Weekend Update - Running Trains on the NJ Layout

Greetings followers of the Atlantic Pacific Railroad and my blog. 

A call was put out to two of my trusty operators, NJ John and Norman the official APRR photographer, who know my railroad about as well as I do. The layout hasn't been run since I went away in January, and needed to be run for an upcoming virtual operating session. 

Both guys arrived and we proceeded to run some trains. NJ John came up with a great operating scenario for the Tropicana Juice train. In the past, the train was brought up from its origin (staging) and headed to the juice facility to be switched out. The train would sit on the industrial track while the switcher would build the train with empties. The engine would be cut from the train and moved ahead while the switcher would get the train ready. Then the outbound train would depart and the inbound train would be spotted in the industry. Not any more. Now a set of engines will head out from the engine terminal to Tropicana. The switcher will build the train and hand off the train to the engineer who will take it away to its next destination (staging). Once the train gets to staging, that person will have to move the existing juice train out in order for the inbound to be brought in. The other train will now head up to Tropicana, and the switcher will put the cars into the industry and the engines will head to the engine terminal to be serviced. This is more prototypical and gives the operator more to do. 

Next train that was in staging was a combination grain and corn syrup tank car train. Based on John's theory, I had Norman break up that train and make the grain cars its own train and the corn syrup tank cars its own train as well. Now I have 2 trains to serve one industry and we could do the same with engines being sent to retrieve the empties and clear out the industry to receive loads. 

Last train I moved was the loaded coal cars. They were sitting in the freight yard. Now they are in staging and for the next operating session or virtual operating session, they will be brought up for another crew to drill. 

All of this was done with 3 people. Time spent making these moves? I would say maybe 90 minutes. All of this involved 2 industries! The same can be done with most other industries on the railroad with the exception of the intermodal and auto rack trains. They are true dedicated trains and run as needed. These two trains do not run into the yard, so the engines on them will stay with each train.

After all this work we needed to have some fun. Norman had gone a little overboard and bought 4 Bachmann GG-1 engines, all with sound when Train World in NY have a huge sale. It really was a good deal and they still have some of them very cheap as of this writing. Here's what he bought...

These engines run very well, especially in consist... Now the only picture I have seen is the one in the 2019 Penn Central Calendar for March with 3 GG-1's lashed up. John said he has seen 4 on a weekend move back in the day when they ran to the NJ shore. 

We decided to consist them up and see how they run. You be the judge...

We had them running at half speed on the railroad (step 14 in DCC 28 step mode) going thru #8 switches with no issues whatsoever. It's a testament to the trains and, of course, to my track work which NJ John has stated many times, is bullet proof! 

Fun Day on a Sunday!

Thanks for reading!