Penn Central Car Movements #84 / N.Y.C.T.L. Part 1 / Coal Trains Get Dispatched

 Greetings All,

Welcome to Penn Central Car Movements #84!!!

The Coal Rush is on this weekend as Hudson Coal works to quench the thirst for black diamonds needed at industries and utilities on Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific RR and PC Ralph's Kings Port Division

We open up this one weekend virtual op at Terminal Yard with Alco Joe called for the first Coal Job of the day, Train CJ-1, that will work Hudson Coal. The GP20 consist is one of Alco Joe's favorites and today he is more than happy to be GP20 Joe!

Train CJ-1 exits Terminal Yard

The CJ-1 starts pulling loaded hoppers from Hudson Coal. This block that includes the NYC and PRR hoppers will be going to Corning Glass Works in Corning NY.

Conductor Murray rides the last loaded hopper out of Hudson Coal.

After dropping it's caboose and loaded hoppers on the Bedford Secondary the CJ-1 crosses onto the main.

Empty hoppers get shoved down the main towards Hudson Coal.

The empties are spotted for loading.

CJ-1 is back together and heads back to Terminal Yard as an RDC heads down Main #1 for Empire City Station.

Alco Joe brings the CJ-1 into Terminal Yard and over the weigh in motion scales as Kar Knocker inspects the train.

Over at the Empire Belt RRs North Side Yard in Empire City, N.Y. PC Ralph prepares to deliver ten empty EBRR coal hoppers to Terminal Yard. The hoppers, stored here in serviceable condition, were requested by the Penn Central. PC Ralph and senior engineer Sir Neal are happy to see them go and earn revenue.

EBRR Extra 6719 heads thru Bedford for Terminal Yard

PC Ralph brings the empties into Terminal Yard across the weigh in motion scale.

PC Ralph departs Terminal Yard caboose lite as Kar Knocker heads over to blue flag the train for inspection.

Kar Knocker has cleared the EBRR hoppers and Big Mike running the Yard Job couples up to them to build our second coal train of the day, Train CJ-2.

A surprise guest engineer from the NYCTL Extra Board is none other than senior engineer Sir Neal. Big Mike and Kar Knocker ask the obvious question. "What's a high stepper like Sir Neal doing on a local coal job with first generation power?" 

Sir Neal shows he hasn't lost the touch no matter what kind of train or power he is working with. Watch Train CJ-2 make its moves to exchange empties for loads at Hudson Coal.

CJ-2 is back together and ready to head back to Terminal Yard.

Sir Neal brings the CJ-2 into Terminal Yard and across the weigh in motion scales as Kar Knocker inspects the train.

With the Yard Job's usual U23Cs at Selkirk for their monthly inspection Big Mike and his Baldwin S12s start building our outbound coal trains. Both the PRR (87) and NYC (21) contributed S12s to the PC roster

Engine hostler Wet Willie has the power coupled on and Kar Knocker gets Coal Extra 6533 ready to depart.

Coal Extra 6533 heads thru Bedford NY with 12 loads of coal for the APRR's Rock Ridge Yard. 

 

Extra 6533 passes Bedford Tower as it heads for Selkirk, the River Line and Weehawken Yard.

Following Extra 6533 thru Bedford NY is Coal Extra 4348 bringing twenty four loads of coal to the Kings Port Division.

Coal Extra 4348 passes Bedford Tower on it's way to Selkirk and the River Line to the Kings Port Division.

This wraps up the NYCTL Outbound portion of P.C.C.M. 84. The loaded coal trains should arrive at their destinations by tomorrow. The A.P.R.R. and K.P.D. crews will handle interchanges and deliveries to their coal customers. The empties will be forwarded back to Terminal Yard on Sunday and we'll pick up the inbound portion there.

                 

Be sure to catch the action on PC Ralph's Kings Port Division and Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific RR.

Thanks for reading and watching!!!

See ya Sunday!!!!

40' Hi Cube Boxcar Project

 Greetings All,

Another joint APRR - NYCTL Paint Project is in the books! 

In May 2021, 1:1 Sir Neal, CEO and President of the 1:87 scale Atlantic Pacific Railroad, sent me a message that he had six 40' Hi Cube boxcars that were no longer being used on his layout and would I be interested in painting them for the virtual ops. I replied that I would and Sir Neal sent the box of cars my way.

The cars are Athearn Ready to Run Models that with Kadee couplers added and installed by 1:1 Sir Neal.

From the factory these cars are glued at their corners and Sir Neal made sure they came apart prior to shipping. Here are the cars on my workbench separated from their chassis and doors. 

Having been an APRR freight car painter for many years when I asked what color he wanted the cars 1:1 Sir Neal replied "do whatever you want". After stripping the factory paint in 91% Isopropyl Alcohol I'm doing what I want with the cars and painting them on the Patti O Paint Shop. I hope Sir Neal doesn't regret his decision!

Color #1, Rust-Oleum rattle can Gloss Sun Yellow has been applied and the cars are awaiting the next paint color

Color #2, Rust-Oleum Aluminum has been applied to the car roofs. 

Color #3, black rattle can paint was applied to the doors that are now attached.

Empire Belt #4385 and Atlantic Pacific #4194 start to take shape. 

Make no mistake working with the outside braced boxcars is very time consuming. Each car side took about forty five minutes to decal. This included cutting out all of the individual decals in the decal containers for that particular side. It does not include the time spent finding, selecting and cutting the decals that were placed in the containers.    

The end is in sight!!! The cars are now fully lettered with color #4, white, applied for the excess height requirement and decals. The cars are now in the Solvaset Phase. Once this is completed the cars will be sprayed with Testor's Dullcote.

I mentioned above about the searching and selecting of the decals used for this project Here are the decals from my decals box that were used for this project:

Atlantic Pacific RR black decals: originally made by Rail Graphics.

Empire Belt black decals: made by our late friend Engineer Ed.

COTS Panels & Excess Height decals: Highball Graphics.

White Stripe decals: (Color #4) Microscale 87-88 NYC Diesels.

Freight Car Data decals: Microscale MC-5023 Misc FMC Data.

Door Data decals: Microscale 87-286 Boxcar Door Markings White.

ACI Plate decals: Microscale MC-4280.

The boxcars have been released by the Paint Shop and sent to the Car Shop for additional weight and reassembly. 1:1 Sir Neal is big proponent of the NMRA weight standards and introduced me to the benefits of this.   

Each cars coupler height is checked with the Kadee Coupler Gauge.

The new Hi Cube Boxcars are released from the Shop!!!

1/87th scale Sir Neal and the EBRR guys are at the Terminal Yard shop for the release of the cars into revenue service.

1/87th scale Sir Neal inspects the new APRR #4194 and #4197. Hope he likes it!!!

Conductor John likes the look of the newest EBRR freight car!

The Hi Cubes are ready to earn revenue! Alco Joe, working the Bedford Turn (Train BT-27) has coupled up his Baldwin S12s and will be taking these empties for their first loads. (Baldwin Joe?) 

Three Hi Cubes roll into Bedford. 

The Hi Cubes are spotted at the Hostess Plant to be loaded with baked goods for ShopRite in Rock Ridge NJ. No better place than this for their first load as 1:1 Sir Neal was the inspiration for this industry. If you look carefully 1:87 scale Sir Neal is supervising from the overpass! Don't scratch the paint! No harsh coupling! Stop waving and set the brakes Murray!

Seeing Double Vision! The second set of Hi Cubes that will remain on the NYCTL are brought out to be spotted at Hostess. This is a good way to test both sets to make sure they are ready for interchange.

The three car set for the APRR heads back to Terminal Yard passing some of the first cars the Patti-O Paint Shop painted for the APRR. These new Hi Cubes will be boxed up and sent to the APRR. 

The NYCTL set will be loaded at Hostess. Look for them in a future PCCM / virtual op!

I think the project turned out very well and the cars both reflect the Increased Per Diem cars of the 1970s and more modern cars on the rails today. The paint and lettering look good. The extra weight and metal wheels have them rolling very well and wobble free. With the APRR furnished Kadee couplers these cars are definitely ready for revenue service.

Thanks for reading!!! 

See Ya Soon!!!  

Origins of Penn Central Train LI-2

 Greetings All,

Today we're going to take a look at the origins of Penn Central Train LI-2. 

In 1968 the newly formed Penn Central began diverting traffic from its ex PRR Greenville - Bay Ridge car floats to the River Line. In 1969 when the New Haven became part of the Penn Central all New Haven floating ceased and its traffic was routed to the faster, more reliable and less costly River Line.

In 1970 the New Haven route to the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) removed the LIRR traffic from the Greenville car floats. To accommodate this traffic the Penn Central built the "NAVE" (Newark Avenue) connection between the River Line and the ex PRR P&H Branch in Jersey City

With LIRR traffic now going to Selkirk PC Train LI-2 was born and would use the NH connection to the LIRR. The train would go east from Selkirk on the NH Beacon Branch into Connecticut and then come back going southwest into New York at Port Chester before heading south into the Bronx and over the Hell Gate Bridge to Fresh Pond Junction where the train was turned over to the LIRR.

In 1971 the connection at Beacon with the NYC Hudson Line and the New Haven Beacon Branch was upgraded to allow trains to operate between the NH Maybrook Line and the NYC Hudson Line to New York City. The LI-2 is reported to have been rerouted from Selkirk to the Hudson Line sometime after this. The 1974 timetable shows the LI-2 using the Beacon Branch Route.

Operations before the Penn Central Takeover:

Prior to January 1969 the New Haven Railroad had two east west gateways, one at Maybrook Yard and the other at the Bay Ridge Brooklyn Car float. 

The NH was part of the eight RR "Alphabet Route" with Maybrook being the Northeast connection of this east west freight service that competed with the PRR-NYC-ERIE and B&O.

The second east west gateway was the Bay Ridge 65th Street Yard where the PRR floated cars to and from Greenville NJ to Bay Ridge Brooklyn. 

The New Haven route thru Brooklyn, the Bay Bridge Branch, was owned by the LIRR, a PRR subsidiary until 1965 and the Queens portion of the route and the Hell Gate Bridge into the Bronx was owned by the New York Connecting Railroad, a paper RR jointly owned by the PRR and NH. The entire line was electrified with overhead catenary to power the NH electric freight trains.  Unfortunately the overhead catenary on the Bay Ridge Branch came down after the PC takeover.

During the New Haven era the NH interchanged cars with the Long Island RR at Fremont Street Tower in the Glendale neighborhood of Queens NY where the N.Y.C.R. met the L.I.R.R. FN Tower controlled the switches an signals.

A 1950 NH Timetable indicates that the New Haven dispatched westbound train M-7 "The Maine Cannonball" daily except Sat and Sun from Portland, Maine to Bay Ridge NY picking up LIRR cars  from around the system and delivering them to the LIRR at Fremont.

A second westward NH train, NG-1 departed Cedar Hill daily for Bay Ridge with cars for the LIRR at Fremont.

The timetable does not show any eastbound connection with the LIRR which I believe was due to the LIRR having it's own car float connections.  

N.Y.C.T.L. Model Railroad Operations: 

In PCCM 83 the large amount of virtual ops freight traffic for the LIRR coming from Ralph's KPD and Sir Neal's APRR gave me the opportunity to research Penn Central freight schedules and to once again run a fictional version of Penn Central Train LI-2.

Prior fictional versions of the LI-2 had been run in PCCM 63 in August 2019 and before that in PCCM 48 in June 2018 with both pretending to use the traditional Hudson Line routing for Empire City but with neither being a solid block for the LIRR.

The third time's the charm as this time I did the research into the train. While my LI-2 wasn't close to the prototypical operation of either the NH or PC it did add some enjoyable modeling and operational opportunities like reversing the train at Terminal Yard.

Delivering the entire train to the LIRR at North Side Yard was a fun twist to my normal operations here.

It may not make it to the virtual ops but even without catenary I like the look of this E33 combo rolling thru Empire City.   

Here's another look at my PCCM 83 version of the LI-2. It was enjoyable to run and as virtual ops traffic permits I plan to run that version of the LI-2 again with a solid block of freight cars for the LIRR. The only question then will be should I pretend it's coming off the Beacon Branch like in the video or the Hudson Line into Empire City. 

 

Resources:

Penn Central Railroad Color History by Peter E. Lynch

PC Post volume 22, number 1

Additional online reading and photographs:

Alphabet Route 

New York Connecting RR fan trip 2000

New York Connecting Railroad

Bay Ridge Branch

Fremont Tower

New Haven Freight 1950 Freight Schedule

Penn Central 1974 Freight Schedule

Thanks for reading!!!

See ya soon!!!

Penn Central Car Movements #83 / N.Y.C.T.L. Part 7 / The LI-2 and LIRR close it out

  Greetings All,

Welcome back to Penn Central Car Movements #83!!!

The Inbound cycle of our three layout virtual op with my N.Y.C.T.L. interchanging freight cars with PC Ralph's Kings Port Division and Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific RR concludes today.

The action starts with a little early morning excitement at North Side Yard. A pair of would be thieves are caught in the act of trying to break into P&E boxcar #3638.

P&E boxcar #3638 is loaded with REVCO kitchen gadgets that is awaiting delivery to Ralph's Grocery Warehouse. The ECPD police captain was heard to mutter that " these crooks are either idiots going to jail for trying to steal turnip twaddlers or there is a hot market for them we didn't know about!" Either way the crime doesn't pay today!

We open the railroad action at Bedford Park Yard with Robert R pulling a pair of hot auto parts cars from the yard for the Ford Plant.

Empty AP 86'ers and an EBRR 50"er get pulled from the Ford siding

The empties are placed in Bedford Park Yard.

AP 60' boxcar #615827 and EBRR 86' boxcar #67358 loaded with auto parts from IDEAL Auto Parts in Rock Ridge NJ are shoved into the Ford siding for unloading as the assembly line continues to hum.

Robert R ties down back in the yard. The empty AP and EBRR cars will head back to Rock Ridge Yard in a future PCCM.

Our focus now will be Penn Central Train LI-2 that ran from Selkirk NY down the Beacon Branch into CT and then back into NY going over the Hell Gate Bridge to Queens NY. 

With much modeling license I'm running the LI-2 with a solid block of cars for the LIRR like the actual PC LI-2 but will turn the train over to the LIRR at Empire City.

The LI-2 has come off the New York Connecting Railroad and into Empire City.

The LI-2 heads towards Empire City Station and makes the climb out of the lower level of Empire City.

Three H16-44s bring the LI-2 into Terminal Yard.

Kar Knocker gives the train a once over as it enters the yard. 

The yard job pulls off the working caboose.

The F-M diesels couple back on. 

The LI-2 heads towards North Side Yard.

The LI-2 arrives at North Side Yard as an LIRR crew stands by to receive the train.

The engines are uncoupled.

The caboose and engines head back to Terminal Yard caboose lite.

The train has been turned over to the LIRR and Jimmy Alco has coupled his caboose onto the consist. Jimmy reminisces with the EBRR guys back to the days of NH E-33s delivering the train to the LIRR at Fremont Street tower in Glendale Queens.

The LIRR engines are coupled on.

After a terminal air test Jimmy Alco brings the train out of the yard.

The LIRR heads thru Bedford

Next stop Fresh Pond!!! 

Put it in the books!!! That concludes the NYCTL's portion of P.C.C.M. #83. Be sure to catch the rest of the action on PC Ralph's Kings Port Division and Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific RR.

A future blog entry is planned to further examine both the PC Train LI-2 and the New Haven era Long Island Railroad interchange at Fremont Tower in Queens NY. I've  uncovered some good stuff so far that I think you'll find interesting.

Thanks for reading and watching!!!

See ya soon!!!