Upcoming Operating Session

Greetings Blog Followers,

The New York Central Train Layout will be hosting it's first operating session in about two weeks. I have been busy making preparations for a smooth and simple session with little to no paperwork. I was also able to consult with a fellow modeler and friend Neal M, C.E.O. of the A.P.R.R. who was generous with his time and knowledge. Thank you Sir Neal for the wise tips you have provided.

Some of things I have been doing to make the operating session hopefully go smoother are actually running the proposed trains to and from there destinations. A little tweaking was definitely needed and the pre-planning will hopefully pay off. One potentially embarrassing issue that has since been solved comes to mind. I was running a string of covered hoppers through my Cargill Grain Elevator as I have some numerous times over the years. Well, the first few batches of five rolled through w/o incident. On about the fourth batch a crash was heard. Seems some the Athearn BB 56' ACF covered hopper round covers sit just a bit higher than all the other cars I have and did not clear the loading shed. Situation corrected by raising structure slightly. Didn't need that to happen during the op session!

Another item on the to do list was labeling all the control switches on my switch panels. As I run in DC there are several panels with DPDT switches. Even I was beginning to forget what switch controlled what track. So I tested each DPDT switch and labeled them. A track diagram was also added to assist the operators.

Industry City (needs better name) on shelf portion of layout will be a busy part of the ops session. 

Looking at the Hudson Coal lead. 3 tracks can handle about 12 cars. The basic empties in and loads out. Loads will head to North Side Yard for scaling. From there to Staging.

T&R Gravel should see some action. The ore cars were upgraded with body mounted couplers so no more slinky effect during shove moves.

West Side Industrial Area. Hudson Coal is on back wall. Staging Yard is in adjacent room to left. Industry City is on back wall to right.

A trio switchers work the West Side. The old Heileman distributor is now Neubaum's Coffee Importers.

A close up of some of the West Side rail served industries. Pay no attention to that man next to the bar.

Fauna and Flora at North Side Yard

Greetings Blog Followers,

Been busy in small spurts this past week adding some fauna and flora to the area around the North Side Yard. I like the look of a little overgrowth, gives the impression the RR had to defer maintenance due to lack of funds. Which I totally understand!

A New York Central  F7 A-B-A lash up is on track 1 and a pair of NYC GP20s occupy track 3. The four Penn Central cars to the right are some of my custom painted fleet. 

A Penn Central RS2 switches the Caterpillar dealer. A through freight is on the inner main while two trains await crews and departure clearance from North Side Yard. 

Looking from left to right 3 track North Side Yard, Outer main line (unoccupied), Inner main line (occupied), freight siding servicing Caterpillar, King Midas Flour (Red Wing Milling) and Prestage tool and gear at lower right. 

A rare sight, no freight car inside Neal's Hardware and Lumber. Have to look into that. Hopefully just no expected delivery this morning! A NYC Pacemaker boxcar should be there later this afternoon. The fauna and flora are slowly creeping to this area. 

Emergency Track Repair

Greetings Blog Followers,


This past week the New York Central Train Layout had to briefly suspend operations due to a bad track joint in Empire City City in front of Mama and Papa's Restaurant and not far from Neal's Lumber and Hardware. The staff at Neal's Lumber heard the train banging over the joint earlier in the day and notified N.Y.C.T.L. management of the problem. Unable to send a track crew N..Y.C.T.L. management informed Neal that they would send a rail contractor over to fix the problem. Rail Contractor! relied Neal. Heck me and my guys know more about laying track than any of your Rail Contractors. The N.Y.C.T.L. quickly assessed Neal and his staff's repair skills and available equipment and hired them on the spot. Rail traffic was stopped and Neal and his men sprang into action

N.Y.C.T.L. newest rail contractors the staff at Neal's Lumber and Hardware. 1/87th scale Neal , in blue coveralls, inspects the bad joint. 

The work begins

With the street safely blocked and all personal protective gear in place our newest rail contractors are hard at work. N.Y.C.T.L. management was quite surprised and very impressed with the amount of track laying equipment Neal and his men had available to them. Train Lifers however were not in the least bit surprised.

The repair has been made and the men begin to take up their equipment

The repair work has drawn the attention of the local Police Precinct commander and an officer on the beat.

N.Y.C.T.L. management has been notified that the rail joint has been repaired and the track is now in service. A Penn Central RS-2 has just traveled over the newly repaired joint to deliver a box car to Neal's Lumber and Hardware. 

A short time later came the big test. A freight train with four engines on the lead, 43 freight cars and a caboose will put the repair to the test. No surprise that everything traveled over the newly repaired joint smoothly

National Train Day Part 3

Greetings Blog Followers,

National Train Day Part 3....

An EMD E8A painted in Demonstrator colors glides into Empire City Station on Track 1 while a New York Central 4-8-4 Niagra sits on Track 2. Two immaculate sets of IRT subway cars occupy the tracks below.

 Close up of EMD E8A #852

Not to be out done a New York, New Haven and Hartford Alco PA1 departs Empire City Station. 

 The mighty Pennsylvania Rail Road sent a beautiful GG1 for the festivities. 

A few short videos of the days action. 

#1 New Haven PA with passenger train

#2 New York Central E8 with passenger train

#3 Pennsylvania GG1 with passenger train

National Train Day Part 2

Greetings Blog Followers,

Three Chessie System EMDs heading over the Empire City viaduct on National Train Day.

 

An Athearn BB SW7, Athearn BB GP35 and Bachman F7A lead the Chessie System freight train

The trains heads towards down town

The train moving through Empire City

National Train Day Celebration Part 1

Greetings Blog Followers,

In honor of National Train Day the New York Central Train Layout sponsored an event at Empire City Station to showcase different eras and styles of train travel. Invitations were sent to neighboring railroads and private citizens who wished to participate in this annual event.

Leading off the event was the star of the show in many rail fans opinions, New York Central 4-8-4 Niagra #6005. The locomotive was on the head end of several New York Central passengers cars including the Observation Car "Nassau County" owned by Neal M, CEO of the A.P.R.R. and Neal's Lumber and Hardware.  

Sir Neal's private varnish, "Nassau County" sits on display at Empire City Station for National Train Day 

A two tone gray New York Central coach sits between the "Nassau County" and a New York Central Heavyweight Chair Car

New York Central 4-8-4 #6005

The CSX boxcar was donated by the A.P.R.R. Inside are various supplies, tools and a workshop should the gigantic steamer have any mechanical issues.

NYC #6005 at rest while two IRT subway cars have pulled into Empire City Station on the lower level. The station was tagged overnight by a gang from Coney Island called the Warriors.

Neubaum's Coffee Importers expanding to Empire City

Greetings Blog Followers,

The Empire City Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the New York Central Train Layout is proud to announce that Neubaum's Coffee Importers is expanding it's operations to Empire City. As the premier coffee importer from the upper mid-west coffee aficionados are familiar with the Neubaum product line. Neubaum coffee can be found in exclusive restaurants, railroad dining cars, private clubs and hotels.

In a press release, owner and C.E.O. Steve Neubaum, stated his company was looking to the rapidly expanding Empire City marketplace and the city's improving road and rail infrastructure as the next logical place for his growing company to add another distributorship. Mr Neubaum is a bonafide rail fan and model railroader and was able to secure the old Heileman Beer Distributor building which is rail served. Beer drinkers can relax as Heilman expanded to a bigger rail served location just outside of Empire City.

Local painting contractors have arrived and get to work on the old sign. 

Side view showing the rail and truck docks. Barrels for Neubaum's Coffee have already arrived 

A Milwaukee Road  refrigerated trailer has been spotted at the truck loading dock. The trailer arrived earlier in the day via rail at North Side Yard. 

The national media is always interested in the doings of Neubaum's Coffee Importers and have sent a crew to cover this expansion.

 Contracting foreman and Neubaum Coffee Imports representative check the progress of the workers

 

In need of quality lumber for his building and shipping needs Mr Neubaum had a 40' boxcar sent to Neal's Lumber and Hardware.

Two New York Central GP9s handle the switching duties.

Neal himself (in blue coveralls) checks on the loading. Neal has informed his forklift operator that Mr Neabaum is a fellow Train Lifer and to make certain that this shipment is perfect. 

 The Milwaukee Road boxcar being spotted at Neubaum's

An aerial view of Neubaum's Coffee Importers. Although the building is a bit small shipping, storage and  receiving of coffees can be enhanced by utilizing the trailer dock which has space for three 40' trailers.   

Mr Neubaum, always friendly, introduces himself to a lady who had stopped by to watch CNN interview Mr Neubaum. "Hello, you can call me Steve" "How about going out for a cup of coffee"