Layout Odds and Ends

 Greetings All,

Layout Odds & Ends

Yard Power

I really like these U23Cs that work Terminal Yard and the Penn Central rolling stock that greeted me for several days when entering this part of the train room.

New Bi Level Auto Racks

ModelTrainStuff.com offered a 30% off anniversary sale in early July at which time I had $25.00 in accumulated bonus points. Who could resist. Here is a PRR auto rack.

Two B&O auto racks. 

Loaded with new cars from the Bedford Park Ford Plant.

Thirty six new cars head to Terminal Yard for movement to Selkirk.

1:87 Conductor John gives 1:87 Sir Neal a close up the auto racks and the 1:100 scale automobile loads. 

Six 1/100 scale cars glued to a piece of strip wood for easy loading and unloading.

Making the car loads is pretty straight forward.  A 1/8" x 1/16" piece of strip wood cut to length and painted rattle can flat black and Aileen's tacky glue to attach the cars.

The Walthers bilevel auto racks look good empty and even better with the automobile loads! They looked so good to me I ordered three more!!!

Paint Shop Project / More Rodney's

In early July 1:1 Sir Neal sent down a pair of undecorated Athearn Blue Box gondolas for painting and lettering by the Patti O Paint Shop.

Here is the sneak peek sent to 1:1 Sir Neal who likes to be surprised at what the Patti O Paint Shop creates. This let him know the paint and lettering job was complete with a little humor.

Penn Central gondola #524718 is fresh out of the shop with Kadee couplers and metal wheelsets that were furnished by Sir Neal installed.

The pair prepare to go on a test run. As of this writing the 524718 on the right is now at the APRR's Rock Ridge Yard and both cars are ready for PCCM service.

Container Chassis

I have a good amount of containers that I like to run on chassis to create TOFC loads. I built a group of these Walthers Extendable Chassis a decade ago and when I came across the last two on sale at ModelTrainStuff I made my move.

Each package contains two chassis kits. Here is one open package with the assembly just beginning. I have to admit that I had a hard time building these two kits and spent a good amount of time ungluing my fingers.

With patience and some rattle can orange paint here are two completed and painted chassis kits doing what I intended them to do.

The newly painted and completed chassis look great around the TOFC / COFC / Intermodal Ramp. The other pair should be built soon.

Crankshaft and Cradle Flatcar Load

I grabbed this last American Model Builders kit #288 in the ModelTrainStuff sale. The kit according to the instruction sheet is based on an article in the June, 1960 Model Railroader magazine written by the late Gordon Odegard. 

According to AMB the article primarily described how to build a heavy duty flatcar. But, the load itself is interesting and could be found traveling around any layout no matter the era.

In the article Mr. Odegard speculated that the crankshaft was from a large hoist, a pump or stationary steam engine. I've had this NYC Heavy Duty flatcar for a long time. It came with a load of plastic logs that looked ridiculous but the car itself is quite prototypical. Now it finally has a load worthy of the car.  

Over the years I kept tweaking the car to make it a more reliable runner by using screws to attach and control the trucks, adding metal wheelsets, body mounted Kadee couplers and additional weight.

Wheel Cleaning Station

Locomotive and rolling stock wheel cleaning is one of those chores that is part of being a model railroader. Clean wheels and clean track  make any train running session that much better. 

An old power pack, a 3' piece of flex track attacked to a scrap piece of 2x4 that is attached to a scrap piece of plywood.

A piece of paper towel cut wide enough to clean a six wheel truck and soaked with rubbing alcohol makes fast work cleaning the sintered Athearn BB wheels. Just hold the locomotive with one truck on the paper towel and power up cleaning one truck at a time. Fast and easy!  

Coming Soon

An HO Scale Tribute to the EMD SD locomotives is in the works with special guest HO scale SD units from the Sir Neal's APRR and PC Ralph's KPD and KP&W and I'll explain why I consider the SD35 to be "the gateway engine".

Thanks for reading!!!

See you soon!!!

 

HO Scale Train Operations / The Ford Auto Service Train FAST-50

 Greeting All,

HO Scale Train Operations

The Ford Auto Service Train FAST-50

Today we're going to have some fun with my freelanced train the Fast 50, the Ford Auto Service Train that transports auto parts and empty auto racks to Terminal Yard for movement to the Bedford Park Ford Plant. A video will tell the complete story.

Background

The FAST 50 is one of the hotshot trains on the layout that runs from Selkirk to Terminal Yard. It can also contain TOFC traffic depending on the length and tonnage. It is a cool train to railfan and getting the steel, tank, auto parts cars and auto racks to the Ford Plant in a timely manner is a high priority for the railroad. 

The FAST-50 gets its name from the Ford Fast that ran from Chicago to a Ford Plant in Milpitas, CA. The Ford Fast was hauled by different western roads at different times and there is a link at the bottom for further information.

The FAST 50 Arrives On The Layout

The FAST-50 rates top shelf motive power from Power Pool A as evidenced by this pair of GP40s leading the train from Selkirk thru Empire City for a late night arrival in Terminal Yard.

After arriving in Terminal Yard Kar Knocker and the yard job get right to work preparing the freight consist for movement to the Bedford Park Auto Plant.

The caboose is shoved toward the caboose track and the FAST-50 consist is blue flagged and ready for inspection.

The caboose is parked on the caboose track.

With the FAST 50 consist inspected and readied for its next movement to the Bedford Park Ford Plant engine hostler Wet Willie has coupled on an Alco RS11. No EMDs for the Ford Plant!!!

After spending a good part of the day delivering a block of cars to the Bedford Park Ford Plant Train BP-12 arrives back in Terminal Yard with empty freight cars and loaded auto racks. 

Later that day the FAST 50 power has been serviced and hauls Train APR-25 (Auto Parts Return) that takes the cars from the Ford Plant and other high priority freight cars off layout to Selkirk. 

The FAST-50, BP-41, BP-12 and APR-25 in action!

A video of the entire operation from start to finish

Penn Central Power Pools

The Penn Central System Movement Bureau located on the 17th floor of Penn Central headquarters at Six Penn Center Plaza in Philadelphia, PA was known as the "Blue Room" and responsible for the movement of approximately 4,000 locomotives  on a daily basis to wherever they may be needed on the 19,000 route miles. 

The locomotives were broken down into three categories.

Power Pool A: Symbol trains

Power Pool B: Mineral trains (Coal and Ore)

Power Pool C: Lesser symbol trains and local operations.

Pool A and B were managed interchangeably to accommodate the hills and valleys of traffic flow.

Final Thought and Comments

If you watched the entire video I thank you very much and hope you enjoyed it. The Ford Plant is basically just a corner mock up but provides a good amount of model railroad operations. 

For operational simplicity no TOFC traffic was included in todays FAST-50. Careful blocking at Selkirk brought the train to Terminal Yard with two complete blocks for movement to the Ford Plant in Train BP-41. Each BP-41 has coil steel, tank cars, auto racks and auto parts. This is enough for two separate op sessions.

Train BP-12 brings the cars from the Ford Plant back to Terminal Yard and they are moved off layout in Train APR-25, the Auto Parts Return along with high priority TOFC and some fill cars as needed. I imagine the APR-25 departs for Selkirk early in the evening.

For the NYC and PC serving the Detroit auto industry was hectic and expensive. Hot Cars, Shutdown Cars, Rush Cars and the need for  "right away" one car moves can add some varied and interesting prototypical railroad moves.

Additional Links

Ford Fast

Thanks for reading and watching!!

See you soon!!

Locomotive Spotlight #6-2023 / The 2434 Project

 Greetings All,

Locomotive Spotlight #6-2023

The 2434 Project

AKA Penn Central C425 #2434 Project

Welcome to another locomotive spotlight!!! Today the spotlight will shine on Penn Central C425 #2434. As usual we'll take a look at the model and the prototype.

Model Information

This locomotive project has been in the making since last summer when I purchased two used Atlas-Kato locomotives for repainting at my LHS, Trainmaster Models in Auburn, Georgia during a big sale on used merchandise. The locomotives were the SP RS11 and a D&H C424m as seen below.

Around this time I had purchased the book Alco Power Treasury that had an interesting article on the D&H C424ms.

After reading the article and noting the locomotives history I featured the D&H 451 in Locomotive Spotlight #4-2022. 

As I wrote in that spotlight post the locomotive was good looking and I liked the prototype history but I wasn't really set up for the 1980-1987 time that it wore this paint scheme.

As seen below the D&H 451 is leading a freight train towards Terminal Yard.

After the train was yarded and the power was cut off the 451 hung around in the engine terminal for a little awhile and then went back into it's box where it pretty much stayed until July 2023.

The SP RS-11 became ex NYC / Penn Central RS11 #7608 in the Fall of 2022. Here it is being released from the Terminal Yard engine shop.

The 7608 and was featured in Locomotive Spotlight #9-2022. At the time of the repainting of the RS11 I also cut decals for the D&H 451 to become Penn Central C425 #2434.

Once again based on the engines prototype history the D&H 451 got a reprieve from the paint booth that lasted until July 2023 as the locomotive continued to languish in its box and not providing any sort of enjoyment or revenue running on the layout.

PC RS11 #7608 has been recently working out of Bedford Park Yard and servicing the Bedford Park Ford Plant as seen below.

In June I finally made the hard decision to repaint the 451 into a Penn Central unit but hesitated until July 1st to actually begin the paint process with the stripping of the D&H paint in 91% rubbing alcohol. There is no going back now. 

This Atlas model comes in three parts that must be separated to get the shell off the frame and the windows, number board and headlight glass out of the cab.

Prototype Information

Alco or the American Locomotive Company introduced the Century 425 in 1964 with production running from October 1964 until December 1966. A total of ninety one units were built for six class one railroads.

 

The C425 was a four axle 2,500 HP diesel electric dynamic brake equipped locomotive utilizing Alco's 16 cylinder turbocharged 251C prime mover and the same main generator as the General Electric U25B.

The Pennsylvania RR signed up for the most purchasing thirty one units (#2416-#2446). The New Haven bought ten units (#2550-#2559). The New York Central bought none.

"Pennsylvania Railroad Alco C425 2434" by Digital Rail Artist is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/?ref=openverse.

The PRR units would become Penn Central units on February 01, 1968 retaining their original PRR road numbers.

"Pennsylvania Railroad Alco C425 2431" by Digital Rail Artist is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/?ref=openverse.

On January 1st, 1969 the NH C425s would be conveyed to the Penn Central and be renumbered to PC #2450-#2459.

Under Penn Central ownership the ex PRR C425s would be maintenance based at Conway Yard and the ex NH C425s would be based at New Haven.

On April 1st, 1976 all forty one Penn Central C425s would be conveyed to the newly formed Conrail with their original PC numbers with many getting full Conrail paint. 

"3/20/79, Conrail C425 2421" by OHFalcon72 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd-nc/2.0/jp/?ref=openverse.

Ex PC #2455, nee NH #2555 hard at work in 1979. The 2455 would later become CR #5085 and retired in March, 1981

"4/28/79, CR C425 2455" by OHFalcon72 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd-nc/2.0/jp/?ref=openverse.

Twenty nine of the forty one ex PC C425s would later be renumbered to CR #5060-#5068. The twelve units not renumbered were ex PC 2416, 2417, 2418, 2419, 2420, 2428, 2430, 2433, 2434, 2454, 2456.

Ex PC #2429, nee PRR #2429 also in 1979. The 5066 would be retired in March, 1981. 

"11/79, Conrail C425 5066" by OHFalcon72 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd-nc/2.0/jp/?ref=openverse.

Back to the Model

On July 9th, 2023 newly painted Penn Central C425 #2434 was released from the Patti O Paint Shop and delivered to the Terminal Yard shop for final assembly.

The 2434 gets pulled out of the Terminal Yard Shop by PC 44 Tonner #9999

The 2434 heads to the engine terminal for fuel and sand. 

Now both in PC paint as originally planned the 2434 and 7608 are reunited for a revenue run one year after their initial purchase. The Kings Port Railway Society guys in their signature VW once again have the inside scoop on the happenings at Terminal Yard.

On another weekend photo trip the KPRS guys catch the 2434 and sister 2422 lashed up to haul a coal train from Terminal Yard to Selkirk. 

KPRS members TC, Benny, Chooch and Easy get a good profile shot of the 2434. The addition of the 2434 to my PC fleet gives me three PC C425s, one PC C424, and RS-11 #7608 that are all from Atlas Kato and m.u. together in DC very well. 

The Coal Drag is forced onto the Belt Line thru Empire City to allow faster traffic to pass it on the mainline.

The four axle Penn Central Alco Centuries are capable of hauling the heaviest freight trains I put on the layout running in two, three or four unit sets. Below a three Century lash up comes thru Empire City with newly painted 2434 in the rocking chair.  

On another day the 2434 leads a four unit Century set with a unit grain train.

Another day and another train finds the 2434 bringing up the rear of this four unit consist.

The 2434 with four more Alco Centuries is back in mineral service lugging a long coal train towards RA Tower. The third unit is a non powered TYCO C430 painted and numbered as PC 2059.

The 2434 and friends at work hauling various trains.

Final thoughts and Comments

Now that the 2434 project is complete I am happy with the results and don't have any painters remorse. The newly Penn Centralized 2434 is now a featured member of my Penn Central stable and as seen in the above video is at home working various trains on the layout.

The prototype Alco Centuries were strong engines capable of lugging a lot of tonnage. There is just something about the Alco C424/C425s in their dip job paint, small PC herald and large number on the cab sides that just screams Penn Central workhorses to me and I really like how they look in multiple unit consists with each other. 

Additional Information and Photos

PC C425 #2416 leads a six unit consist from three builders at Boston, Mass in July 1971.

PC C425 #2419 at Mingo Junction in May, 1974.

PC C425 #2425 visits Morrisville Yard in June, 1973.

PC C425 #2428 with a GE U25 at Jackson, MI in 1976.

PC C425 #2433 under wire with two EMDs at Harrisburg, PA in 1976.

PC C425 #2441 with #2242 at work in Crestline, OH in 1976.

PC C425 #2452 at Detroit in November 1975. Note the ex NH unit has been reassigned from New Haven to Conway possibly for the Mingo Junction power pool that became an Alco stronghold.

PC C425 #2458 at Waterbury, CT in December, 1972.  

Railroad Picture Archives photo page of Penn Central C425s

Thanks for reading and watching!!!

See you soon!!!