Chapter 101: Open slots and placard spacing
Twenty yards of open slots and placard spacing
Outbound patterns can leave slots open to any car, or to a set of destinations. Choosing which car fills a slot cheaply is the puzzle, because the handy one is rarely the right one.
Placard spacing rules for outbounds: a placarded car may not stand at the head of the train or be coupled to another placarded car.
20 yards, pars from 3 to 17 moves. Beside its theme, chapter 101 draws on placards, auto racks and timetables, with two breathers of plain sorting and extra cars. Difficulty runs as a sawtooth: runs of easy yards, a spike, a breather.
The yards
| # | Yard | Par | The job |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yard 101.1 | 6 | The outbound Albany, Concord or Erie, Albany, Albany or Concord, Albany on Track 1, Boston on 2, Dover on 3. |
| 2 | Yard 101.2 | 6 | Erie on 1, Dover on 2, Boston on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 3 | Yard 101.3 | 6 | The outbound Boston or Dover, Erie, Erie on Track 1, Dover on 2, Albany on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 4 | Yard 101.4 | 6 | Albany on 1, Erie on 2, Boston on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 5 | Yard 101.5 | 8 | The outbound Dover or Erie, Albany, Erie, Albany on Track 1, Boston on 2, Dover on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 6 | Yard 101.6 | 10 | The outbound Boston, Erie, Erie, Erie, Erie on Track 1, Dover on 2, Albany on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for a timetable. |
| 7 | Yard 101.7 | 5 | The outbound Erie, Dover, Dover, Dover, Boston or Dover on Track 1, Albany on 2, Concord on 3. |
| 8 | Yard 101.8 | 10 | Dover on 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 9 | Yard 101.9 | 6 | The outbound Boston, Concord, any car, Concord on Track 1, Dover on 2, Erie on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 10 | Yard 101.10 | 3 | Boston on 1, Albany on 2, Dover on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 11 | Yard 101.11 | 7 | The outbound Concord, Albany, Concord, Concord or Erie on Track 1, Erie on 2, Dover on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 12 | Yard 101.12 | 8 | The outbound Albany, Dover, Dover, Albany on Track 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for a timetable. |
| 13 | Yard 101.13 | 10 | The outbound any car, any car, Boston, Concord on Track 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Dover on 4. |
| 14 | Yard 101.14 | 9 | Concord on 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 15 | Yard 101.15 | 12* | The outbound Albany or Erie, Concord or Dover, Concord, Erie on Track 1, Dover on 2, Boston on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 16 | Yard 101.16 | 6 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Boston, Erie on Track 1, Albany on 2, Dover on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 17 | Yard 101.17 | 13* | The outbound Dover, Albany or Erie, any car, Albany on Track 1, Concord on 2, Boston on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for a timetable. |
| 18 | Yard 101.18 | 7 | The outbound Dover, Dover, Erie, Erie on Track 1, Albany on 2, Boston on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for a timetable. |
| 19 | Yard 101.19 | 10 | The outbound Erie, Boston or Dover, Boston, Erie, Boston on Track 1, Dover on 2, Albany on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 20 | Yard 101.20 | 17* | The outbound Albany or Dover, Concord or Dover, Erie, Erie, Erie on Track 1, Albany on 2, Boston on 3, Concord on 4. |
* A par marked with a star is the best known line for a yard too large to solve outright.
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