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!!