The Great Train Store Haul

 Greetings All,

On June 3rd, 2022 Trainmaster Models in Auburn, Georgia had a 50% off sale on used items. I was looking to enhance my TOFC traffic and had seen some Athearn BB trailers when 1:1 scale ATJOE1972 and and I visited the store a few weeks prior to the sale. I arrived at the store just after it opened and I succeeded in adding to my TOFC trains big time.

Here is a look at the total haul. Hello, my name is John and I'm a trainaholic...

Tractors and trailers for increased TOFC traffic. The DC trailers are Denver-Chicago Trucking that ATJOE reports seeing around Denver when he was growing up. The two green tractors are painted and lettered for Time-DC after Denver-Chicago merged with the Time System in 1973.

The white trailers are lettered for Bud of California an agricultural company based in Monterey, CA.

To haul the new trailers as well as the trailers already in my trucking fleet I found two Walthers 89' TOFC Flatcars painted and lettered as ATSF #29530 and New Orleans Public Belt (NOPB) #101012.

I found three two sets of single trailer TOFC cars lettered for the Union Pacific, Canadian Pacific and Canadian National from McKean Models. Here is a photo of the actual CN 686153 

A pair of Central of Georgia 2 bay covered hoppers from Roundhouse and Branchline respectively and a PRR focal orange caboose from Bowser round out the freight car purchases.

Now for the locomotives! An Alco-Austria B&O S-2. An SP RS-11 and D&H C-424 from Atlas-Kato. All three ran great right out of the box. The RS-11 and C-424 are paint shop candidates. The "BINO" unit may or may not get repainted.

Last but definitely not least a Proto 2000 PRR E-8A and an Atlas Master Series Conrail MP15DC. Both of these locomotives ran well out of the box and the MP15DC appears to have never before been removed from its box.

It will be a busy and enjoyable time at the workbench as I get these  kits built and locomotives into service!!! I'll post about the  projects as the summer progresses and provide information about their 1:1 counterparts if any. 

Thanks for reading!!!

See ya soon!!!

Freight Car Spotlight #5 -2022 / Empire Belt RR Express Boxcar #9582

 Greetings All,

Freight Car Spotlight #5 -2022

Empire Belt RR Express Boxcar #9582

Looking to add an Express Car to my fleet that would be a track cleaning car and look at home in a passenger train Empire Belt RR #9582 is now in service. 

The Model 

A purgatory box Bachmann 50' Milwaukee Road boxcar was the starting point.

The car has been painted rattle can gloss gray.

The decal mock up process begins. I'm using black EBRR decals made for me by our late friend Engineer Ed, Microscale NYC diesel decals for the white stripe, NYC headend car decals for the Express Car decal and a set of freight car data decals.

The steel weight has been removed and one and a half ounces of weight has been added. Body mounted knuckle couplers have been installed along with Intermountain 33" metal wheelsets.

A track cleaning pad of a Masonite type of hardboard is added.

The track cleaning surface. I used wooden dowels to attach it to the car so if I sand it for cleaning the dowel will sand down as well. 

The all important Height Gauge check!

The EBRR express car on the headend of a passenger train looking pretty good.

The EBRR express car is coupled to an ATSF express car.

The EBRR 9582 and ATSF both have freight car data necessary for freight car interchange. Without the data the cars would be confined to passenger or online service only.

The EBRR express car is part of a four express car consist. Note the NYC cars have only reporting marks confining them to passenger service and online service.

As passenger service spirals downward the EBRR 9582 can also be used in freight service. Its eye catching paint and lettering will make it an easy car to spot!

Thanks for reading!!!

See you soon!!!

Penn Central Car Movements #93 Part 6 / Conclusion of Virtual Op

Greetings All,

Welcome back to Penn Central Car Movements #93!!!

Our three layout virtual op with my NYCTL interchanging freight traffic with 1:1 Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific RR and PC Ralph's Kings Port Division concludes today with local deliveries and the final interchange of our inbound trains.

We open up today at Terminal Yard and find Alco Joe called for Train EC-1, a transfer run to Empire City with freight traffic for the Empire Belt and Long Island RRs. Alco Joe is pleased to see the three turbocharged GP20s powering the long train.

The EC-1 heads towards Empire City.

The EC-1 has made it to Empire City and the Empire Belt trainmen are out to meet the train as it arrives in North Side Yard.

The EC-1 brings its freight consist into North Side Yard.

GP20 Joe has coupled onto his caboose and exchanges PCCM scuttlebutt with the EBRR trainmen. Conductor Murray has turned over the waybills and has found someone else to wave to.

The GP20s and caboose head back to Terminal Yard.

A short time later the conductor John has the waybills and drill list in hand and briefs the guys on today's moves.

EBRR Senior Engineer Sir Neal brings the Empire City Local onto the secondary track.

 

The first move for today is to spot empty BAR 57' reefer #11128 at Empire Produce for its next PCCM load.

The ECL is now working Neal's Lumber & Hardware with the assistance of PC Ralph. EBRR boxcar #358160 loaded with wood paneling for Mike's Lumber in Rock Ridge NJ is getting pulled out.

PC boxcar #77047 loaded with bagged landscape rock from Hedberg Aggregates and NYC boxcar #47062 loaded with bricks from Port Owen Brick get spotted at Neal's Lumber & Hardware.

The E.C.L. has begun working the east side industries and pulls PC gondola #288673 loaded with pipe for the Hudson Valley Ag Co Op from Gervais Pipe & Fitting.

The next move is to spot the three loaded cars below at Ralph's Grocery Warehouse. PC #229046 is loaded with boxed cake mix from Blue Ribbon Flour. PC #142770 is loaded with paper products from Marcal. The Tropicana RBL is loaded with juice products from the Rock Ridge NJ Tropicana Plant.

Two Evans coil coaches loaded with steel coils from Kings Port Steel are spotted at Gervais Pipe & Fitting.

Two empty EBRR gondolas are spotted at Gervais for their next PCCM loads.

It's time to work the Cargill Plant. Sir Neal has made the shove move into Cargill to pull a group of non PCCM covered hoppers.

Getting shoved into the Cargill siding are three Penn Central covered hoppers loaded with wheat flour from the large Rock Ridge NJ Cargill Facility.

 

 With the east side switching done the E.C.L. moves west.

Always considerate Sir Neal has stopped the E.C.L. so conductor John has a short walk to the office from his caboose.

As the hour grows late and the freight cars are piling up with more on the way the EBRR crew decides this is a good time to run their Train EB-4, an as needed transfer run to Terminal Yard. Sir Neal has pulled the U-Boats off the E.C.L. and heads to North Side Yard.

PC Ralph has coupled the EBRR SDP40s on the the freight consist. This will become EBRR Train EB-4.

The EB-4 pumps up the air and awaits confirmation from the Penn Central dispatcher that he has a slot to move them thru Bedford to Terminal Yard.

Train EB-4 is on the move!

After meeting EBRR Train EB-4 in Bedford Long Island RR Train MA-3 from Fresh Pond Yard arrives in North Side Yard to interchange freight cars.

LIRR engineer Jimmy Alco is greeted by EBRR Senior Engineer Sir Neal and gives him a report on today's MA-3 consist.

Sir Neal rides the locomotive as Jimmy Alco comes back into the yard to collect the PCCM freight cars going to LIRR served industries.

The locomotives are coupled on and build up the air as Jimmy Alco talks over the PCCM 93 virtual op with conductor John and Sir Neal. 

Conductor John has turned over the PCCM waybills to his fellow LIRR conductor:

Six 57' reefers from C&P Restaurant Supply to Pilgrim State Hospital

Three gondola of scrap from the APRR engine Terminal for Gershow Recycling

IC boxcar #30130 from Van Winkle Canning to Pilgrim State Hospital

EL boxcar 373510from Port Owen Brick to Gotham Builders

Morton Salt covered hopper from Morton Salt to Ronzoni

Cargill covered hopper from Blue Ribbon Flour to Ronzoni

Jimmy Alco brings LIRR Train MA-4 towards Fresh Pond Yard.

Put it in the books!!!!

This concludes the NYCTL's portion of PCCM #93. I hope you enjoyed following along.

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

Thanks for reading and watching!!!

See you soon!!!

Penn Central Car Movements #93 Part 5 / The Inbound Cycle Continues.

  Greetings All,

Welcome back to Penn Central Car Movements #93!!!

Our three layout virtual op with my NYCTL interchanging freight traffic with 1:1 Sir Neal's Atlantic Pacific RR and PC Ralph's Kings Port Division continues today with deliveries of our inbound trains.

We open up at Terminal Yard with Wet Willie letting Alco Joe know that the other RS-2 in the engine terminal is out of service and this is the only Alco left to power today's Bedford Turn, train BT-27.

The Bedford Turn departs Terminal Yard.

Conductor Murray guides the BT-27 into the Bedford industrial siding to make the long pull.

With the siding cleared, empty AP boxcar #58260 is spotted at University Millwork for its next PCCM load.

Two EBRR covered hoppers loaded with flour from the Rock Ridge Cargill Facility are spotted at the Hostess Plant.

Across from Bedford Station the BT-27 pulls non PCCM cars from the Schaefer/ Neubaum's siding.

Now being spotted at the Schaefer Brewery is an empty non PCCM Schaefer reefer and two EBRR boxcars for their next PCCM loads.

Today's PC Train SP-10 (Selkirk to Terminal Yard ) passes the BT-27 RS-2 at Bedford Station and proceeds to Terminal Yard.

With Train SP-10 now in the yard Alco Joe has the Bedford Turn back together and prepares to return to Terminal Yard.

The Bedford Turns returns to Terminal Yard.

It's a busy time in Terminal Yard with both the BT-27 and SP-10 in the yard and ready to be worked. Big Mike has coupled up to the SP-10 caboose, Kar Knocker is ready to inspect the train and conductor Murray gives the guys a friendly wave. 

Alco Joe returns the RS-2 to the engine terminal and confers with engine hostler Wet Willie.

Over in Bedford Park Yard Robert R is working the Bedford Park Yard Job and is busy pulling empty boxcars from the Ford  Plant.

Both the empty APRR and EBRR 86'ers will be forwarded back to IDEAL Auto Parts in Rock Ridge NJ for their next PCCM loads in a future PCCM.

A non PCCM loaded auto rack gets pulled from the Ford Plant.

Robert R holds at Bedford Tower and awaits clearance to proceed to Terminal Yard as Train BP-12.

Train BP-12 heads to Terminal Yard.

It's another fast turnaround as Robert R couples up to the next hot cars needed at the Bedford Park Ford Plant.

Train BP-41A heads to Bedford Park Yard.

The BP-41A arrives in the cozy confines of Bedford Park Yard.

After a runaround move Robert R prepares to work the Ford Plant.

The first PCCM rush car of auto parts shoved into the Ford Plant siding is this PRR 86'er.

The next PCCM rush car of auto parts shoved into the Ford Plant is  APRR 86'er #86027.

With the Ford Plant assembly line humming along we'll cut it here for today as Robert R ties down the 8598 in Bedford Park Yard.

We'll pick it tomorrow at Terminal Yard where Alco Joe is called for Train EC-1, a transfer run to Empire City with freight traffic for the Empire Belt and Long Island RRs.

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

Thanks for reading and watching!!!

See you tomorrow!!!