Bedford Park Scenery Upgraded!

Greetings All,

The virtual ops catalyst strikes again! Bedford Park on the N.Y.C.T.L. has finally been upgraded. That's right! 

Bedford Park was one area of my layout that resisted the virtual ops catalyst for a long time. I wasn't sure I liked the close environs of this area and tight curves. It's lack of scenery and identity often left it as an afterthought.

I tweaked the area more than once going so far as to build some imagineered structures and adding Bedford Park Yard. And that was it until the more recent virtual ops and the increase in freight traffic. Add in Penn Central C424 #2415, 1/87th scale PC Ralph holding down the BPY Turn, some decent looking and working auto racks and the increase of rail traffic to and from this area and it was time to get it upgraded.

Lets check out the project;

In the last P.C.C.M., #39C,  we saw 1/87th scale PC Ralph at Bedford Park Yard getting ready for work. PC C424 #2415 is to the right.

#2415 shoving past American Hardware with little to no scenery.

Pulling two coil steel coaches from Ford. The Bedford Park Yard office looks nice. To be honest not much else was satisfactory.

A quick trip to my local Lowe's and I picked up a bag of paver base. The bag I purchased is a gray colored material. It's all about the base!


Next I stripped the area and got to work.

The paver base has been sifted thru a piece of old metal window screen and applied. I used alcohol to allow the diluted glue to penetrate and here we are waiting for it to dry. I set the coil steel unloader into the wet mix so it would be steady and level.

The tank car unloading platform to the left as also set into the wet mix. The Ford Plant flat needs some loading dock junk and debris along it's base to give it that rail siding feel.

Beford Park Yard and All City Storage looking much better.

American Hardware Supply is in place and the spreading of the paver base in this area is complete. I used a thinner layer of paver base applied directly to full strength Elmer's Glue without the alcohol and diluted white glue mix under A.H.S. and in BP Yard. Hence the lighter color.

An overall look at Ford and the turn to the Cornelius Vanderbilt Memorial Bridge. The far side of the curve has been scenicked  with the paver base, Woodland Scenic grass and some Lichen from Hobby Lobby. (Use your coupon for 40% off!)

The right side of the curve is looking much better. No longer painted plywood like the left side!

 The approach to C.V. bridge. The paver base looks pretty good!

With both sides upgraded this area is no longer one to be avoided when taking P.C.C.M. photos!

 The Ford Plant is back online!

And so is PC Train BP-12... RALPH!!!

Looks like 1/87th scale PC Ralph heard about 1/87th scale Senior Engineer Sir Neal and AT JOE's escapades in P.C.C.M. 39 and thought his engine could make it under the building as well. Completely forgetting his engine is an Alco!

After the smoke cleared I added some little details here and there for more visual interest. Some painted wood cubes with a figure and pallet jack are on the team track. I added similar cubes to the rear at All City Storage as well.

A Ford Pinto station wagon graces the yard parking lot while American Hardware Supply received some loading dock crates and a barrel on a pallet. A forklift can be seen in the distance going up the ramp into All City Storage.

Coil Steel Coaches AKA Breadbox Trough Cars or Clam shell hoppers are in position on the steel unloading track.

60' auto parts cars are spotted at Ford. Some loose lumber from busted pallets and shipping crates have been added. A three dome Gulf tanker car occupies the tank car track. 

A long overdue project is now in the the books. A little more 'stuff' can be added here and there but I think Bedford Park and BP Yard are ready for prime time!

Thanks for reading!!

P.C.C.M. 39C

Greetings All,

Today we'll wrap up the origination portion of this virtual ops on my N.Y.C.T.L. layout as Terminal Yard dispatches trains to Ralph's Kings Port Division (K.P.D.) and 1:1 Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific RR (A.P.R.R.).

The action is heavy and the train moves many. So sit back and enjoy the largest amount of rail traffic dispatched in the virtual ops from Terminal Yard to date. We'll focus on the five trains used to accomplish this using actual train IDs from the NYC and PC along with the freelanced BP-12. 

To:        Kings Port Division West Mill
             Atlantic Pacific RR Rock Ridge Yard
From:   Terminal Yard
Subect: Dispatch of Trains BF-1, BP-41/BP-12, SLX-1, NV-3, LI-1


It's 8:00 PM and Train BF-1 with engines 2875, 2858,2857 and Caboose 18401 is leaving Terminal Yard for East St Louis with Flexi-Vans, T.O.F.C. and Detroit / Buffalo merchandise.

Below we see an E.B.R.R. T.O.F.C and the white 28's Cooper -Jarrett T.O.F.C. that will eventually make their way to Williams Yard on Ralph's Kings Port Division.

It's shortly after 12:25 AM and Train SV-1 with engines 8038, 8024 and 7692 and caboose 5023 has left Terminal Yard for Chicago with auto racks, flexi vans and TOFC traffic.

Loaded auto racks on the head end of SV-1 approach Empire City Station behind the three engine lash up. Alright this train was gratuitous. It was in the schedule and I wanted to watch it run! 

1/87th scale PC Ralph and his conductor / brakeman get ready to head over to their engine parked in the yard. It's just after midnight and Train BP-41 with engine 2415 and caboose 21505 will originate here at Bedford Park Yard and terminate at Terminal Yard. This train returns to Bedford Park as Train BP-12. 

Engine 2415 has pulled Rock Island boxcar 35062 from American Hardware Supply loaded with bulk hardware for Quality Fabrications in Bloomberg NY. 

BP-41 has shoved into the Ford Plant's steel track to pull these empty steel coil coaches that are headed back to Kings Port Steel. 

Next move is pulling the empty Freon tank car. This mornings workload is heavy with about 10 cars being moved thru forward and trailing switch moves. 1/87th scale PC Ralph is up to the task as he has honed his skills working the tight and tough environs of Bedford Park Yard and it's industries.

BP-41 has run around the pulled freight cars and is using the empty UP auto parts boxcar from BP Yard as a buffer car between the tank car and engine.

BP-41 pulls these three 60' empty auto parts cars from the Ford Plant. They are headed back to ACME Auto Parts in Mayfield NY

Last but not least these two auto racks with the finished products from the Ford Plant are ready to head to dealerships. 

BP-41 with six cars for the Kings Port Division's West Mill Yard stretches out thru Bedford NY as it makes it's way to Terminal Yard

1/87th scale PC Ralph has ALCO C-424 #2415 in notch 8 has he rumbles thru Bedford. This is one of my favorite engines and trains. The Atlas / Kato yellow box engine runs so smooth and easily handles all freight cars coming in and out of Bedford Park. 

BP-41's arrival is recorded by the Kar Track reader at Terminal Yard.

A short time later 1/87th scale PC Ralph is returning back to Bedford Park with his ALCO running long hood forward. The train is now known as BP-12 and consists of loaded auto parts boxcars and empty auto racks.

Back at Terminal Yard the switch crew is once again hard at work. A block of trains from BP-41 sitting on track 1 needs to get sorted into the cars for the Kings Port Division.

The K.P.D. blocks have been reworked as the three NYC boxcars are now at the tail end with two B&M cars, EL car and the PC TOC auto parts car. These cars, plus two more, will be interchanged with the Kings Port & Western RR at West Mill. The A.P.R.R. block has the six coal cars at the rear behind those good looking white 50' A.P.R.R. RBL's. 1:1 Sir Neal doesn't like dirty freight cars and the N.Y.C.T.L. aims to please.  

Looking at tracks 4 and 5 we see the freight cars for the Kings Port Division has doubled over. The four coil coaches for Kings Port Steel will be on the head end of the train. Track 7 is maxed out with the A.P.R.R. cars.

It's shortly before 2:00 AM and Train NV-3 with engines 2103, 6107, 6109 and caboose 21514 is almost ready for it's 2:00 AM departure. The train originates at Terminal Yard and terminates at Selkirk. It's consist will be 18 cars destined for West Mill NY.

 NV-3 throttles up thru Bedford NY. The Kings Port NY block is on the head end.

The TPFX boxcar is the end of the Kings Port block. The depressed center flat is the only car for the city of West Mill NY and the Rock Island car starts the Kings Port & Western RR block.

The KP&W will be busy with ten cars headed their way! 

Next stop Selkirk!

It's 4:00 AM and Train LI-1 is leaving Terminal Yard for Selkirk behind engines 3007, 2228 and 2232 with caboose 18418. This train also terminates at Selkirk and carries 15 cars for the Atlantic Pacific RR. The PC's Kings Port Division will move the cars down the River Line from Selkirk to Weehawken where they will be interchanged with the A.P.R.R.

LI-1 is on the move thru Bedford NY with the first covered hopper heading to Morton Salt and four covered hoppers heading towards the large Cargill Facility that are served by the A.P.R.R. on the head end.

A trio of loaded AP 50' RBLs with two cars headed for C&P Restaurant Supply, one for Mike's Lumber and an empty Tropicana RBL for the Tropicana Plant make up the middle of LI-1.

Six loaded coal hoppers for the R.M.O. Electric Power Plant make up the final block of LI-1. R.M.O. Electric has recently upped their rail car capacity and entered into a long term contract with Hudson Coal to provide the coal needed to power the plant. A win-win for all!

Next Stop Selkirk!

That's it for the origination portion of P.C.C.M. 39! The action will continue on Ralph's Kings Port Division layout and 1:1 Sir Neal will close it out on his Atlantic Pacific Railroad layout.

I'm really looking forward to seeing the action play out on both Ralph's and Neal's layouts. This is the first three layout P.C.C.M. that features this many railroads, freight cars, industries and train moves. It's gonna be a blast!  

Thanks for reading!!!

P.C.C.M. 39B

Greetings All,

Today we'll pick up the action at Terminal Yard as the Penn Central gathers, sorts and blocks cars to be forwarded to Ralph's Kings Port Division layout and 1:1 Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific RR layout.

To:         Kings Port Division / West Mill
              Atlantic Pacific RR / Rock Ridge
From:    Terminal Yard
Subject: Yard work and the dispatch of the Bedford local

The Coal Job arrives at Terminal Yard and rolls thru the weigh in motion scale with six coal hoppers from Hudson Coal heading to the R.M.O. Electric Power Plant on 1:1 Sir Neal's A.P.R.R. layout.

The Coal Job heads back to Hudson Coal caboose lite leaving the hoppers for the yard switcher.

The TY switch crew are earning their pay today! Below they have a pair of hopper cars for T&R Gravel and empty P&E boxcar 3638 that is heading for Berk Enterprises in Bedford NY on my layout. These are intra layout moves that will be part of future virtual ops. The covered hoppers will be heading to the large Cargill facility on the A.P.R.R.  

The New Haven ALCO is fresh from the shop and belching heavy black smoke as it pulls out of Terminal Yard to switch out the industries in Bedford NY.  I guess it's fixed!

The local spots the two hoppers at T&R Gravel for loads of iron ore to be sent along to Kings Port Steel on Ralph's layout in a future P.C.C.M.

The local crew passes University Mill Work where they will pull the four loaded boxcars. TPFX 5510 and PC 160502 are loaded with cabinets for Battaglia Brothers Warehouse in Kings Port NY.  

The local heads past Hostess where they'll pull two empty covered hoppers and one loaded boxcar. 

The local runs around their train to facilitate heading back towards Terminal Yard. Note P&E 3638 sitting at Berk Enterprises waiting to be loaded with food packaging materials for Cavendish Food & Spirits in Mayfield NY in a future P.C.C.M. 

The local gets ready to head back to Terminal Yard. The empty Hostess / Wonder Bread covered hopper is heading for the big Cargill facility on the A.P.R.R. and empty NYC covered hopper #892010 will be going to Red Wing Milling in Empire City as an intra layout move. The 892010 will be eventually loaded with grain for Empire Grain in West Mill NY and that will be part of a future Penn Central Car Movement series.

The local has returned to Terminal Yard and the switch crew is once again hard at work building trains for the A.P.R.R. on track 6 and the K.P.D. on track 7.

Three NYC 50' double door boxcars loaded with wire & cable from Circle Wire & Cable in Maspeth NY are consigned to I.B.M. in Binghamton NY which is served by Ralph's freelance Kings Port & Western RR. AP 50' RBL 60358 is loaded with veneer paneling from Neal's Lumber & Hardware in Empire City NY and consigned to Mike's Lumber on the A.P.R.R. Both are being pulled from track 3 for placement in outbound PC Trains later tonight.

Sorting and blocking and sorting and blocking is the job description of the Terminal Yard Switcher. This P.C.CM. has had the most yard work to date. I think we're at something like 35 plus cars that need to head out.

The TY Switcher is shoving an E.B. caboose into the temporary caboose storage track on track 2 as it's time to work the cars brought in by the Empire Belt RR in yesterday's installment .

A loaner excavator from Empire City Caterpillar for Sal's Salvage in West Mill NY sits atop the PC depressed center flatcar. A PC covered hopper for the large regional Cargill facility and the Morton Salt covered hopper for Morton Salt on the A.P.R.R. sit on track 7. 

The TY switcher is working on the West Mill blocks as it shoves empty steel coil coaches for Kings Port Steel into track 8.

The West Mill and Rock Ridge blocks fill tracks 7&8 and the yard work is just about complete for now.  

The Bedford Local power, now freed from track 3, heads towards the engine servicing yard and the TY switcher sits on track 3 as we wind down the action at Terminal Yard for this installment.

Next installment we'll wrap it up with action at Bedford Park Yard, a little more yard work at Terminal Yard and start dispatching the various trains needed to get these freight cars to the K.P.D. and A.P.R.R. 

Thanks for Reading!