Track Work On The .A.P.R.R.

Greetings followers of the Atlantic Pacific Railroad and my blog! Now that I'm back in the Northern Command (NJ) and with the free time I have (as do many of us), I had been contemplating the need for more staging tracks on the railroad. The main reason behind it is the fact that between hosting operating sessions at the house, and doing virtual op sessions in an earlier railroad era, it's tough for me to do the virtual op pics and videos with post - Penn Central cars and locos in the way.

For all of you who have either followed my blog posts and videos, or have seen the layout in person, you must be scratching your head and asking yourself - where is he going to add more track? The railroad has more track on it than Sunnyside Yard!! 

There was one area on the layout that had a blank spot on the lower level. It's on the east end of south staging, with plenty of access to reach and put down some track. South staging on the east end currently has 5 tracks; 4 of which are active. The fifth track was not attached to south staging from the west end to the east end due to new control panels, so the track was severed from the yard. The west end of south staging track 5 is in full use and is an integral part of the engine terminal. The east end of track 5 was used to hold some freight cars that may have been pulled off the layout on operating sessions due to mechanical issues. 

Here's what it looked like prior to changes....

The space in the front of the second image shows the solo track coming to you as well as the 4 staging tracks. 

The goal is to connect track 4 to track 5 and to add 4 additional storage tracks for freight cars not in use during a virtual operating session or when I host an operating session. 

A pair of #6 Atlas LH switches were cut in to place on both track 4 and 5. Once in place, track 5 went east and three #4 switches were added for storage. For the time being, they will be manual switches. 

Now that the crossover is in place, we added the switches and track for the staging tracks.

A pair of left hand #4 switches and one right hand #4 switch and the yard is ready for freight cars.

The freight cars that were moved to these tracks are ones that I didn't want shown when I do my virtual operating sessions on the blog. These tracks will hold anywhere from 12-16 freight cars, depending on car length.

The last part of this will be to incorporate it into an operating session that I host or when I need to move freight cars to and from this area. While Mickey's Five Finger Crane Company made the test to see what would fit, the scenario should go as follows:

Engine and freight cars head down to south staging. Once at the Morris Plains interlocking, the train must be left hand running as I have no intention at the present time to leave an engine sitting on track 5. Since it's left hand running, the engine can cut off from the cars, pull one track at a time and swap out, pick up or drop off cars as needed. The length of track 5 is long enough for an engine and to pull or shove 4 cars to a track. 

Now, if I decide to leave an engine on track 5, the train heading to this area would still proceed as above. However, the yard engine would pull cars out and drop them on the track outside of staging. The arriving engine would pick them up, and both engines would work to swap out the cars. I'll post a video of how this will work down the road, as I'm sure many will want to see what I added into an already jammed packed action layout!!

Since it's not part of actual operations and made for storage (like the rest of the staging tracks), scenery or ballast or painting is needed. 

As a side note, I did count last year the amount of freight cars that were on the layout, both in staging on the lower level as well as on top at industries and the freight yard. The count came a few cars short of 400!! Keeping track of where certain freight cars are located for some virtual operating sessions or when I host is another topic of conversation for another blog post!

Thanks for reading!

P.C.C.M. #72 Part Two On The A.P.R.R.

Welcome back to the continuation of P.C.C.M. #72 on the Atlantic Pacific Railroad!

We pick up the following day as 1/87th Bob and his crew had outlawed for the day, so the train had to sit while the crew took their mandatory rest.

AP GP60 engines #600 & 601 will prepare to pick up the outbound freight on the west outbound track by CP South. Meanwhile, a call was put out to Rock Ridge Senior Management that a pair of 60' Box cars are needed over at Marcal Paper as well as a pair of box cars over at Freihofers. The cars that normally get loaded were removed due to the cars needed at Marcal. People must be enjoying life and still have that 'Get Up and Go' feeling. Demand for toilet paper has never been so high!! AP #200 with the yard engineer pick up a pair of BN 60 box cars for Marcal as well as a pair of 50' box cars for Freihofer.

A quick stop at CP South and 1/87th Rich gives the crew some instructions. 'Get this freight moved out and make it snappy!" Sounds like the 1/87th Bob and his crew are back on the clock so the outbound needs to go! Add to the dilemma that no other freight can go out until this outbound clears Rock Ridge.

Now that AP #201 is back in the yard, the outbound can get ready to head out...

AP 600/601 head out to pick up the outbound freight...

1/87th Bob and his crew couple up to the train and slowly prepare to head out of Rock Ridge. The train will depart as AP Extra 601. since 601 is the lead engine.

At the end of the Rock Ridge Yard Limit, the signals going west are controlled by the tower operator at Little Jamaica.

The approach signal is up and Extra 601 is on his way!

Here we see Extra 601 heading to Weehawken.

Extra 601 slowly proceeds to Weehawken Yard. 

Extra 601 checks in with the tower operator at the north end of Weehawken for instructions, then heads into the yard.

Here we see Extra 601 arriving on the main yard track at Weehawken. 

With the train on the main yard track, a crew and engine change will be happening.

1/87th Bob uncouples from his train and takes a track in the yard..

PC GP38 engines 7783 & 7757 will couple up to the train as PC Train VW-2 and head to it's final Destination - Selkirk! At Selkirk, the train will be classified as some ffreight cars will go to West Mill on the K.P.D. while the rest will head over to Terminal Yard on the N.Y.C.T.L.

Looks like the engines are  hooked up, brake lines tested, and ready for departure.

Next stop, Selkirk!

Thanks for reading the outbound portion of P.C.C.M. #72 on the A.P.R.R. Don't forget to check back soon for the inbound portion, and the resat of the P.C.C.M. on Sir John's N.Y.C.T.L. and PC Ralph's Kings Port Division Railroad. 

P.C.C.M. #72 Part One On The A.P.R.R.

Greetings followers of the Atlantic Pacific Railroad and my blog! 

The A.P.R.R.management is back in the 'Northern Command' and participating in a 3 layout Penn Central Car Movement (P.C.C.M.) with Sir John's N.Y.C.T.L. and PC Ralph's Kings Port Division 

We're going to kick off P.C.C.M. #72 with the outbound portion of our virtual op session. There's a lot of freight that's going out, more than usual, as you will soon find out!

It's a nice day at Rock Ridge Yard as the crew assembles for the orders of the day. 1/87 NJ John is giving out the assignment to the engineers of the day consisting of 1/87th Norman, 1/87th Steve and 1/87th Stuart. Norman will be assigned to AP RS-1 #200, Steve will handle RS-1 #201 and Stuart, who despite a successful run the last time, will head over to R.M.O. Electric to handle GE 44 Tonner #900. Stuart is still unaware that he's on double secret probation from earlier assignments and management wants to keep it that way!

The first assignment is to pick up 5 box cars at Marcal Paper. 

A quick stop at CP South and 1/87th Rich tells him to check in with the tower operator at Little Jamaica.

As he heads out past the yard limits of Rock Ridge, 1/7th Norman passes a pair of GP60 engines idling. A quick stop and he shouts across the loud sounds of both engines to 1/87th engineer Bob. He asks why the wait and he replies "I'm waiting for my outbound freight. We brought these puppies over from the engine terminal." Norman nods and heads over to the interlocking at Little Jamaica.

 As he passes a quick look out to the right and he sees five box cars over at Marcal. 

Another shout out of the cab window to the tower operator about the freight cars over at Marcal. He's being told that Marcal received so many orders this past week that not only did they need more than the usual 2 freight cars, they need 5 and two of them had to be 86' box cars!!  1/87th Norman must be scratching his head on this one. Either someone didn't watch their inventory of some of the town folks must have that 'Get Up and Go' feeling in them. Looking at the manifest on final destinations, it's determined that a pair of A.P.R.R.  box cars are heading to Ralph's Grocery and the PC Box car is heading to Dan's Supreme located in Empire City. In addition, an A.P.R.R. 86' Box car is being sent full of toilet paper to Terminal Warehouse for storage. The Pennsy 86' Box Car is going to Battaglia Brothers Warehouse on the K.P.D. Man, that's a lot of toilet paper and paper products. Doesn't matter, the A.P.R.R. makes their monies on the movement of freight cars!

Here we see AP #200 shoving the cars on to the main from Marcal.

The first set of cars are dropped on the west departure track by CP South. Not sure why this is being done, 1/87th Norman cuts the cars. Now he's heading out to pick up some freight over at C&P Restaurant Supply and an empty Drop End Mill Gondola and add it to the train. 

The first pull is picking up the lone gondola over at Shapeless Steel. This will head over to Amalgamated Container on the K.P.D. 

Next stop on the West Harold Secondary is to pick up 5 box cars at C&P Restaurant Supply. BAR 7574 will head to Pilgrim State Hospital with frozen food. The pair of A.P.R.R. 40' box cars are heading over to best Wholesale with restaurant supplies. The pair of E.B.(Empire Belt) 40' Box cars are heading to Terminal Warehouse with additional restaurant supplies. All of these industries are located in and around Empire City on the N.Y.C.T.L.

A quick crossover to the main is required. In addition, in order to add these cars to the outbound train, 1/87th Norman needs to drop the cars on the main and do a 'run around' in order to shove them on to the other freight cars.

As we swing over to R.M.O. Electric, 1/87th Stuart is given the task of bring over empty coal hopper AP 9416 over to Rock Ridge as it's needed to get more coal at Hedberg Aggregates on the K.P.&W.

In addition, he needs to pull a pair of covered hopper full of wheat to be delivered to Ronzoni in Long Island City, NY. These cars are serviced by the N.Y.C.T.L. and / or the E.B. Railroad, depending which railroad is working the area. 

While pulling out the empty, 1/87th Stuart moves a pair of loaded coal hopper cars over to the main unloading track so the power plant doesn't have to cut back on operations. 

The loaded coal hoppers in place, he heads next door to pick up the pair of covered hoppers. A quick shove over to the yard, drop them off and then head back to the powe plant. 

GP 38-2 #300 and 1/87th Steve get the call to move a pair of empty gondolas that were picked up from Shapeless Steel and stored over at Rock Ridge due to capacity issues at the steel plant. They'll head to Gervais Pipe over in Empire City. Can you say 'storage charges'? Cha-Ching!!

The cars are dropped on the west ladder track and will be added to the train along with the other cars brought over by 1/87th Stuart. 

 1/87th Norman picks up the cars and adds them to the other outbound freight cars. 

AP RS-1 #201 with the yard engineer of the day and  heads down the west ladder to pick up a caboose to add to the outbound train. 

AP caboose #54, a wide vision caboose is called into service. 1/87th NJ John is watching the move carefully. 

Awaiting a green signal...

And he's off to add the caboose to the outbound freight cars...

Looks like 1/87th Stuart is giving the engineer some guidance so hook up to that 86' box car on the rear of the train. 

A successful move and AP #201 will head back to the yard...

We're going to stop it here for today. Not because we haven't finished the move. It seems that 1/87th Bob and it's crew have 'outlawed' for the day. What is 'outlawed'?  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The term outlaw, or outlawed refers to a crew (or train) which can no longer move because the crew has reached the maximum number of hours they are allowed to work, thereby outlawing their controlling the further movement of any train.

Check back again for the second part of the outbound on the A.P.R.R. as well as the rest of P.C.C.M. 72 on the K.P.D. and the N.Y.C.T.L.

Thanks for reading!