed location and kind of floated between a New York City area locale with connections to the New Haven RR and a more western locale that featured connections with the Lehigh Valley, Erie Lackawanna, Baltimore and Ohio and Pennsylvania RRs to name but a few.

The Holiday Trackage Rights posts and videos reaffirmed my enjoyment of having these RRs running on the layout. I'm imagining transfer runs from the above RRs bringing freight to and from Terminal Yard to enhance the overall car card operations.  

As for the Penn Central Car Movements the layout will continue as a New York City locale with connections to the LIRR and New Haven. This has worked very well for the virtual ops and I see no reason to try and change this after 89 enjoyable virtual ops.

A Little More Prototype

In past virtual ops the movements of some of the freight cars between the NYCTL and PC Ralph's Kings Port Division did not look right. The placement of hazardous materials cars and cars with dangerous loads within in our trains needed review. 1:1 PC Ralph agreed and got the ball rolling sending me the Penn Central Hazardous Materials Regulations book for Christmas.

 

This PCCM 87 example of an LIRR RS2 picking up two tank cars of diesel fuel coupled directly to the locomotive and two gondolas of poles above the gondola sides is a big no-no to be corrected in 2022. 

Adding industries / consignees for the Virtual Ops

As we prepare to enter our 90th Penn Central Car Movement series I did a review of the industries on the layout and determined that the Railway Express Agency and New York Central Water Street Freight House on the lower level of the layout are being under utilized.

Ralph's Kings Port & Western Railroad sends TOFC traffic from their Williams Yard ramp to the Terminal Yard ramp on my layout. Going forward one of the Rail Traffic Management Form cycles will have the TOFC cars going to the REA which has a TOFC facility.

 

The Water Street Freight House scene will get spruced up and I'm leaning to have the freight house leased to an appliance dealer. The New York Central sold or leased hundreds of their freight houses in the Perlman era to reduce costs.

Hi Cubes and Increased Per Diem boxcars bringing high value loads to an appliance dealer leasing the freight house has the potential to add some interesting photo opportunities and another virtual ops local train to service the Water Street industries. 

Three Photo Challenge

PC Ralph and Sir Neal have accepted my three photo challenge. We'll start with the 2022 Penn Central Railroad Historical Society calendar. All twelve pages are in play and each of us has to come up with three photos that best represent the prototypical scenes. 

 

We'll then do the same with the thrice yearly 2022 PC POST magazines. Here is the last issue from 2021.

2022 looks to be a busy modeling year as many projects are in the works and more are sure to come. I look forward to enjoying my time working on the layout, running the trains and sharing the hobby with all of you.

From me to you and from my layout to yours have a 

Happy & Healthy New Year