I have seen photos of such trains that also include express reefers. JohnA
@John A posted:I have seen photos of such trains that also include express reefers. JohnA
Thanks, John. I read somewhere in my research that sometimes the mail train included some fast freight, including some milk cars, so that might be what you saw in the photos.
@Apples55 posted:Thanks, John. I read somewhere in my research that sometimes the mail train included some fast freight, including some milk cars, so that might be what you saw in the photos.
Paul, the Central’s practice was mail and perishables were all part of express service,….to answer some of your questions on your previous replies,….mail trains were made up of RPO’s and baggage cars assigned to mail & express, and specific express box cars, designed for speed. Typically, the clerks would separate mail on the RPO on route, and mail would be picked up, or dropped off at various stops on baggage and express cars,……depending on load and available equipment would determine what made up a mail train. Motive power, again would depend on availability, locomotives bumped from named and priority passenger service trains often found their next careers moving mail & express,….the Hudsons bumped the Pacifics, the Pacifics moved mail, the Niagaras bumped Hudsons, so the Hudsons moved mail, etc,.etc,….but in the hey-day, Hudsons did a lot of mail and express work as they were designed for speed,…and speed was the key running timely mail and express trains,…….there are video clips of Niagaras moving fast mail ….so your train set is quite correct,….you just need like 2 dozen more baggage cars,…..😉
Pat
Great drive-by Paul. I have always enjoyed watching some old film footage of some of the Central's freight/passenger service in action. One of the ones I really enjoyed the most was one of the Mohawk's hauling tank cars back. I believe that the video said they were empties, and there were a lot of them.
Whatever video that one was, had a good variety of steam in it. Mostly comprised of Mohawk's doing a lot of freight duty, some Hudson's doing passenger service, and IIRC, some of the Putnam Division short line running about. I can't remember exactly what the title of the video was, but I think it may have come up in either "New York Central Water Level Route" or "New York Central Mohawk(or along the Mohawk). It's been a long while since I watched it, just remember tons of tank cars passing by the camera.
I was also going to suggest watching NYC Water Level Route on Youtube. You only get glimpses of trains but a few show a combine or coach in the mix. Maybe only for the crew but clearly something other than baggage and RPO cars there.
Pete
.....the 4-6-6T has found another use on the Central after leaving the B&A......it will pull a Christmas train this year......
Peter
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@Norton posted:I was also going to suggest watching NYC Water Level Route on Youtube. You only get glimpses of trains but a few show a combine or coach in the mix. Maybe only for the crew but clearly something other than baggage and RPO cars there.
Pete
As Pete mentioned, and I should’ve added in my reply, combines and and coaches were used in mail & express services ……pretty much anything that was available that could haul the mail,….
Pat
Thanks John/Pat/Dave/Pete for the informative responses. I found some Water Level Route videos on YouTube which I’ll watch in the next day or so. I do have a Legacy J3a, so I’ve got some additional motive power if needed. I also have some NYC milk cars and Pacemaker boxcars to add into the mix. And I’m pretty sure I have a combine and another baggage car, but @harmonyards, even if I could afford two dozen baggage cars (I can’t), I haven’t anywhere near the amount of real estate needed to run something that long 
@Apples55 posted:Thanks John/Pat/Dave/Pete for the informative responses. I found some Water Level Route videos on YouTube which I’ll watch in the next day or so. I do have a Legacy J3a, so I’ve got some additional motive power if needed. I also have some NYC milk cars and Pacemaker boxcars to add into the mix. And I’m pretty sure I have a combine and another baggage car, but @harmonyards, even if I could afford two dozen baggage cars (I can’t), I haven’t anywhere near the amount of real estate needed to run something that long
https://newyorkcentrallayout.b...ly-bird-service.html
Paul, some good info here on Pacemaker & Early Bird Fast Freight on that link,….Pacemaker freight didn’t appear until 46, and Early Bird till sometime after that,….I don’t think you’d see Pacemaker freight cars mixed in mail & express ….Pacemaker freight was a totally separate service, and freight still had to yield right of way to express and passenger varnish,….
Pat
How about this Old/New NYC Classic? This is that delightfully old Lionel 18009 New York Central L3a Mohawk #3000. Years and years ago it had run under the Christmas Tree, taken a header on the Fireman's side Piston into a radiator pipe, pulled a bunch of cars on a carpet pull and fired the rear coupler.
It had been put on the wayside where it had collected quite a bit of dust(no rust) ashamed to run in its weakened state. Well, those days have passed. This old engine got sent to the Harmon Shops for some much needed TLC. Not only did it get a new motor(Pittman), it got a crew(overly enthusiastic I may add), blackened drivers, windows, real coal load, paint on that piston, and the back head(right, that is what it is called?) got detailed with painted gauges. I don't think I left anything out of the Harmon Shops work(did I Pat?).
After leaving the Harmon Shops, it went to Alex M. to add all the electronics, Super Chuffer, Chuff Generator, LED's and a replacement rear electrocoupler so it can haul the big loads once more. She may be only running circles right now, but eventually she will be graduated up to regular service(once a layout is built) to run an even larger circle(haha) to haul those big freight loads. Only time will tell when that happens. All this thanks to Pat(Harmonyards) and Alex M.
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PS., show us your Mohawks.
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:PS., show us your Mohawks.
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:PS., show us your Mohawks.
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@Randy Harrison posted:
Randy wins the forum today 
@Randy Harrison posted:
Hmm, I really doubt any freight is going to be pulled with that. Darn.
Here is my MTH L-3c coming off the turntable and a short video of it pulling a string of MTH club cars.
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Mohawk # 2795, a member of the L2 class ( L2a) rides the turntable at Harmon
Mohawk # 2967 another L2 class, ( L2d ) is spotted waiting for a signal
Mohawks 3010 & 3005 members of the L3 class ( L3a) are seen waiting for service at Harmon
Pat 
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Now those are some Mohawks! You all know how to make me smile after a very long day. I got home just a bit before 8PM, that is a very long day.
Nice running there Rob.
Pat, I suspect that some of those Mohawks really enjoyed being retrofitted.
Skip, that is a really, really long train there.
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:How about this Old/New NYC Classic? This is that delightfully old Lionel 18009 New York Central L3a Mohawk #3000. Years and years ago it had run under the Christmas Tree, taken a header on the Fireman's side Piston into a radiator pipe, pulled a bunch of cars on a carpet pull and fired the rear coupler.
It had been put on the wayside where it had collected quite a bit of dust(no rust) ashamed to run in its weakened state. Well, those days have passed. This old engine got sent to the Harmon Shops for some much needed TLC. Not only did it get a new motor(Pittman), it got a crew(overly enthusiastic I may add), blackened drivers, windows, real coal load, paint on that piston, and the back head(right, that is what it is called?) got detailed with painted gauges. I don't think I left anything out of the Harmon Shops work(did I Pat?).
After leaving the Harmon Shops, it went to Alex M. to add all the electronics, Super Chuffer, Chuff Generator, LED's and a replacement rear electrocoupler so it can haul the big loads once more. She may be only running circles right now, but eventually she will be graduated up to regular service(once a layout is built) to run an even larger circle(haha) to haul those big freight loads. Only time will tell when that happens. All this thanks to Pat(Harmonyards) and Alex M.
Pat and Alex do great things with O gauge trains!
On advice of counsel, and after due deliberation, the Pacemaker cars are out. I’ve watched some of the Waterlevel Route videos, and it appears that some sort of passenger car is appropriate, so I’ve added another Lionel baggage car and a GGD combo car - I may need to do a little rearranging of the cars since I believe I read somewhere that the RR contract with the Postal Service stipulated that no one could walk through the RPO. I also looked around and I found a few Merchants Dispatch Transfer reefers... may add in a couple (but the train is getting a bit long ).
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I've seen that same Mohawk in Skips video running through "my neck of the woods" as well.
Albeit pulling a bit shorter trains however 
.
Paul, MTH makes very nice express box cars,…..they show up from time to time,…that’ll add that authentic touch,….great looking train so far!….
Pat
@harmonyards posted:Paul, MTH makes very nice express box cars,…..they show up from time to time,…that’ll add that authentic touch,….great looking train so far!….
Pat
I once did a LOT of research on cars found on the Central’s M&E trains and have seen express and baggage cars from the UP, B&O, DSS&A and the Milwaukee Road. @Apples55, I agree you have a super nice trains. I sent you an email with links to several YouTube videos with hours of NYC action that should get you some welcome information.
thanks!
-Mario
@CentralFan1976 posted:I once did a LOT of research on cars found on the Central’s M&E trains and have seen express and baggage cars from the UP, B&O, DSS&A and the Milwaukee Road. @Apples55, I agree you have a super nice trains. I sent you an email with links to several YouTube videos with hours of NYC action that should get you some welcome information.
thanks!
-Mario
Absolutely, did not matter where the car came from, if there was revenue to be made, it got hauled
Pat
@harmonyards posted:Absolutely, did not matter where the car came from, if there was revenue to be made, it got hauled
Pat
Yeah, I think I had asked just after joining the forum about the mix of other railroad cars, that is from other railroads. I think the reply was why would they bother to unload the car(freight) from the other railroad's car that would take up time when they could just run it up as is. I had also asked about repairs to other railroad's cars and the reply was much the same. Send them the bill. Keep up a mix of cars as it is so real anyway.
@CentralFan1976 posted:I once did a LOT of research on cars found on the Central’s M&E trains and have seen express and baggage cars from the UP, B&O, DSS&A and the Milwaukee Road. @Apples55, I agree you have a super nice trains. I sent you an email with links to several YouTube videos with hours of NYC action that should get you some welcome information.
thanks!
-Mario
Mario;
I received the playlist. I can’t thank you enough. Luckily I’m retired because it will take quite a while to get through all of the interesting videos in your list.
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:Yeah, I think I had asked just after joining the forum about the mix of other railroad cars, that is from other railroads. I think the reply was why would they bother to unload the car(freight) from the other railroad's car that would take up time when they could just run it up as is. I had also asked about repairs to other railroad's cars and the reply was much the same. Send them the bill. Keep up a mix of cars as it is so real anyway.
Quite correct ……any company’s in house service dept. ( example: car maintenance shops) are the red headed step child of a company. Maintenance shops are seen in the eyes of the company’s holders as a drain on the company’s bottom line. One way to help offset costs was to charge other railroads for repairs to their broken equipment. Not only other railroads, but also other companies or lease companies that owned cars that were hauled by the railroads. A good example I can cite was the relationship between Proctor & Gamble, and the NYC, …P&G owned their own cars outright, but paid the Central to move them AND make any necessary repairs,…..not much different then when you take your automobile to the mechanic for repairs,…..
Pat
Hey, that looks familiar. I had said that the farmer near me usually starts stocking Christmas trees today or so and sells them throughout the month all the way to Christmas. Looking good Skip, Happy Thanksgiving.
I had thought I'd be posting this sooner, but there was a big delay with the shipping on this nice engine. It got stuck in Springfield Massachusetts right before and after Thanksgiving. It finally got here yesterday afternoon to greet me when I came home from work.
This engine I got very fortunate to see on bid on ebay, and was lucky enough to get the winning bid in 4-5 seconds before it expires while I was at work. I am very pleased that this engine is now in my roster as I love the color green, and I'll get this upgraded at some point. Tons of upgrading projects in the works, who knows when all that will end.
So, here it is, the New York Central A2 Berkshire from MTH.
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Great Engine! I got mine a while ago, also. As far as upgrades, unless you specifically run TMCC the sounds on this are great and it runs like a dream. It's one of the best runners I have, and that's compared to other MTH Hudson's, and 3rd Rail Hudson's also. It's a great running machine and beautiful also! Enjoy!
Well, I only have Legacy and really don't want to invest in DCS as this is the first MTH engine in my roster. I don't doubt that the sounds are great. One thing I was surprised by(or I'm more tired than I thought I was) was how heavy the engine by itself is. It felt really heavy to me, I sort of didn't expect it.
As far as upgrading, I will be seeking this to get a Legacy upgrade much like my Dreyfuss Hudson will be getting. Naturally I have to make contact first and I already know there is a delay as well as a waiting list which is fine for me. I just have to join the line as it were.
Dave, you can always run it in conventional. MTH PS2/3 engines have cruise control even in conventional.
Pete
I was fortunate enough to talk to Dave while he was bidding on this A2,…via email of course,….you never saw a kid so giddy ever!….good job Dave, that’s a tough one to track down!…elusive little creatures those pesky P&LE boys,…huh??….🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣……Ron’s gonna jump my ***…
Pat
@harmonyards posted:I was fortunate enough to talk to Dave while he was bidding on this A2,…via email of course,….you never saw a kid so giddy ever!….good job Dave, that’s a tough one to track down!…elusive little creatures those pesky P&LE boys,…huh??….🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣……Ron’s gonna jump my ***…
Pat
Yeah, it is something else to find something that is extremely hard to find. I knew I would eventually get the elusive Lionel Dreyfuss Hudson, but the A2, I never ever thought I would ever see one. I had previously heard on one of Mr. Muffin's live streams when someone was asking about his that they don't pop up often, but when they do, they disappear quick. This is my first scale Berkshire, which I had been trying to get a NPR #765 or one of it's sister a couple of years back. Well, that didn't pan out because I was late to the party. I know that those will come up once again in the future, but this was that "Big Fish" that you hear about.
I have already replied back to the seller thanking her for having this out there, and told her it has come to a good home. I have also dropped a line out there to see if this will be able to get converted to Legacy by Bruk, but I will be waiting if he will be able to do this as there is a bunch of stuff ahead of my Dreyfuss as well as whatever else is going on. I suspect that the slate will be next year for any upgrades I am moving forward on, especially since we are in the last bit of the year. I am only hoping for a great Christmas, which I would say has come very early for me. 
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
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Love it. I have NYC engine that's getting a overhaul both cosmetically and electronically. Hope to post in a few months.
A little work for the 4-6-6T......
Enjoy!
Peter
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