P.C.C.M. 46B

Greetings All,

Welcome back to the second installment of P.C.C.M. 46!

We pick up the action back at Bedford Station with 1/87th scale AT JOE's Bedford Local holding for the Penn Central manifest train coming at us on track 2. And yes AT JOE reports that guy is listening to Funky Town!

The Bedford Local conductor gives the inbound train a visual inspection from his NYC caboose.                                                     

Over at Terminal Yard yard crew A is busy sorting out the freight cars from Bedford Park brought in by BP-12.

While that's happening yard crew B is over at the shop pulling two gondolas of scrap wheels for Sal's Salvage in Kings Port NY on the KPD.

Yard crew B shoves the KP&W and M.C.R.R. gondolas out of the engine terminal while 1/87th scale Sir Neal's E.B.R.R. engines await their turn at the fuel rack.

The B crew next stops at the T.O.F.C. track and pulls two loaded T.O.F.C cars for Williams Yard in Kings Port NY

Getting busy on the A side! The Bedford Local is arriving on track 9. The A crew is working on track 8 with cars just dropped there by the B crew and with cars from BP-12.

The PRR and APRR 86' boxcars and Tropicana RBL to the left are being blocked for the APRR. The cars being worked on Track 8 are being blocked for the KPD and the Bedford Local is bringing in more cars that will need to be worked. Just another routine day!

1/87th scale Engineer Ed newly assigned to the Coal Job shoots the breeze with 1/87th scale senior engineer Sir Neal on the pad. You know the topics are #1 How did you rate a pair of GP40s for the Coal Job and #2 what's with the orange C? Two mysteries not yet solved!

1/87th scale Double E and the Coal Job have left Terminal Yard in front of EC-3 to allow them to work T&R Gravel and switch out the four PS-2 covered hoppers loaded with sand for the APRR Engine Facility.

The Coal Job's work at T&R Gravel is completed and the C.J. is now holding at Bedford on track 3 while E.B.R.R. Train EC-3 makes it's way towards Empire City. 1/87th scale E.E. is out to give EC-3 an inspection.

1/87th scale senior engineer Sir Neal guides EC-3 thru the west side onto the industrial lead at Hohman Ave and is greeted by tower operator Larry D.

EC-3 is shoving back towards the East Side as 1/87th scale Sir Neal admires one of his APRR cars sitting at Empire Produce.

EC-3 pulls three empty PC covered hoppers from the E.C. Cargill facility. The empties are going back to the large Cargill Plant in Rock Ridge NJ that is served by the APRR.

EC-3 is now pulling two empty KP&W Breadbox Trough Cars from Gervais Pipe & Fitting. The empties are going back to Kings Port Steel in Kings Port NY.

EC-3 has shoved back to Ralph's Grocery Warehouse to pull the two APRR 50' RBLs loaded with packaged food for C&P Restaurant Supply in Rock Ridge NJ.

EC-3 is now at Neal's Lumber & Hardware in midtown pulling a loaded E.B.R.R. 50' RBL boxcar loaded with wood paneling for Mikes Lumber located in Rock Ridge NJ.

Back at Empire Produce EC-3 pulls APRR #56279 loaded with perishables for C&P Restaurant Supply in Rock Ridge NJ.

With the switch work completed 1/87th scale Sir Neal is on the Empire City viaduct checking out the newly painted and now stored APRR / EBRR /PC covered hoppers.  

With the E.B.R.R. awaiting clearance to head back onto the High Line for the trip to Terminal Yard as Train EC-4 I'll close it out here for today. Tomorrow I'll wrap it up and dispatch the trains from Terminal Yard to Selkirk.

Thanks for reading! 

P.C.C.M. 46A

Greetings All,

P.C.C.M. #46 is underway!

The N.Y.C.T.L. has been designated as the originating layout for the action that will go from east to west and span four layouts as of this writing. I'll start by gathering up outbound freight cars consigned to industries on Ralph's K.P.D. layout, 1:1 Sir Neal's A.P.R.R. layout and Brian's Ralston Creek RR layout. Then I'll dispatch the outbound cars in freight trains bound for Selkirk where Ralph will takeover. 

The action starts in the wee hours at Terminal Yard with 1/87th scale PC Ralph and his trusty conductor/brakeman checking in at the yard office prior to leaving the yard with Train BP-41 that will work Bedford Park industries.

BP-41 led by an Alco RS-1 heads thru Bedford NY towards Bedford Park and meets the Bedford Local being run by none other than newly minted engineer 1/87th scale AT JOE (Brian's alter ego).

Arriving at Bedford Park BP-41's first move is to swap empties for loads at the Ford Chemical Track. The empty Celanese tank car will be heading back to Celanese Chemical's Globeville plant on Brian's Ralston Creek layout 

Next stop is to pick up Ralph Island #35062 loaded at American Hardware with bulk hardware for Van Winkle Canning in Bloomberg NY on Ralph's K.P.D. layout

Meanwhile over in Empire City outside of the Empire Belt RR's North Side Yard 1/87th scale Senior Engineer Sir Neal gets clearance from Hohman Ave Tower operator 1/87th scale Larry D. 1/87th scale sir Neal will couple up to the string of cars including the Tropicana RBL and will be heading to Terminal Yard as Train EC-2. 

E.B.R.R. Train EC-2 heads towards Terminal Yard and meets BP-41 at Bedford Station. Once EC-2 clears BP-41 will head to the Empire City west side reverse curve to orient the train to work the Ford Plant.

EC-2 making good time heading towards Terminal Yard. The Tropicana RBL will be heading back to the large NJ Tropicana Plant on Sir Neal's A.P.R.R. layout

BP-41 crosses over to track 2 and gets a highball from Bedford Tower operator 1/87th scale John B.

BP-41 comes thru the west side reverse curve and is greeted at the Hohman Ave Tower by tower operator 1/87th scale Larry D.

BP-41 is back at the Bedford Park Ford Plant where it will pull three empty 86' Auto parts boxcars and two loaded Auto Racks

The empty PRR and APRR 86' boxcars will be going back to IDEAL Auto Parts on the APRR and the NYC 86' boxcar will be going back to ACME Auto Parts on the KPD.

With it's work at Bedford Park completed BP-41 has now turned toward Terminal Yard and is designated as Train BP-12 for this trip

BP-12 heads back to Terminal Yard. This remains one of my favorite trains to rail fan.
BP-12 climbs the grade to Terminal Yard behind Hudson Coal's newest billboard.

BP-12 has arrived at Terminal Yard

Over at the Terminal Yard engine tracks 1/87th scale AT JOE has traded in his Baldwin S12 for a trio of ALCO four axle Centuries to handle the tonnage of the next Bedford Local. 

1/87th scale AT JOE gets ready to head out and work the industries at Bedford NY.  

First job is to swap loads for empties at the Heileman Brewery. The loaded EBRR 50' boxcar is heading out to Centennial Beverage Distributors in Denver CO on Brian's Ralston Creek layout.

The Bedford Local is now working the long siding that includes Hostess, Berk Enterprises and University Millwork. The empty Bi-Centennial Hostess covered hopper is going back to Cargill on the APRR 

The train has shoved back to Berk Enterprises to pick up P&E 40' boxcar #3638 loaded with packaging material for Cavendish Fine Foods in Mayfied NY on the KPD.

Continuing the long shove the Local is now pulling these four loaded cars from Univeristy Millwork. The TPFX 5510 and PC 360158 are loaded with cabinets for Battaglia Bros. warehouse in Kings Port NY.

1/87th scale AT JOE has to hold at Bedford Tower for an inbound Penn Central manifest train before he can make his run around move and head back to Terminal Yard. Viewers of History of the World Part 1 know that workman's listening to Funky Town!

The PC manifest train makes it's way thru Bedford as the conductor watches from the NYC 'Road to the Future' bay window caboose.

That's a wrap for today. We'll pick it up tomorrow with the early afternoon action in and around Terminal Yard, Bedford and Empire City.

Thanks for reading!

A Bakers Dozen Paint Project and a Community Improvement Project

Greetings All,

Once again the N.Y.C.T.L.'s Car Shop and Patti O Paint Shop has received a build and paint order from the Atlantic Pacific Railroad. A.P.R.R. President and C.E.O. 1:1 Sir Neal purchased nine three bay covered hoppers, three six bay covered hoppers and an EMD GP40 to meet the demands of increased rail traffic in and around the A.P.R.R.'s Rock Ridge NJ industrial base.

Newly built and painted Atlas GP40 and Atlas Cylindrical Covered Hoppers drying at Big Tom's Tavern waiting their turn for decals.

Prepping the cars and decals for the project. Decals are from Highball Graphics, Rail Graphics and Microscale.

The decals are ready. They've been cut and sorted. Each container represents the full amount of decals needed for one car. The three sets with the PC logos will be applied to the six bay hoppers.

The covered hoppers and GP40 are now lettered and in the decal setting phase. Several applications or more of Walthers Solvaset will be applied to ensure the decals are set properly. The A.P.R.R. is the dominant road name for the project, and rightfully so.

Looking closely we see two E.B.R.R. six bay covered hoppers with parent road Penn Central heralds and two more traditionally lettered E.B.R.R. lettered covered hoppers.

PC GP40 #3175 sports the rare orange C applied to a small group of newly purchased GP40s in October 1968.

The covered hoppers just released from the Terminal Yard Shop.  

 A six bay Penn Central covered hopper.

Another six bay covered hopper with PC herald and subsidiary Empire Belt lettering, reporting marks and number. 

An E.B.R.R. three bay covered hopper. The lettering under the plate C box shows that this car is for 'unit train service' and should be routed home for repairs.

An Atlantic Pacific RR 87000 series three bay covered hopper. Note the lettering in the yellow box tells us "Return Empty to A.P.R.R. Rock Ridge Yard" These decals are courtesy of 1:1 Engineer Ed who made them on his computer. 

The 1/87th scale trainmen have gathered at Terminal Yard to check out the new engine and covered hoppers. The engine and hopper cars will be placed on a storage track until such time as the A.P.R.R.'s Rock Ridge Yard can accept the new cars. The storing of empty covered hoppers is a good business for the N.Y.C.T.L. and Terminal Yard.

Showing he's all class and community minded 1/87th scale Sir Neal's Lumber & Hardware has donated three concrete benches to the fledgling Empire City rail fan park as a tribute to the employees of the N.Y.C.T.L. Shops and their families. Sir Neal noted the lack of benches in my prior blog post and has stepped up to remedy that situation.

The Neal's Lumber & Hardware forklift operator carefully unloads the new benches from Neal's flatbed truck under the supervision of 1/87th scale Sir Neal Himself.

Carefully placing the final bench. Don't drop it!  

Rail fans are already taking advantage of 1/87th scale Sir Neal's largess and eagerly await the parade of trains that is sure to come.

It won't be long until the rail fans are treated to consists like this!

Thanks for reading!!!