HO Scale NS engines and my layout.

[David Collins]

Quick update: I sent my walthersmainline NS SD60M out for detailing, and I just got it back, it looks insane! Micah Davenport (or Micah_D on this site) did a ditchlight install, put a PTC antenna on the roof and added grab irons.

Also, After some thinking, I’ve decided to make my layout operate with a card order system, rather than just non-organized chaos.

The system is still a bit tricky, and there’s still some kinks being worked out with it. The main yard on the layout serves as an interchange point, so I decided to make a little cubby for the car cards to go in for when a train is in the yard.

I made the cubby so that there is one side for CSX and one side for NS. The CSX side is for cars going out on a CSX train and cars coming in off of the CSX. The NS side is for cars that are sitting in the yard (unless it’s a coal train, those don’t have car cards).

Whenever N-07 (the CSX interchange) comes in, the yardmaster in charge picks up the cards and re-arranges them in the order that makes most since for the trains taking them where ever.

If that doesn’t make sense, let me use an example. Let’s say that TBOX #889444 were to come in off of the CSX interchange from train N-07. However the car needs to go to Bangor Paper via the Portland Secondary on train H76, and there’s other cars being picked up or set out by H76 at the factory. The yardmaster would then put the TBOX and the other cars going to Bangor Paper in an order where it takes the least amount of time and effort to pick up and spot cars at the factory, and yes, trains are blocked together.

There are some cars that don’t get interchanged on the layout, such as Appree plastics, where their cars travel from Philipsburg (where the distributor is, which is right next to the yard) to Bangor (their factory) and back every day. Essentially, it’s very hard not to see at least one or two boxcars in both of their spurs everyday.

[David Collins]

Today I'm starting work on some wooden bins that will be setup at locations where industries are present that waybills will go into, there are three slots, one for cars being dropped off, one for cars being picked up, and one for cars being held at the industry.

I have just started recently doing the practice of holding cars at industries, particularly Pennsylvania Paper Distributors in Bangor, the industry gets two cars per day. With that, however, the loading dock track can only fit one car, so a car that would be dropped off by a train is held at the industry until the next train comes that works the industries in Bangor (including PPD), which would shuffle the pickup, drop-off and the car being held so that the car being held is now in the dock track. Which then becomes the next trains pickup.

[KVERBERK]

The bins are looking good!

[David Collins]

Layout update! I recently acquired 5 very good looking Athearn genesis Procor tank cars, and with that said, that means a new industry on the layout!

The cars run between two separate industries on the layout (a real life distance of about 250 miles), they are loaded at a transloading facility and are delivered to the ADM oil refinery next to Philipsburg yard (the main yard on the lower level).

With the location of the refinery however, a whole new train had to be added to the list of trains going in and out of the yard. Conrail Shared Assets job N-24 (or NS H52) goes on duty after shared assets job N-07 (or CSX Y124) returns from Martins Creek.

That also brings up a new system I’m using, all lower level only trains (the road switchers) are now run by Conrail Shared Assets, however the jobs still have symbols from the railroad that the cars are being delivered to, if the cars are being delivered to the CSX interchange, the train runs with a CSX ID and with CSX locomotives. If a train runs with cars bound for somewhere else on the layout (the upper mainline is NS), the train receives an NS symbol and runs with NS locomotives. This is just to clear up any confusion with the yard master in terms of routing the cars to the interchange or elsewhere along the layout. For the crews running the locals on the lower level however, they run with a Conrail ID.

N-24 runs to the switch just outside of the yard, and reverses into the ADM refinery, drops off loads and picks up empties, and runs back to the yard around the layout. N-24 runs with a buffer car and 1-2 tank cars. The refinery processes approximately 15 car loads per week.

The cars are rhen sorted onto train H76, which runs to Portland, Pennsylvania, where it switches industries, including the transloading facility where the empty cars go. H76 drops off empties and picks up loads from the transload facility.

That’s all for now, stay tuned!

[AARR]

I like how you are setting up the operations of your layout

[David Collins]

Layout update!

Cresson steel opened a location in Martins Creek, they ship out 6 car loads (gondolas in this case) of scrap metal a week. This industry is on the Northampton County industrial lead and is switched by Conrail Shared Assets job N-07 (CSX Y124). These cars are then interchanged with CSX in Philipsburg Yard.

Speaking of Northampton County industries, Agrico (a phosphate distributor) is now receiving 14 car loads per week, instead of the original 10. They receive loaded covered hoppers with phosphate from The Bone Valley in Florida. This industry is also switched by Shared Assets job N-07 and the cars are also interchanged with CSX in Philipsburg yard.

Business is also popping at Pennsylvania Paper Distributors on the upper level, with them now getting two cars per day instead of one. PPD receives boxcars loaded with rolls of paper and is switched by NS H76. The cars are interchanged with CSX on the lower level.

More to come soon!

[David Collins]

Layout update

The Portland, Pennsylvania industry lead is finally wired up, and now as a result both industries on the lead are finally getting rail service!

The first industry is a small grain co-op that receives one to two cars per day, mainly from Van Den Bosch Feed in Zeeland, Michigan , while the other one is a potato distributor that gets one boxcar a day from out west. I don’t have any reefers yet, but that will change soon, so NS 60’ high cubes will do for now.

With that said, an all new local has been established for that area on the upper level. NS H72 goes on duty in Philipsburg, NJ and runs straight to Portland with no stops, works the potato distributor first then the co-op. Then returns mainly with empties for Philipsburg.

Cresson Steel in Martins Creek now receives one car everyday, not every other day. This time in the form of AIMX hoppers.

The oil refinery in Bangor and transload facility in Philipsburg are still switched daily, 2-3 cars per day.

The plastics mill on the bottom level now gets 2-3 cars per day instead of one. Mainly in the form of hoppers and boxcars.

The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western interchange (DLW) in Bangor gets around 4-5 cars per switch. Mainly cars from the plastics mill and the scrap metal company, as well as a car or two from the phosphate facility at Martins Creek, which is getting anywhere between 1-2 cars per day.

Not much has changed in terms of power, other than the addition of a Scaletrains BNSF ES44DC, this engine will be used on the long-haul local that is NS H76 and the coal trains.

More to come soon!

[KVERBERK]

Sounds like its coming along nicely!

[David Collins]

Some big, BIG changes have happened since last update.

A sand transload opened up in Bangor, alongside a small phosphate transload. Switched by the Erie Lackawanna shortline.

The sand transload gets 1-2 cars pulled and dropped off at a time. These cars come from out west on the UP. Interchanged to CSX in Chicago, then to the NS in Philipsburg yard.

Here’s where things get interesting. The phosphate transload receives one empty covered hopper from the Martin’s Creek facility per switch, as it only has room for one car as of this time. Where trucks bring in Phosphate from a local mine and load it in the in the covered hopper. These phosphate cars are then pulled, sent to the NS interchange alongside the sand hoppers, then are interchanged with CP in Chicago.

The trackage in the Bangor area is super complicated and requires track and time on the mainline and two run around moves. But it works well and the switching can be finished in 30 minutes normally.

Cresson steel (switched by CSX Y124/CSAO N-07) deemed that their space was too limited for their needs and opened a new spur across the tracks. Since it would be inconvenient for the N-07 to switch it, the decision was made that NS H52 (CSAO N-24) would switch the facility, since the refinery (for a long time, the sole customer) that it switches is 5 miles from the customer switch. This sub-yard receives 1-2 cars per switch.

N-07 would not be able to make this switch as it have to make two time consuming run arounds in the industrial area (Agrico and Cresson steel are the two customers it works).

The refinery that N-24 switches also has gotten a few more carloads being switched out at a time.

The EL interchange finally opened up in Portland, the EL now handles switching for local customers and interchange traffic. NS H76 brings the train up from Philipsburg, then runs light to Bangor, where they are serviced by EL crews and then return back to Portland, where outbound train H75 takes the return trip.

[AARR]

Interesting operations David

[David Collins]

Another update brings some more operational changes

After learning about how CSX used to operate Ensel Yard (two locals and a yard job) from rrfan user SD80MAC, I decided to add a dedicated yard job, operated outright by CSX.

A few changes as a result:

CSX Y124 (CSAO N-07) has been resymboled to C799 (since I model 2018 era CSX, the L series designation had not been adopted for locals yet), the 124 job used to cover industries and then do it’s yard work, which made for a long run for the crew. C799 still serves the Phosphate distributor and the Cresson Steel east yard, but no longer works the plastics company on the lower level next to the yard. The Conrail symbol still remains as CSAO N-07.

CSX now works three yard shifts, Y124, Y224, and Y324. Y124 puts together N-07’s consist and N-24’s consist. Then when the locals come back, a second shift crew goes on duty, classifying the cars (remember, Philipsburg is a flat switching yard, cars are kicked), working the plastic company, sorting their cars into the blocks and assembling H75’s blocks. A third shift crew goes back on duty when H76 (H75’s counterpart) is leaving Portland. Y324 puts the CSX interchange block together, and takes them to the CSX interchange.

CSAO as a result abolished the NS yard job, N-01, but CSAO does call a crew for an NS job to move power around the yard, and put blocks together for NS trains blockswapping in the yard.

[KVERBERK]

I like your focus on operations. Sounds like it's time for some pictures! Perhaps a shot of that detailed SD60

[David Collins]

I like your focus on operations. Sounds like it's time for some pictures! Perhaps a shot of that detailed SD60

Great idea!

Here goes nothing, a few seperate posts are needed since it’s only three photos at a time on the site.

Image 1: CSAO N-24 (NS H52) pulling out of Philipsburg yard with NS #6775. Current power for this job. Once a GP40-2 or GP38 is acquired, 6775 will be overhauled and put into road service.

Image 2: Since the industries worked by N-24 are just outside of the yard, the train reverses into the E. Street Industrial area, home to both Cresson Steel east (served by CSAO N-07) and Cresson Steel west (served by N-24)

Image 3: Cresson Steel’s west location has been recieving a lot of cars as of late, what started as a one car per switch operation has become two to five per switch, but Cresson Steel east is in need of additional cars. So the two Nickel Plate cars (which are empties) will be shuffled onto CSAO N-07. Which will be operated by CSX #4046. Two cars for delivery for today.

[David Collins]

Image 1 (post 2): After working Cresson Steel east, N-24 then switches the refinery, one car to pickup, and two to drop off.

Image 2: After getting back on their train, N-24 pulls out. Giving a good look at the SD60M I mentioned about. This is a walthers mainline locomotive, rrfan user Micah_D customized it with LED ditchlights, a PTC antenna and the detail kit from Walthers.

Image 3: N-24 then reverses into Philipsburg yard.

[David Collins]

Image 1 (post 3): First, CSX Y124 has gone on duty with the CSX 4046 to classify the cars picked up by N-24. Since two of the cars from N-24 are going on N-07, they need to be classified onto N-07’s train in order. Since the Cresson Steel east cars are first in order, they need to be put with the single car originally planned for Cresson Steel east. The single NS hopper from Cresson Steel west and tank car from the refinery are to be switched onto NS H76.

The first order of business by the Y124 is pulling out the cut that will become N-07’s consist, and reorder it, so the Cresson Steel cars are first (the covered hopper is currently first)

Image 2: The Y124 crew has set out the first car (the covered hopper) onto 2 track to simply get it out of the way, now they need to move the cars going on H76 later somewhere else. The crew elects to put the two cars on three track for the time being

Image 3: Y124 then couples the hopper originally planned for Cresson Steel east with the two additional cars ordered.

[David Collins]

Image 1 (post 4): Y124’s crew hooks onto the covered hopper going to the Phosphate hopper for the phosphate transload and pulls it out.

Image 2: Y124 then couples the rest of the train (phosphate hopper and boxcar for the plastics company) to the Cresson Steel east cars.

Image 3: After putting N-07’s train together, Y124 pulls the remainder of N-24’s train (the tank car and NS hopper from Cresson Steel west) and couples it onto a miscellaneous cut in the yard, when N-07 comes back later, Y224 (second shift Y124) will come on duty and sort them into what will become NS H76 alongside the cars picked up by N-07.

Next post in the future will be how switching goes with N-07 and Y224. Stay tuned.

[AARR]

Looking good David. Nice operating procedure.

[KVERBERK]

I like it! Thanks for the pics

[David Collins]

As of 9/14/24: The Erie Lackawanna on the Portland Secondary has ceased operations and the Bangor, Portland & Northern has taken over. See attached link for information on the BP&N:

https://railroadfan.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... 24&t=40019

[David Collins]

For this edition of Portland Secondary operations, here’s the BP&N’s (Bangor, Portland & Northern) first day of operations on the former Erie Lackawanna railroad.

Again, multiple posts are needed due to only three images being allowed per post.

Image 1 (post 1): The BP&N’s two locomotives (SD9 #345 and GP9 #4108) have been moved to the east end of Bangor Yard by the crew of job BPT-15 (Bangor/Portland Turn - 15th day of September). Today, this job will be switching industries in Portland, Pennsylvania. The phosphate transload and the sand transload.

Image 2: First, who put this block together in Philipsburg?! Since the BP&N’s cars come from NS train H76 (Philipsburg, NJ - Bangor, PA), NS blocks the cars their own way. Thus, the cars need to be resorted for today’s operation. BPT-15’s crew has hooked onto their cut of cars with the two EMD’s and are pulling them out to sort in their two track Bangor yard.

Image 3: A look at Bangor yard