New York Central Alcos

New York Central Alcos
NYC RS32 #2040 leads a trio of R32s hauling Train NY-4

Friday, October 30, 2026

New York - New Jersey Ops #5 / Outbound / Part 1*

 Greetings All,

Welcome to New York - New Jersey Ops #5!!!
We're back for our fifth NY-NJ Virtual Op with my NYCTL interchanging freight traffic with Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific Railroad as well as other off layout connections.

The Empire Belt trainmen get the honors today of opening NY-NJ #5 with the EBRR U23Cs back working North Side Yard after a long absence. As usual senior engineer Sir Neal will be at the throttle with conductor John handling the paperwork and directing the car movements.
The EBRR Belt Job shoves out of North Side Yard to begin its work.
Four EBRR gondolas of pipe from Gervais Pipe & Fitting are shoved to the Belt Job caboose for further movement towards Shapeless Steel in Rock Ridge, NJ.
Empty Cargill covered hoppers are pulled from the Quaker Oats Plant including the Cargill Salt car going to Allentown Yard for movement to Cargill at White Marsh, MD and its next NYNJ load.
The Belt Job is ready to head to the Hohman Ave Industrial Park to continue serving the local industries.
The Belt Job is on the move.
Work starts at Moore & Company with the U23Cs coupling onto two of the four APRR 6000 series RBLs loaded with bulk paper for Marcal in Rock Ridge, NJ.
The four APRR 6000 series RBLs and a GN boxcar from City Pallet are pulled out of the siding.
The Hohman Ave switch work is complete.
The Belt Job heads towards North Side Yard.
The U23Cs bring the train down the Belt Line across from North Side Yard where some switch work is needed to reorganize the train.
The Belt Job has been blocked and the EBRR guys await the pending arrival of the Long Island Train MA-3.
A short time later Long Island Railroad Train MA-3 from Fresh Pond Junction gets a highball at EB Tower.
Train MA-3 heads thru Bedford towards North Side Yard.
After yarding his train LIRR engineer Long Island Mike checks in with Sir Neal and conductor John.
LIRR Train MA-4 departs North Side Yard for Fresh Pond Junction.
Next stop Fresh Pond Junction
With the LIRR train now gone the EBRR guys get to work putting together Train EB-2 which will take NY-NJ traffic to the PC Terminal Yard.
Freight cars brought into North Side Yard in LIRR Train MA-3 are
shoved back.
The LIRR freight cars are coupled onto the Empire City cars.
EBRR Train EB-2 departs North Side Yard for Terminal Yard.
After yarding the EB-2 the EBRR guys collect their caboose and shoot the breeze with the PC yard crew.
Train EB-3 heads back to North Side Yard caboose lite.
A couple of hours later Kar Knocker has completed inspecting the EB-2 freight consist. Big Mike prepares to block the cars for their next moves using a pair of ex PRR SD9s. He was heard muttering What junk!
Big Mike has the yard in order with the NY-NJ freight cars preliminarily blocked for their next trains.
Big Mike clears the running track for the next outbound train to depart.
Over in the engine terminal a PC engineer confers with engine hostler Wet Willie as he picks up his assigned motive power.
PC GP38-2 #8146 couples onto the headend of hotshot TOFC Train NYNJ-1.
The terminal switcher couples PC caboose #26403 onto the hind end.
Train NYNJ-1 departs Terminal Yard for Rock Ridge Yard.
We'll cut it here for today with the NYNJ-1 getting a highball at Bedford Tower and proceeding towards Rock Ridge Yard.
We'll pick it up tomorrow at Bedford Park Yard with engineer Robert R. reporting for duty.
This concludes NY-NJ #5 Part 1 on the NYCTL. Be sure to catch all the NY-NJ action on Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific Railroad.
Thanks for reading and watching!!!
See you tomorrow!!!

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4 comments:

  1. Neal M.October 30, 2026 at 9:25 AM

    To: Terminal Yard / North Side Yard

    From: Rock Ridge Yard/Rock Ridge East Yard

    Acknowledgement – Belt Job departs North Side Yard to work local industries
    Acknowledgement – Belt Job first stop - Haydon Heights industries
    Acknowledgement – Belt Job next stop – Hohman Ave. Industrial Park
    Acknowledgement – Belt Job returns to North Side Yard
    Acknowledgement – LIRR MA-3 Fresh Pond to North Side Yard with freight for EBRR industries
    Acknowledgement – LIRR MA-4 departs North Side Yard to Fresh Pond with freight for LIRR Industries
    Acknowledgement – LIRR MA-4 held at Bedford for PC train Terminal Yard to Selkirk
    Acknowledgement – EB-2 departs North Side Yard for Terminal Yard
    Acknowledgement – EB-2 arrives Terminal Yard
    Acknowledgement – EB-3 departs Terminal Yard caboose lite
    Acknowledgement – Train NYNj-1 departs Terminal Yard – destination – Reynolds Intermodal Terminal

    Rock Ridge Yard out!

    A great start to #5! Lots of freight being moved between all 3 yards! I guess those SD9’s that were used in the yard were not up to Big Mikes’ liking. Have him talk to Wet Willie! 😊
    As always, I look forward to seeing what LIRR motive power is being used for the Fresh Pond trains. Gotta love the LIRR!! Your manifest trains are always impressive to watch and glad that 1:87 Emory captures some of those trains!
    The Rock Ridge crew and Penn Central Intermodal Yard crew will be ready for train NYNJ-1 to arrive.
    Awesome, awesome Sir John!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John R.October 30, 2026 at 9:37 AM

      Thank you very much Sir Neal!!
      In one of the Bednar videos Big Mike complained about he PC SD9s when they arrived in Allentown at the start of Conrail so I figured he could vent in Terminal Yard to.

      Delete
    2. Robert R.October 31, 2026 at 7:38 AM

      Hi John! I do not remember which video it was, but I do remember Big Mike calling those SD9's junk. He said they should have rolled them on to the furnace at Bethlehem Steel. However, in another video, some SD7's arrived which he mentioned they were not too bad.

      Delete
    3. John R.October 31, 2026 at 7:51 AM

      Hi Robert, Big Mike was not a fan of PC power in general, the GP30s, GP9Bs, SD9s in particular. He was also not a fan of the U-Boats from most of the railroads that came into Allentown before and and after C-Day. I wonder if the SD7s were the pair that had extra ballast to handle a steep grade at the Mississippi River?

      Delete

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