New York New Jersey Ops #2 - Part 1 - Freight for the NYCTL and more...!

Welcome everyone to our second New York New Jersey Ops! Our first one was a great success and we're going to continue having these virtual ops. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we enjoy making them. For those of you who are first time readers, Welcome! We move freight cars from my layout to Sir John's New York Central Train Layout and back via our blog posts. 

Today we're going to start pulling cars for the next train headed to Terminal Yard and North Side Yard on the NYCTL system. 

Yard Job RR-1 has AP SW1500 #101 with 1:87 Engineer Jim C. and AP SW1000 #102 with 1:87 Engineer Kai will handle the moves within Rock Ridge Yard.

We see the yard has a visitor! Could it be? Yes, it's none other than 1:87 Senior VP of the APRR Sir John!! We see him conferring with 1:87 Yardmaster NJ John. NJ John fills him in on today's moves and then NJ John gets the crew moving out!! NJ John doesn't need to impress anyone, as Sir John knows how well he handles the yard...

Jim works his way to the south side of the yard to pick up some cars from PC Richard & Son that will go to the PC Richard & Son distribution center on the NYCTL...

Jim grabs the three 40' Hi-Cube Box cars...

And spots them on arrival / departure track 'A'...

Next up is pulling some empty AP box cars from ShopRite. Those will go over to Freihofer's for their next VO move...

Kai is getting ready to grab the cars from Jim who pulled them from ShopRite...

Since ShopRite is a siding that requires a pull, and the track which will hold those cars is a one-way west ladder, Jim and Kai work together to move the cars...

Now, some non-VO cars will be brought over to ShopRite. These came from Bell & Evans loaded with packaged chicken...

Reefer cars spotted at ShopRite...

Cars are now spotted at ShopRite...

Next up, Kai heads over to Morton Salt. A pair of box cars loaded with bagged salt for Key Food on the NYCTL and the famous 'Morton Salt' covered hopper will head to Ronzoni for making some great pasta!

Jim grabs the cars from Kai...

And drops these cars on arrival / departure track 'B'...

Next up is AP GP38-2 #303 with 1:87 Engineer Mark with conductor Jim W. handling the run to Freihofers, Mike's Lumber and C&P Restaurant Supply as AP train RE-4...

Kai pulls the platform caboose from the engine so he can add some cars for Freihofers...

Seven cars will be spotted at Freihofers. While there, they'll pull 3 cars from Freihofers and 4 cars from Marcal. The PC cars at Marcal are loaded with paper products for Key Food. The other non-VO cars will head to other destinations once sorted at the yard...

The rest of the cars are pulled for Freihofers...

Mark awaits the signal to head out...

...And has the signal to depart the yard via CP Rock, the northern end of the yard...

A few minutes later Mark and Jim W. check in with CP South Tower Operator Rich T. for routing out of yard...

He slowly departs...

The signal to depart the yard limits is a solid Red, so Mark reaches out to Little Jamaica Tower Operator Steve telling him they're ready. Steve tells him to be patient and he'll clear him in a minute...

Steve gives Mark the signal to depart...

A short time later Mark arrives by Little Jamaica and calls Steve. Steve gives him the secondary track to make his moves...

The Jack Frost cars and Nestle box car are empties and will go to the yard until needed by their factories...

The Penn Central cars plus the two behind them will be pulled by the crew...

Mark and Jim drop the cars and then start the move over at Mike's Lumber...

The 4 TP&W cars at Mike's Lumber will head to University Millwork on the NYCTL loaded with hardwood...

Next stop is C&P Restaurant Supply. A couple of cars will be pulled. The BAR reefer will head to Pilgrim State Hospital on Long Island with frozen food, The black HRC 40' Box Car is empty and will get dropped off at American Hardware for its next NYNJ Ops move...

Mark and Jim have all of their cars and head back to the yard...

Rich T. clears them to the yard...

Another stop at CP South for routing up the ladder...

Rich T. tells them they'll head up the west ladder and then park his engine and caboose in the yard...

Meanwhile, heading to Rock Ridge Yard is an EL steel train from Bethlehem Steel. The 4 AP gondolas are empty and will head to Gervais Pipe. The 4 EB gondolas have steel products for Mid Island Steel. All 8 cars will be dropped to their respective industries by the NYCTL Empire Belt crew. The 3 non-VO cars are for Shapeless Steel...

El Train #1202 is being held at the Rock Ridge Yard Limits until the crew can clear out AP train RE-4...

The EL crew has the signal to head into the yard...

A stop at CP South to pick up orders from Rich T as to where he will be routed in the yard...

The AP crew works with the EL crew to drop the cars in the yard...

The remaining 3 non-VO cars will head over to Shapeless Steel when the next crew makes a run...

The EL crew gets ready to head out. Before they return to their home yard in Bethlehem, PA they'll stop at the AP's Richmond Hill Engine Terminal for refueling and any small servicing it may need...

Rich T waves to the crew as they head out...

The signal is up and EL GP35 moves out...

Next stop, Richmond Hill Engine Terminal!!

There's one more move that NJ John wants to be done before the crew time out. The empty HRC box car needs to be moved to American Hardware for a future Ops move. Jim will drop it off. The HRC Box car was made up for our dear departed friend Engineer Ed from Georgia. Engineer Ed did visit the APRR and was not only given a tour, but had the opportunity to run the railroad...

Due to clearances in the yard, our 1:87 Photographer Norman grabbed this video to show the car spotted at American Hardware. Have no idea how he did it and quite honestly, none of the crew questions how Norman does his job...

Jim is back on West Ladder track 3. He's finished for today as well as Kai, Mark and Jim W...

We'll cut it here for today. Tomorrow the crew will build the outbound freight headed out to Terminal Yard on the NYCTL and freight for some other non-VO destinations...

Thanks for reading!!

NY-NJ Ops # 1 Part 6 - Final Freight Moves To Consignees

Welcome to the final installment of our inaugural NY-NJ Ops on my railroad. Today we finally have the AP Weehawken crew bring in the train to Rock Ridge Yard. 

AP Train WR-3 finally makes its way to West Harold, and of course tower operator Bob holds the crew as he awaits orders from NJ John at the yard...

The AP crew is on the move...

Train WR-3 heads to Rock Ridge Yard...

At CP South the crew checks in with tower operator Rich T for routing into the yard...

The crew pulls up to the yard office and as you see the entire yard crew is waiting to get to work!!

Engineer Kai with his SW1500 starts to pull the cars off the train and get them classified on the yard...

A trio of non-NY-NJ Ops cars from Bell & Evans Poultry for ShopRite are dropped on West Ladder track 5. This is a new supplier to ShopRite and I'm sure other supermarkets will come on board now that ShopRite carries their poultry. Those will go over after the 3 APRR cars deliver their goods. NJ John knows these reefer cars need to get delivered...

The LV reefer came up from Ball Park Products in Philadelphia, PA with - you guessed it - Ball Park Franks! Those will go to ShopRite as well! 

The HRC 40' Box Car came up from Keeler Co. based in Waynesboro, GA with metal chairs. The crew will deliver this freight to C&P Restaurant Supply. What, did you think C&P only handles food? It's a one stop restaurant supply house!!

Those cars are in place to go out today...

Back to Kai, he's getting ready to build another outbound train. This one will head out to the Morrisville, PA Yard. The 4 AP gondolas from Gershow Recycling will head to Bethlehem Steel with scrap. The EB gondolas that came from Gervais Pipe will head to National Supply in Ambridge, PA with pipes...

Kai drops the cars on the west ladder with a caboose...

A new AP crew on GP38-2 #303 has Engineer Steve at the throttle and he'll take train RW-5 to Weehawken Yard where the crew will hand off the gondolas to a Penn Central crew to deliver to Morrisville, PA Yard and on to the respective consignees...

Steve awaits the signal from Tower Operator Bill...

..And he's off to the races (well, not really speeding as he's still in yard limits...)!

Next stop, Weehawken Yard!!

Back in the yard, Kai is still hard at work moving cars to ShopRite...

AP SW1000 #102 with Engineer Jim C. in the seat awaits his moves to assist Kai...

The main building at ShopRite can spot 3-4 cars and the adjacent warehouse can hold a couple of freight cars on the south end...

Those BAR cars from Empire Produce will head over to C&P Restaurant Supply as soon as they can get the other freight cars out of the way. That orange 50' RBL HRC box car is for ShopRite as well...

We know what's in that LV reefer! 

Kai is still moving cars around. No worries, Kai is an experienced engineer in the yard and NJ John has complete faith in him...

Here's where Jim C comes in with an assist. Jim C, while fairly new to the APRR, picked up on the inner workings of the yard and NJ John let's him make the moves without any hesitation...

Now arriving at CP Rock is AP GP40 #400 with engineer Dan at the throttle...

Dan pulls the cars for C&P with a newly acquired caboose from the SP. It went to the JC Paint shop, courtesy of the SP and is one of several that came to the APRR...

Dan heads out and makes a stop at CP South to get final orders from Rich T.

Dan heads out to C&P Restaurant Supply as AP train RC-1...

Dan will pull some non NY-NJ Ops outbound cars and drop off these 3 cars...

Dan makes the moves and drops the outbound on the secondary track adjacent to C&P...

And spots the cars on track 1 closest to the loading dock...

The train is back together and heads back to the yard...

A short time later Dan is at the yard limits...

The approach to the yard is given and he heads in...

Quick check in with Rich at the tower...

...And Dan drops the train on arrival / departure track 'B' and ties down. The yard crew will break down the train later today...

Jim C. is back on the engine track. Kai is talking to NJ John and the boys. The work for today is completed!

 

That's a wrap on my inaugural NY-NJ Ops #1 with Sir John and his NYCTL. Don't forget to check out his inbound blog posts here: New York Central Train Layout

Keep checking back for future posts on my railroad and our new NY-NJ Ops!

Thanks for reading!!