Penn Central Car Movements #78 / N.Y.C.T.L. Grain Train Ops Part 2

 Greetings All,

Welcome back to Penn Central Car Movements #78!!

P.C.C.M. #78, a one weekend three layout Grain Train virtual op with Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific RR and PC Ralph's Kings Port Division forwarding loaded grain cars to the Pier 16 Grain Silos for overseas export continues today. 

We pick up the action with the 16 Job pulling the grains cars from Rock Ridge Cargill out of the Pier 16 yard. They'll take the scenic route to the Pier 16 Silos by going down track #9 to the right and then back to the Silos on track #8E to the left.

The 16 Job shoves the cars from Rock Ridge along on Track #8E as a truck hostler prepares to spot a trailer on the T.O.F.C Ramp. The cars from Empire Grain wait on track #8A. 

The Rock Ridge boys are shoved into Pier 16 Silos track #1 for unloading.

A few hours later the 16 Job couples up to a block of the Empire Grain Hoppers.

Grain Hoppers from Empire Grain get shoved to the Pier 16 Silos. Empty Grain Hoppers get pulled for return to Rock Ridge Cargill.

Empty grain hoppers and caboose #26043 going back to Rock Ridge Cargill are shoved into Track #4.

The head end of the Rock Ridge Cargill train includes AP emergency grain car #2794. RS-1s 9921 (ex PRR 5621) and 9909 (ex NYC 8109) were renumbered according to the 1966 pre merger agreement renumbering plan. 

The 16 Job couples up to another block of Empire Grain hoppers.

The 16 Job spots the Empire Grain hoppers at the Pier 16 Silos

The Grain Hoppers keep rolling in and the 16 Job's RS-1s are getting quite a workout.

Now empty, the Empire Grain hoppers are pulled from the silos.

The 16 Job brings a block of empty grain cars going back to Empire Grain to Terminal Yard.

Another block of Empire Grain empties are shoved into Track #1.

Fast forward several hours and we find Extra 7675 going to Rock Ridge Yard easing out of Track #4. Extra 6533 sitting on track #1 going to West Mill will follow shortly.

Extra 7675 rolls thru Bedford

Next stop Rock Ridge!!

Another train of inbound grain hoppers arrives at Terminal Yard. Extra 6533 will depart as soon as the yard lead is clear.

Extra 6533 heads out of Terminal Yard.

Extra 6533 rolls thru Bedford

Next stop West Mill!!

This concludes the NYCTL's portion of the Grain Train Ops.

Be sure to follow the action on Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific RR and

PC Ralph's Kings Port Division.

Thanks for reading and watching!!!

See ya soon!!

Penn Central Car Movements #78 / NYCTL Grain Train Ops Part 1

Greetings All,

Welcome to Penn Central Car Movements #78!!

P.C.C.M. #78 will be a one weekend three layout Grain Train virtual op with Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific RR and PC Ralph's Kings Port Division forwarding loaded grain cars to the Pier 16 Grain Silos for overseas export. Those empties will then be sent back to the originating railroads.

This may sound familiar to those who remember the "Great Grain Robbery" of 1972 when the US sold Russia ten million short tons of grain at subsidized prices which caused global grain prices to soar. But don't focus on that, this grain is for European export.

We open up at the Empire City Cargill facility with the Empire Belt RR pulling out a string of loaded grain hoppers.

The grain cars from Cargill are coupled onto the caboose and EBRR Train EB-2 is ready to head out to the Pier 16 Grain Silos.

EBRR Train EB-2 passes Bedford Station

Train EB-2 arrives at Terminal Yard and we see APRR emergency grain car #2735 make it's virtual ops debut.

Train EB-2 heads past Terminal Warehouse & Cold Storage where the train will be spotted. 

The caboose is reclaimed and the EBRR engines will head back to Empire City caboose light.

The EBRR has to wait on the Bedford Secondary for Extra 3175 

Extra 3175 rumbles thru Bedford with a string of loaded grain cars from the large Rock Ridge NJ Cargill complex served by the Atlantic Pacific Railroad.

APRR emergency grain car #2794 makes it's virtual ops debut and PC caboose #26043 brings up the markers.

Extra 3175 rolls into Terminal Yard on Track #1.

After cutting off from the train the 3175 and 7675 head into the engine terminal.

Hot on the heels of Extra 3175 is Extra 2822. 

Extra 2822 arrives in Terminal Yard with grain hoppers from several Catskill Mountain grain producers and the massive Empire Grain complex in West Mill that is served by the PC Kings Port Division.

Extra 2822 heads down track 8.

Extra 2822's power has cut off and heads into the engine terminal.

With 2822's power now in the clear the Terminal Yard yard job shoves the grain cars from Rock Ridge Cargill towards Pier 16.

The cars from Rock Ridge are in the Pier 16 Yard and the yard job heads back to Terminal Yard as we see two Alco RS-1s working the Pier 16 Grain Silos.

On the return the yard job pulls the caboose from Extra 2822's train.

Now we turn our attention to the Pier 16 Job (16 Job) as they shuffle loads and empties to and from the silos.

The 16 Job brings a string of empties to Terminal Yard.

We'll cut it here today with the empties shoved into Track #1 to await departure.

We'll pick it up tomorrow starting with the 16 Job pulling the string of loaded Rock Ridge Cargill grain cars out of the Pier 16 Yard.

Tomorrow we'll get the cars from both Rock Ridge and West Mill unloaded at Pier 16 and sent back to their respective RRs.

Be sure to follow the action on Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific RR and

PC Ralph's Kings Port Division.

Thanks for reading and watching!!!

See ya tomorrow!!

Emergency Grain Cars

 Greetings All,

In April 2018 Model Railroader had an article on Emergency Grain Cars that used used old stock cars for transporting grain. In the April 2018 Cody's Workshop episode 26 Cody Grivno supplied some prototypical information and described his process for converting the cars.

The emergency grain cars were used in the early 1970s and perfect for the PC era. Here is a photo of BN ex NP 82814 seen at Fort Worth, Texas in December 1973. The cars may have been for online use only.

I had three colorful stock cars from Bachmann in my purgatory box for years and thought they might enjoy a second life. Here is newly painted AP 2794 ready for grain service.

Under the spotlight you can easily see the cardstock placed behind the slats. The project was pretty simple. The colorful cars were painted with rattle can gloss black. The custom made AP decals fit the cars perfectly. Putting the load limit etc data on the slats under the road numbers wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

AP 2735 has been weathered with Doc O'Brien's Weathering Powders to reflect the cars age and somewhat decrepit condition.

I just don't like the feel of the powders on my fingers so the 2735 and the two 2794s received a shot of Testor's Dullcote that toned down their weathering. All three cars received Intermountain metal wheels, and body mounted Kadee #5 couplers.

One AP 2794 and the 2735 will remain with the NYCTL for service between the Pier 16 Silos and Empire City Cargill. 

One AP 2794 has been forwarded to Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific RR for use in the virtual ops. Look for it in this unit grain train out of Rock Ridge Yard in our upcoming P.C.C.M. 78.

When not in virtual ops usage my AP 2794 and AP 2735 will be run between the Empire City Cargill and Pier 16 Grain Silos as a two for one service which is what I believe the BN did with their cars.

I'm pleased with the project as it gives me two distinctive emergency grain cars that are prototypical for the period I mostly run on the layout. This project also gave the three cars a second life getting them out of the purgatory box.

Sir Neal has the option of ordering more emergency grain cars for his layout to service the large Rock Ridge Cargill Facility. The APRR however is set in the present and I believe Sir Neal has more covered hoppers than most 1:1 railroads😉. But the offer is there...

Thanks for reading!!

See ya soon!!

A Tale Of Two More Cabooses

 Greetings All,

"I need another caboose like I need a hole in the head" was a recent statement I made to my friend PC Ralph. This was after "innocently scrolling thru ebay"(a PC Ralph phrase) and purchasing two caboose kits at prices that I just couldn't pass up.

Which brings to mind the well used "Hello, my name is John and I'm a trainaholic..." This is a phrase coined by my friend Sir Neal ("Hello, my name is Neal and I'm a trainaholic") that he uses as the opening in some of our email correspondence. 

It's obvious that with friends like these I'm gonna need a bigger bank account! But without any buyer's remorse I present my two newest cabooses. 

First up is this Bowser PC N-5 caboose #19153 kit.

According to Hebner's caboose page the PRR N-5 was designed and built between 1914 and 1917 and was the first all steel cabin car. The PRR built 925 N-5 cabooses that were numbered 476694 - 477619. They were renumbered into the PC 19000 series but were not consecutively numbered.

The N-5 kit has received Kadee #5 couplers, metal wheels, extra weight, an ACI label and window glazing. PC #19152 circa 1978 looks like a pretty good match to the model with the exception of the two part COTS panels that would have been added around 1974*.

The N-5, which we learned was the first all steel cabin car, shows it was designed for the mountainous helper operations that the PRR was famous for.

PC N5 #19153 ready for its first revenue run on the layout. Can non revenue equipment make a revenue run? 😉 Prototypically speaking this N5 caboose was 50 plus years old during the PC era!

The next caboose is a Bowser undecorated N-5C that I've painted as Penn Central #23011 as seen in this June 1969 photo. This was one of those I've got the paint, I've got the decals, all I need is the model purchases. You model railroaders can understand that... Right?

The kit is partially assembled, painted with Krylon Satin Sea Glass rattle can paint and ready for decals.

According to Hebner's Caboose Page the Pennsylvania RR built 199 N5C cabooses starting in 1942 numbering them 477820 - 478019. They were later renumbered to Penn Central 23000 - 23179. 169 N5Cs made it to Conrail.

The 23011 is completed and ready for service. Kadee #5 couplers, Intermountain metal wheels, "window glazing" and extra weight have been added.  

The N5C end detail shows how the PRR built these cabooses to withstand the force of seven thousand plus HP shoving these cabooses and their trains up the Alleghenies. 

PC N5C #23011 on it's first run.

COTS information from Chris van der Heide's Algoma Central in HO Scale blogpost dated September  29, 2017

Thanks for reading!!!!

See ya soon!!

How Not To Operate A Railroad!

 Greetings All,

We've all read about different operating systems for model railroads. Whether it's DCC or DC, Car Cards or JMRI operator error will bring things to an abrupt halt. Here's a couple of recent NYCTL mishaps.

Empire Belt RR caboose #1606 was a  P.C.C.M. 77 casualty. 

While being shoved out of the engine terminal it was shoved thru a closed turnout and derailed. The coupler pin caught on the next turnout and the coupler box and porch were ripped off. Ouch...

On another day the Empire Belt Alco F units were in town and conductor John cajoled PC Ralph to let him try his hand as engineer while a skeptical Sir Neal looked on.

Let's just say the ops didn't go as planned.

Unfortunately there were injuries when a steel coil plummeted down onto this unsuspecting prison work crew.

Call out the big hook!

Cause of derailment was found to be that the wrong turnout was thrown. Instead of the cars being shoved into track #2 they were shoved into track #3 and came to an abrupt stop when they met the EBRR SDP40s.

The wreck train arrives.

The big hook and the big hand get to work.

The cleanup is underway. Some of the derailed cars are set off on the storage track for future inspection.

The good news is that the injuries were minor, EBRR caboose 1606 has been repaired and is back in service and none of the derailed freight cars appear to have been damaged.

The EBRR Alcos were brought to Terminal Yard, passed their inspection and returned to service. 

The bad news is that conductor John's application to engineer school was ripped up and he'll be riding the caboose when he returns from his thirty day suspension.

Thanks for reading

See ya soon!!!