Auto Parts Box Cars Are Still In Service!

Greetings followers of the Atlantic Pacific Railroad!

I was watching one of the rail cams this morning, and noticed what looked like some NS 86’ box cars on a mixed freight. So I did some posting on one of the forums as well as my own digging. The replies on the forum were not only informative, but discovered some are still in service today! 

From the CSX Website: 

86' Auto Boxcar

These are exceptionally large boxcars, 86’ long, 10,000 cubic feet, with a hi-roof (Plate G) built specifically for shipping automobile parts and appliances. All offer cushioned underframes with double plug or sliding doors.

While designed for specific markets, when availability permits, these cars can be used for lightweight but bulky shipments such as tissue paper or insulation.

NS, KCS and CSX use them when needed. UP and BNSF do not list any 86’ cars on their sites. In addition, they not only use them for auto parts, but they're used on special requests for bulk dry products! 

The A.P.R.R. has 8 of them on the railroad. 6 of them are mainly used for my participation when we have our virtual operation sessions. The remaining 2 are modern CSX cars.

Of those six on the railroad, 4 of them were custom painted by the Patti-O Paint Shop of the the N.Y.C.T.L. All of his work has been documented not only on this blog but John R's blog as well. Here is the link to these freight cars: Custom Painted 86 Foot Box Cars 

Those cars are now on the A.P.R.R. property, and a matching set are located on the N.Y.C.T.L.

In addition, the following 86' Box Cars are on the N.Y.C.T.L.and K.P.D. layouts. 

Last, but not least, I had a couple of CSX 86' Box Cars, which have been added to the layout as of this evening. 

Now that I have them all on the railroad, I decided to have them do a short run on the railroad. I added a Scaletrains.com SD40-3 engine to the front of the train. This engine was an SD40-2 and CSX had made some modifications to them, included the cab. It reminds me of an angry look of the engine. This engine has sound and light effects. Here's a short video of the box cars. 

This was a nice surprise to me seeing these cars are still in use. Norfolk Southern 86 footers were on a UP east bound train in Texas Oct. 30, 2018. This information was gathered from a poster who replied to my query on the MR forum. I hope you enjoyed this little tidbit of information as much as I did.

Thanks for reading!

New Motive Power Added to the Railroad

Greetings followers of the Atlantic Pacific Railroad!

We step into the 90's to present on the A.P.R.R. as we're making changes to some motive power. With the Florida layout going into high gear in the next 45 days, an opportunity to bring some equipment down there (okay, a lot of equipment) has come about. I'm taking my brother's car down to his place in Florida, which happens to be in our neighborhood. I'm loading up the car with many boxes of train and other related items I'm taking to Florida. I'll be taking the Amtrak Auto Train from Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL. I haven't taken the Auto Train in 30 years, so we're going to document the ride as much as possible. 

Since the Florida layout is smaller, I needed some 4 axle engines for that layout. I took off a pair of Athearn GP40-2 engines and replaced them with a pair of Atlas Dash 8-40B engines. Here's some background information on these engines, courtesy of Wikipedia:

The GE Dash 8-40B (or B40-8) is a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by GE Transportation Systems between 1988 and 1989. It is part of the GE Dash 8 Series of freight locomotives. The Dash 8-40B is a standard version of the series; the Dash 8-40BW is a standard series but with a gull wing instead a standard cab.

A total of 151 examples of this locomotive were built for North American railroads.

The GE Dash 8-40BW (B40-8W) is a variant fitted with a full-width cab. Another variant is the GE Dash 8-40BP, more commonly known as the Genesis series. The locomotives in the Genesis series are the P40DC, the P42DC, and the P32AC-DM.

Railroad	Quantity	Road numbers
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway	40	7410-7449
Conrail	30	5060-5089
General Electric	1	8002
New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway	24	4002-4048 (even nos.)
St. Louis Southwestern Railway	55	8040-8094
United States Department of Energy (Savannah River Site)	1	107

The engines I've added are road numbers 5930 & 5931. Here is what they look like courtesy Fallen Flags.

My engines are factory painted in YN3. 5930 has DCC with Sound. It has an ESU Loksound decoder. 5931 has an ESU Lokpilot decoder. 

A little demo of how they sound and run on the layout...

Atlas Dash 8-40B Engines on the Railroad

These engine are now assigned to the Grain Train. It runs when I host an operating session. We have one member of our 'non-group' group, who only runs the grain train. He's in his own little world as he likes to run long trains, longer than what I normally run on the railroad. As I tell my guys, I always have a 'Plan B' when this certain person is present. 

Thanks for stopping by!

P.C.C.M. 51D Part 3 - The Freight Is Delivered!

Welcome back to P.C.C.M. 51D Part 3 on the Atlantic Pacific Railroad.

Trains RI-1 and RT-3 have been sent on their way. Train RI-1, the Ideal Auto Turn, has arrived at Ideal Auto Parts to drop off NYC 86' Auto Parts Car #67086 from the Ford Plant on the N.Y.C.T.L.  along with a few other cars from out west. 

The caboose was cut and left on the main for a few while the cars are shoved back onto the Ideal siding. 1/87th PC Ralph sent 1/87th Stuart to the caboose telling him to watch how the move is being made. 

The cars are dropped and 1/87th PC Ralph picks up the caboose and 1/87th Stuart joins him back in the cab. They'll head back to the yard and 1/87th Tower Operator John B. designates the train as RI-3, back to Rock Ridge Yard.

AP #301 arrives back at Rock Ridge and 1/87th PC Ralph gives 1/87th Sir Larry the full report. Rumor has it that 1/87th Stuart was very nervous as he knows eye are upon him, and that any more wrong moves will send him back to Maine and probably to some place where his future life will be picking potatoes!

Meanwhile, over by West Harold Tower, train RT-3 takes the siding, drops the cars on the secondary track. A quick run around to the rear of the train gives them the ability to shove the 2 KP&W cars along with 2 other cars in to track 1 of Three Amigos Warehouse. 

 The cars are in the siding and they'll head back to the yard as Train RT-4.

Back at the yard, 1/87th Sir Larry checks in with the crew. 1/87th Sir Larry tells the guys a job well done and time to call it a day!

That wraps up the moves on the A.P.R.R. Thanks for reading and don't forget to check all of the P.C.C.M. participants!

N.Y.C.T.L.

K.P.&W.

Ralston Creek Railroad

L.F.&N.W. Railroad

Until next time!

P.C.C.M. 51D Part 2- Freight In and Out of Rock Ridge Yard

Welcome back to P.C.C.M. 51D on the Atlantic Pacific Railroad.

We left off viewing a meeting in the yard with 1/87th Sir Larry giving 1/87th Stuart a stern talk about running engines on the Atlantic Pacific Railroad and going forward he'll be working with an A.P.R.R. engineer until they see fit to let him out on his own. 

The next day 1/87th Stuart showed up at the yard, and is met not only by 1/87th Sir Larry, he's greeted by 1/87th Sir John, and 1/87th Norman. In addition, APRR GP38-2 #301 is brought out by 1/87th PC Ralph. It seems that despite the huge error committed by 1/87th Stuart, 1/87th Sir John believes that the only way to learn is to get right back in the saddle, so off they will go. 1/87th Ralph, a very qualified engineer, will teach him the way to run an engine on the railroad. The yard crew will build the train and they'll head out as RI-1, the Ideal Auto Parts Turn. 

A quick stop at CP South Tower, an apology to the tower operator by 1/87th Stuart, and off they go. Seems 1/87th Stuart has a lot of apologies to hand out after the prior days event. 

Meanwhile, there's a few more cars that need to be delivered. A set of KP&W box cars are headed to Three Amigos Warehouse. Those tow freight cars will be loaded and head back to West Mill for distribution.

AP U28B #2360 is called to run those cars, along with a couple other cars from points north and west to the warehouse. 1/87th Sir Larry is talking to 1/87th ATJOE who will take the 4 freight cars over to Three Amigos Warehouse as AP Train RT-3.

AP SW1500 #100 will build the train for 1/87ATJOE

 AP Caboose #53 is added and they'll head out.

A quick stop at CP South Tower, and he's on his way. 

Next up, P.C.C.M. 51D Part 3 - Freight is delivered!

Until next time!

P.C.C.M. 51D: Train VW-3 Selkirk To Weehawken

Welcome to the Atlantic Pacific Railroad and Penn Central Car Movement #51D!

We're coming off historical P.C.C.M. 50 Virtual Op Session, and now ready to move forward to train VW-3 arriving from Selkirk. Train VW-3 originated on the KP&W Railroad after receiving freight from both N.Y.C.TL. and L.F. & N.W. Railroads.

Train VW-3 is seen arriving from Selkirk into Weehawken. On the head are a pair of Penn Central GP40's #3141 &3111

As train VW-3 arrives, he's sent to Weehawken arrival track 2

An engine and crew change is made. AP GP35 #363 is called to take the train to Rock Ridge

The cut is made and AP #363 has coupled up to the train.  Now leaving Weehawken is train WR-1 Weehawken to Rock Ridge. All aboard!!

A short time later, 1/87th Norman, the official A.P.R.R. photographer was hanging out at West Harold tower trying to talk to 1/87 Tower operator John B. about some some schedule updates when he caught train WR-1 coming thru at an unusually high rate of speed!

The guys are amazed as the train didn't have the signal and blew right thru an absolute stop!! Sir 1/87th John B. heads for the phone and calls over to the Rock Ridge Yardmaster. 1/87th Sir Larry happens to be in CP South tower and gets the call. Let's just say we never saw 1/87th Larry move so quickly and heads over to the yard where train WR-1 is arriving.

Train WR-1 has arrived on the west side of Rock Ridge Yard, just as 1/87th Sir Larry is approaching the train. He wants to know who is at the throttle as a few rules were broken, to say the least and someone or some thing could have been hurt or destroyed! 

Out of the cab is a new engineer. 1/87th Sir Larry demands to know who he is and where is his head as he wants to put it on the chopping block!!

Turns out the engineer is recent hire, 1/87th Stuart. He previously came from the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad, where he was an apprentice engineer. The railroad was having some tough times, and 1/87th Sir Neal was asked to do the owner a favor as the kid was a relative of the owner. 1/87th Sir Neal stepped up and hired him. The kid will be fined and will be taken out of his salary, a little each week. A memo will be put in his file and going forward, he'll be assigned to an A.P.R.R. engineer until he's ready to run on his own. (As a side note, 1:1 Stuart has blown thru quite a few signals while running trains not only my layout, but the other guys layouts as well).

Next up, P.C.C.M. 51D Part 2 - delivering the cars in and around Rock Ridge!

Stay tuned!

The A.P.R.R. Celebrates An Anniversary!

Greetings followers of the Atlantic Pacific Railroad! This weekend is the 5 year Anniversary of the A.P.R.R. in its present form - a new layout and new controls!

I can't believe it's been only 5 years since the A.P.R.R. went live with a new layout and converted from DC to DCC. Some of you may remember pics of when I started to build the first layout in this room. This is from layout #1 back in 2007.  

First image is the south wall...

North wall which was the yard area...

The section on the left was the area for a tremendous stub passenger terminal...

A view of the old passenger station. This section was 15 feet long and 4 feet wide...

The layout ran fine, but I designed it for running trains with some sidings. Operations and DCC were not a thought. 

Fast forward to 2012 and I was introduced to some guys from the local hobby shop. I was taken to a friends house, where I saw not only DCC, but a helix in operation. That summer, I flew to Atlanta to not only see the National Train Show, but to meet two fellow model railroaders, one being Sir John and another guy from South Carolina. All of us had met online from a site called Trainlife. Sir John and I had met earlier in the year at one of NYC's Irish Bars in midtown Manhattan.  I had shown them some track plans that night and the three of us had a great time. In 2013, I started construction on the new and improved layout, which is a 2 track, 2 level layout with a 2 track helix, lower level staging, fully operational engine terminal with a turntable, and most important, a fun railroad to run!

In October 2014, the A.P.R.R. held its first end of the month operating session, which was very interesting to all of the guys. No one had seen so much trackwork in a small area, yet when they started to run trains and switch industries, a railroad was born!

This was the Cargill area, without the cork painted. 

Rock Ridge Yard, again without the cork being painted...

Look familiar? This is the Reynolds Intermodal Container Terminal...! 

This was the first panel I had made that controlled both West Harold and Little Jamaica. This lasted less than a year as it was so busy to look at and operate, that it confused me, and I designed it!!

This is the new panel after cutting it in half and making it smaller. and easier to operate. An additional feature that was added to the railroad were signals for both interlocking areas...

West Harold Interlocking Control Panel

Little Jamaica Interlocking Control Panel 

A railroad wouldn't be complete with an engine in its maiden launch, right? APRR #300 - A GP38-2 diesel...

And the first APRR Caboose - #50

A railroad needs its own freight cars as well. Sir John, a man of many talents, offered to open up his N.Y.C.T.L. Patti-O Paint Shop and he painted the first set of APRR box cars... The first car out of the shop, #60358 was sent to some of the first followers of my railroad. 

Sir John was challenged again by A.P.R.R. management and painted more freight cars for me. Hopper cars were done in both A.P.R.R. and his Empire Belt Railroad.

You can never have enough box cars!! 

And his latest masterpiece of work, the 57' Mechanical Reefers for our railroads....

While 5 years may not seem to be so special to most people, it is for me. My trains run well, I host operating sessions 6-8 times a year, which includes the Sunday monthly operating session, a Wednesday mid-month bring your trains to run session, and on occasion, a weeknight operating session. 

That being said....

HAPPY 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO THE ATLANTIC PACIFIC RAILROAD!