New Engine Arrivals

Greetings followers of the Atlantic Pacific Railroad and my blog!

I had wanted to pick up the latest run of Atlas SD35 engines when they announced them about 2 years ago, and in Penn Central. They recently arrived in stock and I picked up two of them; one DCC Ready and the other engine DCC w/sound.

Atlas produced one model with the Red "P" on the engine. Like fellow modeler Sir John of Georgia who is a Penn Central model railroader, I wanted to give some background on the engine and the specific road numbers. This is Atlas model PC #6031. This model is DCC Ready

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
An EMD SD35 is a 6-axle road switcher diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between June 1964 and January 1966. Power was provided by an EMD 567D3A 16-cylinder engine which generated 2,500 brake horsepower (1,900 kW). A 3,000-US-gallon (11,000 L; 2,500 imp gal) fuel tank was used on this unit. This locomotive model shared a common frame with the EMD SD28, giving it an overall length of 60 feet 8 1⁄2 inches (18.504 m). 360 examples of this locomotive model were built for American railroads.

This locomotive will take two different types of decoders: an 8 pin NMRA DCC decoder or the new 21 pin DCC decoder. 

Here's the first issue with both engines. I took them out of the box, well packed. Warranty card, and other information about Atlas and the product. However, they did not have an exploded diagram for all the parts on the engine. Usually it shows how all of the parts come apart, complete with numbers to replace them if they break, Both engines did not have it, so I wrote to the online dealer to see if they can check their inventory for one, scan a copy and email it. We shall see.

I needed to get to the area for the decoders, and on most of the Atlas engines, I was able to remove the area where the fans are located on the top of the engine. It came off slowly and was taped in place. Not a fan (pun not intended) of how they attached it. Next was to decide about a decoder. I went the way of adding an NCE 8 pin decoder (N14IP) as space is a premium. I added tape to the bottom of it since it was touching the 21 pins that are there for the other decoder. It was shorting the engine. Took it to the program track set the address to 6031, then added Kadee couplers. There are a pair of sun shades that need to be added. Not sure why they don't add them since they pack the engine very securely. It's not like you don't have to add them as if you don't, there are two holes that you can see. I needed to take a pin vise to widen the holes so they would fit, then a dab of glue. What a pain in the arse! 

Once I looked up the specifics of the engine itself, I went to the Fallen Flags website. While I found the engine, I could not locate it with the Red "P". Oh well, maybe no one had taken a photo of it. Next stop was the RR Picture Archives and they didn't have any images to compare it to. 

Now I needed to find out. The Penn Central Railroad Historical Society (PCRRHS.org) is a great resource as well. One of the members of the PCRRHS is local to me, and I've operated on his Penn Central layout. I reached out to him about this engine. Turns out Atlas had not reached out to him (he does talk to them on PC specific projects at times), but not this one. They had run one years ago with the Red "P". Guess they didn't check their notes from early on. Oh well, something else for the PC modelers to tell Atlas....

The other model is PC #6014 DCC w/sound. The engine has an ESU Loksound decoder, which I am sure was made to Atlas specs. Sounded fine to me, as you will see later on. 

Out of the box, I took this one to the programming track, programmed it, added Kadee couplers to this one, and took it to the layout with the other engine. 

Now to put them in consist and see how they run together. One issue with engines that have two different types of decoders in them are to get them to run at the same speed without one fighting the other, even though both have the same motors. I must have gone back to the programming track a good 10 times after running them together in consist on the layout. My friend NJ John, who knows a lot about programming decoders (He's done many hard wire installations on my engines) gave me some specifics on what to do. I did know them at one time, forgot two of the steps, so I asked for a refresher, which he gave me on the phone and this time, I wrote it down! Thanks John!

Here's a short video of how they run together....

Final comments - The engines look nice and run fairly well together. More than likely I'll need to swap out the NCE decoder and add a LokSound DCC non sound decoder to get them to run better. They will need a break-in period so the next time I go to the train room, I'll let them run the layout solo. I do think they should have added the sun shades. Also, both horns were loose, and one came out of the hole. Some glue to hold them back in place since they are not pressure fitted. 

These two engines will stay in consist and will soon be featured in a number of blog posts, including a future Penn Central Car Movement (P.C.C.M.)  post.

Thanks for reading!

P.C.C.M. #72 Part 5 - Freight Delivered!

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

This is a 3 layout virtual op session. The inbound freight to Rock Ridge came from industries in and around Empire City via the Sir John's N.Y.C.T.L. and the industries in and around West Mill on PC Ralph's Kings Port Division

Today we're going to get those freight cars delivered to the consignees in and around Rock Ridge.

AP Train #RC-3 gets the first dispatch out of Rock Ridge...

Heads to the signal and proceeds with an approach aspect...

Here we see AP Train RC-3 heading to C&P Restaurant Supply & Shapeless Steel...

Train RC-3 will make stops at C&P Restaurant Supply and Shapeless steel and make deliveries only, make the turn and head back light.

AP Train RC-2 shoves back on the West Harold Secondary and waits for clearance from the tower operator to start the deliveries...

Meanwhile, AP Train RI-1 gets the orders to head out...

An approach aspect is given to the crew and they head out. The assignment for this train is Ideal Auto Parts and Marcal.

The first stop is Ideal Auto Parts. The plant has been busy, so they need to pull some loaded freight out and return them to Rock Ridge to be forwarded to other Ford factories in Kentucky...

The caboose is cut and left on the main...

The cars are pulled, dropped off on the main and added to the caboose..

The inbound cars are dropped...

Next move is to drop cars at Marcal. However, there are loaded cars that need to go out as well...

A quick move to do a run around on the south end of Marcal is being executed..

The cars are pulled and now AP #300 can spot the 2 cars at Marcal...

The cars are spotted, the loads are now being picked up and will be added to the outbound cars from Ideal Auto Parts....

They shove back, pick up the cars and will now head back to Rock Ridge Yard...

Here's the video of Train RI-1 heading back to Rock Ridge Yard...

Meanwhile, over on the West Harold Secondary, AP #302 is starting to make his moves. The reason for the delay was due to AP #300 was on part of the main and east end of the secondary, so the train was held to play it safe. Safety first as they say!

A short run around on the main and AP #302 will proceed to shove both sets of cars to C&P Restaurant Supply and Shapeless Steel...

The pull back to drop the cars at C&P has begun...

Cars are spotted on track 2....

Now they head over to Shapeless Steel...

As the train heads over to Shapeless Steel, we see Train RI-1 passing West Harold Tower en route to Rock Ridge Yard...

The cars are dropped and they'll head back light...

The work on the West Harold Secondary is done and now the crew will return to Rock Ridge Yard...

A quick roll by CP South and they head down the west ladder from the north...

Track 1 has a lone PC caboose sitting there waiting for its next assignment. The PC and AP will pool certain cars when needed. This is one of them...

AP Train RI-1 has returned to Rock Ridge and will drop cars on a number of west ladder yard tracks...

AP Train RI-1 passes CP Rock and proceed up the west ladder to drop cars in the yard..

There are a few other cars that need to get delivered. A pair of KP&W loaded coal cars need to be taken to R.M.O. Electric as well as one car for Tropicana..

The car for Morton Salt will need to be delivered as well.. 

Look who shows up at the yard! AP #900 and 1/87th engineer Mark will pick up the 3 cars and take them back to the power plant. So what about the box car? We shall see as the switcher isn't qualified (nor is the engineer for that matter) on Tropicana tracks!

A green signal and they head out...

Looks like one of the plant workers is lending a hand at the switch...

The coal cars are dropped on inbound track 3...

Now the switcher has cut away from juice car and heads back to the power plant..

So how will this car get taken over to Tropicana? 

Here's how! Tropicana MP15 #24 will pick up the lone car. This engine usually works the Tropicana facility and rarely makes it's way out of the area..

Here we see Tropicana #24 pick up the car...

Now that the car is dropped on one of the inbound tracks, AP #24 is back home...

The last move before AP #300 can head back to east ladder track #2 (engine holding track) is to spot the Morton Salt covered hopper at the Morton Salt facility in Rock Ridge..

However, this requires the car to be shoved on to east ladder track 14, so AP RS-1 #200 is going to pull the car and drop it at Morton Salt...

AP #300 heads back to track 2...

Now home with sister engine #302...

AP #200 making the move...

The car is spotted and will get loaded in time for the next P.C.C.M...

RS-1 #200 now off the ladder and home on track #2. 
We're done!

It's a wrap for P.C.C.M #72 on the the A.P.R.R. Don't forget to check out the rest of the inbound freight being delivered by  Sir John's N.Y.C.T.L. and PC Ralph's Kings Port Division

Thanks for reading and check back often for more Penn Central Car Movements as well as new and exciting things happening on the A.P.R.R!!