P.C.C.M. #54 / New York Central Mail & Express Trains

Seasons Greetings All,

This past week the N.Y.C.T.L. reverted back to its roots with the return of the New York Central lightning stripes and pre merger rolling stock. This will work well as I'm participating in a virtual op with John B's Los Feliz & North Western, Brian's Ralston Creek Railroad and Ralph's Kings Port Division. Sir Neal's A.P.R.R. had to sit this one out as he attends to expanding his model railroad empire.

The last virtual op of 2018 will be the four layouts focusing on some Mail & Express Operations. M&E as it was known was big business for the railroads at one time and I'll be showcasing some of that in my portion of the M&E Virtual Op.

We open up with the Empire City station switcher working the  Railway Express Agency.

While on the freight tracks the NYC Pacemakers fight it out with the PRR Merchandise Service trains for upper level supremacy.

Empire City passengers and EL M&E Train #7 are entering the station. The #7 features a unique consist of C.O.F.C and T.O.F.C head end cars that I first saw in a 2014 MRR article that showed the #7 at Binghamton NY in 1965. 

The REA used T.O.F.C cars with steam and signal lines for use in passenger service much like the NYCs Mark IV Flexi-Van cars. 

The station switcher will add these two baggage cars loaded with express packages to the EL train.

With the work done EL #7 heads out of town and the station switcher shoves the cars from the EL train into the REA siding.

Next we catch an Alco PA-PB-PA  consist lugging Mail & Express Train 620 out of the lower level as it heads towards Terminal Yard.

Coming out of the tunnel at Bedford Station this mail and express train originated in Buffalo with only a rider car for the crew. 

 The Alcos lead the 620 into Terminal Yard tunnel.

While putting this op together I consulted the book Express, Mail & Merchandise Service by Jeff Wilson. Chapter 7 focuses on moving mail by rail and highlights selected fast mail routes of several railroads that crisscrossed the nation from east to west in the 1950s. The New York Central's Fast Mail was Train #13.

I followed that up by checking CanadaSouthern.com and found some actual consists for NYC M&E trains #13 and #3 in 1966. Perfect for today's virtual op!

Let's take a look at express reefer REX 1268 seen earlier leaving Kings Port NY for Empire City loaded with expres packages.

 REX 1268 being unloaded and reloaded at the Empire City REA.

REX 1268, loaded with express shipments for Oakland CA, heads towards Terminal Yard for inclusion in Train#13, the "Fast Mail" 

REX 1268 arrives at Terminal Yard. 

It's 10:30 PM and Train 13 has left Terminal Yard and is easing into Empire City Station behind two E8As. 

Train 13 runs from Empire City NY to Englewood Station in Chicago with mail and express cars for interchange with western railroads. Here's today's consist;

TRAIN #13	EQUIPMENT / DETAILS	CONTENTS	DESTINATION
Mail Train - New York to Chicago	DEPART EMPIRE CITY 10:45 PM  CONDUCTOR FOX. ENGINEMAN STEVENSON. BAGGAGEMAN JOLLIFFE. BRAKEMAN DENBY.
	4040 - E8A
	4088 - E8A
	REX 1268 - REEFER	EXPRESS	OAKLAND
	NYC 9503 - BOX EXPRESS	EXPRESS	DENVER
	REX 6100 - REEFER	EXPRESS	WICHITA
	CBQ 48500 - BOX EXPRESS	EXPRESS	KANSAS CITY
	REX 1501 - REEFER	EXPRESS	KANSAS CITY
	REX 7592 - REEFER	EXPRESS	ST.PAUL
	NYC 9718 - FLEXI-VANS #200997 & 4233	MAIL	DENVER / OMAHA
	MFVX 9642 - FLEXI-VANS #4425 & 4233	MAIL	OAKLAND
	NYC 8811 - BAGGAGE	MAIL	SALT LAKE CITY
	MFVX 6983 - FLEXI-VANS #203157 & 200819	MAIL	OAKLAND
	MFVX 9557 - FLEXI-VANS #4221 & 200753	MAIL	DENVER / OMAHA
	MFVX 6861 - FLEXI-VANS #4057 & 201397	MAIL	MILWAUKEE
	NYC 9850 - FLEXI-VANS #201821 & 201849	MAIL	ST.PAUL
	MFVX 9560 - FLEXI-VANS #201859 & 201227	MAIL	ST.PAUL
	CMSTP&P 391 - REEFER	EXPRESS	MINNEAPOLIS
	NYC 9370 - BOX EXPRESS	EXPRESS	ST.PAUL
	NYC 9220 - BOX EXPRESS	EXPRESS	SEATTLE
	ATSF 4169 - BOX EXPRESS	EXPRESS	PORTLAND
	REX 6119 - REEFER	EXPRESS	CHICAGO
	REX 7592 - REEFER	EXPRESS	CHICAGO
	REX 2721 - REEFER	EXPRESS	DETROIT
	UP 1734 - BAGGAGE	BAGGAGE / MAIL	DETROIT
	NH 3803 - BAGGAGE	EXPRESS	DETROIT
	PRR 1120 - REEFER	MAIL	DETROIT
	MFVX 6916 - FLEXI-VANS #201351 & 201197	MAIL / DEADHEAD	DETROIT
	REX 2701 - REEFER	EXPRESS	DETROIT
	RI 148393 - BOX EXPRESS	EXPRESS	DETROIT
	NYC 7373 - BAGGAGE	EXPRESS	ST.PAUL
	NYC 2714 - RIDER CAR	CREW	CHICAGO

Note car#1 above is the REX 1268 that departed from Kings Port NY with express packages for Empire City. Rex 1268 has been emptied, reloaded and sealed with express packages for Oakland CA.

Train 13 is ready to depart at 10:45 PM sharp.

Train 13 heads out of Empire City Station

The next train we'll see is Train #3 heading into Empire City Station with another healthy consist of M&E shipments and some pinch hitting power.

TRAIN #3	EQUIPMENT / DETAILS	DESTINATION
	CREW: R. L. JOHNSTON, W. M. BUSHNELL, T. L. PARROTT
	NYC 5003 - ERIE A
	NYC 5101 - ERIE B
	NYC 5002 - ERIE A
	NYC 2072 - HEAVYWEIGHT BAGGAGE	CHICAGO
	NYC 0265 - LIGHTWEIGHT BAGGAGE	CHICAGO
	NYC 9065 - LIGHTWEIGHT BAGGAGE	MILWAUKEE
	NYC 5018 - LIGHTWEIGHT BAGGAGE	ST. PAUL
	NYC 4856 - LIGHTWEIGHT BAGGAGE	SPOKANE
	B&A 1002 - EXPRESS BOXCAR	DENVER
	PRR 102076  - EXPRESS BOXCAR	OMAHA
	B&O 0820 -LIGHTWEIGHT BAGGAGE	OAKLAND
	PRR 2165 - LIGHTWEIGHT BAGGAGE	COUNCIL BLUFFS
	NYC 5010 - HEAVYWEIGHT RPO	CHICAGO
	B&O 3241 - HEAVYWEIGHT BAGGAGE	CHICAGO
	NH 3020 - LIGHTWEIGHT BAGGAGE	CHICAGO
	NYC 3087 - HEAVYWEIGHT RPO	CHICAGO
	B&O 1902 - EXPRESS BOXCAR	CHICAGO
	REA 1813 - EXPRESS BOXCAR	CHICAGO
	PRR 4906 - LIGHTWEIGHT BAGGAGE	CHICAGO
	NYC 306 - HEAVYWEIGHT COMBINE - USED AS RIDER CAR	CHICAGO

Train #3 rolling into Empire City Station

Next we'll turn our attention to some localized M&E action at Bedford NY as Train 846 is dropping and picking up mail and express at Bedford Station.

Train 846 behind two RS2s heads for Terminal Yard passing Train 501 heading towards Empire City Station.

 846 arrives at Terminal Yard

Train 501 stops at Empire City Station to pick up these outbound cars for transfer to Harmon NY where 501 terminates. 

The station switcher heads back to the REA building as 501 heads out of the station. 

Back at Terminal Yard we catch the last train for today. Go ahead Neal, start er up, says 1/87th scale John B. 1/87th scale Sir Neal is working the fireman extra board and has been called for Train #351with engineer John B. who holds this job with his seniority.

The rest of the gang watch as 1/87th scale Sir Neal cranks her up. Train #351 (Empire City NY to Detroit MI) will stop at EC station to pick up passengers and any additional M&E cars before heading north.

Train #351 eases out of Terminal Yard

That wraps up the N.Y.C.T.L.'s portion of the M&E Virtual Op. Be sure to check out what the other layouts have posted!
Los Feliz & North Western
Kings Port Division
Ralston Creek Railroad

Acknowledgements:
1:1 PC Ralph for the gift of the Express, Mail & Merchandise Service book mentioned above. It's pages are getting well worn! 

The CanadaSouthern.com website. This website offers a wealth of information for anyone interested in the New York Central RR and its subsidiaries. Special thanks to the creator and curator Terry Link for providing me with hours and hours of enjoyment and so much information. 

Thanks for reading and watching! 
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all!!!

The 1/87th scale NYCTL guys from left to right: 

AT JOE, PC Ralph, Sir Neal, Conductor John, Big Mike, John B, Kar Knocker, Larry D.

B&O C-3035 Caboose Project

Greetings All,

While searching ebay for a B&O caboose for my youngest son to give to him for Christmas and add to his fleet of B&O equipment I came across this nice looking Athearn / Bev-Bel B&O Caboose #C-3035. 

Who is Bev-Bel? From Bev-Bel.com:
Bev-Bel Corp., formerly of Cresskill, New Jersey, was founded in 1956 by Irvin & Beverly Belkin. Bev-Bel produced limited runs of road names and schemes not generally produced by the major model railroad manufacturers, along with special-appeal rolling stock such as Holiday, Americana and Mexicana Models® series. Each production run featured its own distinct cab and car numbers.

Here's the caboose shell as it came out of the box. This is a good looking caboose! 

Checking the B&O caboose against a photo from the RR Fallen Flags website. The photo is from 1978 and the factory painted caboose is a close match. The addition of ACI labels and wheel dots will make the car look even more like the prototype.

The underside of C-3035 is back from the Patti O Paint Shop after having it's frame, ladders and rails painted with rattle can gray primer. This part of the 1:1 caboose was probably silver but the gray is is easier to work with and looks like a dulled silver. 

The car shop has reassembled the C-3035 and added some P-2000 metal wheelsets. Kadee #5s were included with the car and were reinstalled. 

ACI labels and wheel dots from Microscale were added as per the photo. After a couple of coats of Testor's Dullcote to seal the decals, clear plastic windows were added and the rails and ladder ends were brush painted yellow. 

The C-3035 is sandwiched by an Athearn BB C-3708 and 

an Athearn BB (possibly Bev Bel) 903010. I think the B&O / Chessie System at some point renumbered their cabooses by adding the 90 numbers in front of their former road numbers.

A last look before it gets put back in the box and wrapped for Christmas. 

Thanks for reading!

P.C.C.M. 53 / Auto Parts/ Auto Racks / Time Traveler Op Part 3

Greetings All,

The P.C.C.M. 53 Auto Parts/ Auto Racks / Time Traveler Op concludes today on the N.Y.C.T.L. The five layout virtual op has provided plenty of interchange traffic for the N.Y.C.T.L. so let's get started and tie up the loose ends.

We open with Penn Central Train ML-12A from Selkirk coming off the High Line at Bedford Tower behind a quartet of GP30s being run by 1/87th scale PC Ralph.

1/87th scale Big Mike has sought John B's counsel as Big Mike is thinking of bidding on a towerman job after spending the prior blog post on a special watching the glue dry assignment.

Today's ML-12A consist is two loaded 86' boxcars from Ideal Auto Parts in Rock Ridge NJ. The Penn Central Police Officer has been posted to prevent theft and vandalism to the cars on the auto racks sitting on the interchange track to the left.

Another trio of empty Auto Racks from Millers Auto Terminal also in Rock Ridge NJ. 

A UP Reefer and an E.B.R.R. 50' boxcar from Tivoli Beer in Denver, Colorado that came onto the PC system at Elkhart round out the revenue cars. 

1/87th scale PC Ralph brings ML-12A into Terminal Yard

The yard job has sorted the cars and a combined BP-41 / EC-1 is ready to depart with two Fairbanks-Morse H16-44s as power. 1/87th scale Big Mike has returned to the yard and is once again ready to launch barb at the engineer. FM! No static at all! says engineer AT JOE / ALco Joe / GE Joe / FM Joe!

BP-41 /EC-1 heads out of Terminal Yard towards Empire City and the Empire Belt RRs North Side Yard.

BP-41/EC-1 arrives at North Side Yard and is greeted by 1/87th scale Senior Engineer Sir Neal who tells FM Joe to hang loose in the cab while he pulls off the cars for the EBRR from the rear of the train. 

1/87th scale Sir Neal makes fast work pulling the cars for the E.B.R.R. to get FM Joe rolling.

You're all set reports 1/87th scale Sir Neal!

BP-41/EC-1 heads over the High Line back towards Bedford Park

Passing Bedford Tower and switching tracks to access the Bedford Park Ford Plant and Penn Central's Bedford Park Yard.

1/87th scale FM Joe eases the loaded racks out of Bedford Park.

With the loads out of the way the empty auto racks are shoved into position. Tower Operator 1/87th scale John is eyeing the latest Ford Motor Company products ready to ship out. Even the PC Patrolman has come down to check out the action. 

Empty cars from ACME Auto Parts in Mayfield NY are pulled from the Ford Plant. 

Loaded 86' Auto Parts cars from IDEAL Auto Parts are shoved into place.

With the switching done 1/87th scale FM Joe brings the loaded auto racks and empty boxcars back to Terminal Yard as train BP12.

Ford Motor Company products head to Terminal Yard for eventual nationwide distribution. This is one of my favorite trains to rail fan

With BP-12 cleared out of Bedford Park the BP yard job pulls this PC Hi Cube from Gates Rubber Co in Denver for spotting at the Ford Plant.

Back at Empire City 1/87th scale Sir Neal and Conductor John run the Afternoon Industrial Job. The A.I.J. is shoving towards the east side to work Ralph's Grocery Warehouse / Gervais Pipe & Fitting 

With caboose 1606 out of the way the A.I.J. pulls the outbound cars from the combined siding.

The inbound cars are now being spotted including this E.B.R.R. boxcar loaded with Tivoli Beer from Denver Colorado spotted at Ralph's Grocery Warehouse. It's gonna be a good Christmas!!!

Over at Bedford Park the Ford Plant dock workers made fast work emptying the PC Hi Cube boxcar from Gates Rubber Co and have called for this PC Hi Cube loaded at ACME Auto Parts to be spotted ASAP. 

The work momentarily done at the Ford Plant the BP Yard Job has shoved these empties onto the interchange track for pick up and this concludes P.C.C.M. 53. I think...😉 

A four car block of empties for the Kings Port Division sits ready for dispatch at Terminal Yard(hint, hint...)

And more auto racks are coming in every day that will require these auto parts cars to be refilled and returned to keep the Ford products rolling off the assembly line.

Special thanks to the  Kings Port Division   the Atlantic Pacific RR, the Ralston Creek RR and the Los Feliz & North Western RR  that made this five layout op fun and operational. Thanks guys...

Thanks for reading!!!