Cleaning out North Side Yard for the Holidays

Greetings All,

From the title you might think 1/87th scale Senior Engineer Sir Neal and new conductor AT JOE have left train service and picked up a feather duster. Not so! Being the senior engineer on the N.Y.C.T.L. and the Empire Belt RR 1/87th scale Sir Neal has his finger on the pulse of Empire City's industrial shipping and receiving cycles. Let's follow along with 1/87th scale Sir Neal and AT JOE as they clean out Terminal Yard for the Holiday Season!

The first thing needed for the longer and heavier trains this Holiday Season was more power so the E.B.R.R. leased three GP9ms still in PRR paint from parent road Penn Central. With the guys off for the Holidays the E.B.R.R. should save money by reducing the per diem charges it'll have to pay.  

1/87th scale Sir Neal stands on the rear platform of E.B.R.R. GP9m #7279 as 1/87th scale AT JOE makes his way towards the 7279 after connecting the air hoses from the five unit power consist to the first freight car.

 All five units are online and this train is serious business. The diesels will be pulling outbound cars from tracks 3 and 2 that are destined for Terminal Yard. That's about double the tonnage usually pulled on the transfer runs. The train is designated EC-2. 

A lucky rail fan caught EC-2 crossing the Empire City viaduct. 

Youtube version: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJRW-ROyK0Y 

With an excellent power to tonnage ratio the E.B.R.R. crew hits the High Line

Rattling the windows in and around Bedford Station and Bedford Tower 1/87th scale Sir Neal has this train running at maximum track speed and you know 1/87th scale AT JOE is egging him on.
Arriving in Terminal Yard 1/87th scale Sir Neal slows so he and AT JOE can exchange pleasantries and Holiday Greetings with a familiar figure at the throttle of E.B.R.R. GP30 #2160 that's on the head end of train NV-3 due out next.

Next installment well check out Train NV-3 

Thanks for reading!

The Empire Belt goes BIG!

Greetings All,

On the trip to my LHS when I found the NYC F7B featured recently I also came across a used undecorated Athearn BB 86' Auto Parts boxcar that was unassembled in it's original box.

My plan for the car was to paint it in a modified New York Central paint scheme with subsidiary Empire Belt lettering and reporting marks. Why have a freelance railroad if you can't freelance!

One of the big challenges was the use of rattle can silver spray paint. I've not had good luck with it and when taping over it it pulls some of the silver right off. The NYC had silver doors and a silver roof. What to do?

After studying online and print media photos and exchanging ideas for the silver doors with my buddy PC Ralph I realized that the car doors may have been silver but did not stay a bright silver for long. Ralph weathered his NYC 86' boxcar doors beautifully and they compare very nicely to their 1:1 counterparts.

Since I was painting the car from scratch that option was off the table. Here's what I decided to do;

I painted the car body with rattle can Krylon sea glass green which is my defacto Century or Jade Green. When dry I painted the doors with a rattle can Krylon gloss smoke.

Once the doors dried I masked the model and painted the roof with Krylon rattle can aluminum.

While the car body was drying I assembled the rest of the car. I painted everything with a 96 cent rattle can of flat black. Proto 2000 wheel sets and under set shank Kadee #27 couplers were added. This photo is from the recent A.P.R.R. 86' boxcar build.

The coupler drawbars leave a lot to be desired in my opinion. One of the improvements that I came up with was cutting off the tabs that allows the drawbar to contact the truck. I then drilled a hole thru the drawbar so I could place a 2-56 screw between the underframe and floor. The screw does not go into the floor!

The 2-56 screw allows the coupler drawbar a little swing action but most importantly for me the car can now be shoved with no problems. 

Here's the finished car fresh out of the shop being pulled to Terminal Yard.

The 1/87th scale trainmen of the N.Y.C.T.L. inspect the newest addition. 

Right now the car is in pool service from the DT&I RR Ford Park at Lima Ohio and the Ford Plant at Bedford Park NY on my layout.

The Empire Belt car sits between a factory painted Athearn BB NYC 8 door car and an Athearn BB Atlantic Pacific RR car that I recently painted.

1/87th scale Engineer Ed has been called for this train that is going from Terminal Yard to Selkirk.

 The train leaves Terminal Yard. Double E loves that horn!

To watch on you tube click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDo7wgHxwAM

Heading downgrade at Bedford NY. A string of empty coal hoppers returning for more loading sits on track 3 waiting for space in either Terminal Yard or North Side Yard.

 The coupler modifications are working well heading downgrade. 

 Coming around Market Street on a 24" radius. 

After taking a 22" radius curve under the west side of the layout with no problems the 86' cars round a 24" curve on the east side. 

 Coming out of the curve on the other side of the layout. 

After continued running I am pleased to report that all 86' boxcars are running very reliably with the coupler drawbar modification. 

Thanks for reading and watching!!!

New York Central F7B #2423

Greetings All,

An EMD NYC F7B has recently been added to the N.Y.C.T.L. motive power fleet. While it did not get the fanfare of PC SD45 #6190 that was recently introduced it was another significant engine for my fleet.

The F7B is a Bachmann Plus ATSF model that I purchased used and 'as is' from my L.H.S.  I ended up changing axles and fixing the coupler mounting assemblies. After that the unit performed flawlessly.

The factory paint was stripped using 91% alcohol purchased at a big box store. Rattle can black paint, Microscale Decals, Walthers Solvaset and Testor's Dullcote were used to convert the model into  NYC #2423.

The New York Central purchased 55 F7Bs (2420 - 2474) from EMD between 1949 and 1951 to go along with their 238 F7As purchased during the same period. As delivered the NYC F7s wore the ultra classy NYC lightning stripe paint scheme. Early models had the lightning stripe ending a little more than 1/2 way down the sides. Later releases had the lightning stripes running all the way down the sides and included the B units. In the 1960s the fleet was repainted into the cigar band scheme which carried over into the Penn Central. 

On the N.Y.C.T.L. much of my NYC equipment is in the lightning striped scheme which was no longer around at the time of the merger. Adding some cigar band paint scheme engines gives me the best of both worlds. These units can mix and match with the earlier NYC equipment or the later PC equipment. Like on the prototype they are a lot easier to paint.

The new NYC F7B #2423 part of this NYC cigar band A-B-A- consist gets ready for it's inaugural run.

The consist is assigned to a unit coal train headed towards Selkirk. Perfect train for a maiden voyage with nothing perishable. And we have a lot of loaded coal hoppers to move out!

 Coming downgrade behind Hudson Coal

Opening up the throttle thru Bedford NY

Heading under the Deegan Expressway overpass with a significant coal train.

 A NYC 'Road to the Future' caboose brings up the rear.

 Passing Bedford Tower

 Up and over the Cornelius Vanderbilt Bridge

Posing outside Ralph's Grocery Warehouse with PC SD45 #6190. Like the SD45 the NYC F7 A-B-A worked perfectly!

The NYC F7 A-B-A consist eventually cycled back to Terminal Yard and their next assignment was train NV-2 which was caught on video from the Bedford Station platform.

Thanks for reading and watching!

   

Penn Central SD45 #6190 Joins The Fleet

Greeting All,

The N.Y.C.T.L. is now the proud owner and operator of Penn Central SD45 #6190. The Patti-O Paint Shop and Terminal Yard Engine Shop has released this Athearn BB SD45 just in time for the holiday season rush in merchandise and coal trains.

About two months ago fellow modeler and blogger John Bruce contacted me asking if I was interested in a certain item that would possibly enhance my fledgling commuter operations. I was thrilled and said yes. The box arrived with the item and some other goodies that included an undecorated Athearn BB SD45 from the mid 1970's according to John. John's generosity is much appreciated and the new SD45 has come to be known as Big John from the song Big Bad John by Jimmy Dean.     

What's an SD45 you ask? The Electro Motive Division of General Motors began production of a new diesel electric locomotive in 1965 powered by a 20 cylinder 645E3 primer mover that produced 3,600 horsepower and rode on C-C trucks. Big, burly, powerful the SD45 was unique in the EMD catalog for it's 20 cylinders and flared radiators. Designed for heavy hauls the SD45s could pull almost anything.

The Pennsylvania RR purchased 130 SD45s between 1966-1968 and the Penn Central added 5 more later in 1968.  The SD45 initially sold well but once in use the 20 cylinder engines crankshafts were known to flex and crack. This pretty much doomed sales but EMD's revised engine block to cure this became the basis of their ultra reliable 710G prime mover.

On the Penn Central, the combined 6,600 horsepower of an SD45 and an SD40 was quite popular as the motive power consist on many trains.

Using rattle can black paint, Microscale decals, Walthers Solvaset, Testor's Dullcote and some acrylic hobby paint for the yellow handrails I converted the undecorated SD45 into PC #6190. 

On the N.Y.C.T.L. SD45 #6190 fills a roster void and more importantly gives my BB SD40 #6282 a running mate. I painted the 6282 in 2012 but it's seen little run time. With the 6190 now on the roster that will change big time. 

Let's take a look;

1/87th scale John B rides the newly painted 6190 into Terminal Yard.

The 1/87th scale trainmen of the N.Y.C.T.L. were on hand for the unveiling.

Looking like a picture from the Penn Central Power book by R.J. Yanosey the 6190 is coupled to SD40 6282.

The SD45 -SD40's first assignment will be Unit Coal Train UAB-1 a coal drag out of Terminal Yard destined for Bethlehem Steel at Ashtabula Ohio. Their combined power should easily handle a thirty five car train and the grade behind Hudson Coal where the black diamonds originated.

The SD45 - SD40 have cleared out track 5 and are pulling track 6. 

The TY switcher couples PRR N6B #980796 to the coal train.The N6B was built, painted and lettered by John Bruce and was one of the train goodies in the box with the SD45. Only fitting it make the maiden voyage!

UAB-1 rolls thru Bedford NY easily pulling the thirty five car train.

SD45 Big John meets GP38 Sir Larry at Bedford Station! The 6282 coupled up to the 6190 has never been happier. This is one of those lash ups that just looks right to me.

This is a unit coal train! PC 100 ton hoppers follow a pair of KP&W 70 ton hoppers thru the switch to track #3.

The rear of UAB-1 features these Athearn BB 50 ton 2 bay coal hoppers. 

UAB-1 engines 6190 and 6282 easily muscle the coal train over the Cornelius Vanderbilt Bridge and thru the grade on the High Line.

Sounding like a Thin Lizzy song the boys are down at Dino's with this week's man of the hour 1/87th scale John B for all the 1/87th scale pizza and beer they can handle courtesy of N.Y.C.T.L. management.  

In continued testing the the BB SD45-SD40 combo easily handled coal trains up to 65 cars. There was some slight slipping on the 65 car train so I added a powered / dummy set of Athearn BB GP38-2s that I painted in 2014. I originally tried them at the rear of the train but that did not fare well. Here's a look at the four PC units on the head end of a 65 car coal train.

Unit Coal Train: USA-1 Hudson Coal via Terminal Yard to US                                              Steel at Ashtabula Ohio. 
Engines: 6190, 6282, 7692, 8024.
Loads: 65. Empties: 0
Caboose: 980796

Thanks John!

Thanks for reading and watching!!!

The Facades at Terminal Yard

Greetings All,

The title says it all. "The Facades at Terminal Yard". Now say that three times fast!

Today we'll take a look at the continuing background work going on at Terminal Yard...

The local pop group 'The Facades' wait for their train to come in while standing on the passenger platform at Terminal Yard in front of one of their namesake facades.

The newly added Terminal Station facade complete with doors to access the passenger platform finishes this side of the room.

 Making the turn with another group of facade buildings

The view from the room entrance. Just what I wanted! A decent city / urban backdrop for Terminal Yard. The bare wood just visible to the left will be the next part of the project .

The rear 3 1/2" of the re-purposed old work bench is not suitable for laying track so I plan to use these reused shelf frames at the back of the bench work for train storage. 

The first facade is in and some ground cover has been added to add color and enhance the scene.

The next series of facades is this large storage facility. Having looked online and in printed media these types of buildings were a big part of the pre 1980 urban railroad scene. Many of the buildings I looked at had little to no windows so I went with the no window look. Large lettering for the company name, phone number etc. will add a lot to the backdrop. This will be an online industry with an eight car siding.    

Some cardboard tubes atop the shelf show off some of the possibilities here. Some billboards and other roof top details will have this looking like the urban industrial railroad I've always envisioned.

Getting the Terminal Yard expansion totally operational is one of my goals for 2018. Track has been ordered and with winter weather here in the South right around the corner it'll be a perfect time to hunker down in the basement and get the track work and wiring done.

Thanks for reading!