Chapter 124: Sealed blocks and outbounds
Twenty yards of sealed blocks and outbounds
Sealed blocks are two or three cars coupled as a unit. A pull or shove that would cut between them is refused, and a block is never humped or kicked.
An outbound train must stand on its departure track in exactly the order the sign gives, ladder end first, so the order you shove cars in is the whole puzzle.
20 yards, pars from 5 to 17 moves. Beside its theme, chapter 124 draws on the running track, the wye and yard orders, 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 124.1 | 5 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Concord, Boston, Concord on Track 1, Dover on 2, Erie on 3. |
| 2 | Yard 124.2 | 9 | Concord on 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a running track to the far lead. |
| 3 | Yard 124.3 | 5 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Dover, Dover on Track 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 4 | Yard 124.4 | 8 | Boston on 1, Concord on 2, Albany on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for a wye off the lead. |
| 5 | Yard 124.5 | 8 | The outbound Erie, Albany, Albany on Track 1, Boston on 2, Dover on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 6 | Yard 124.6 | 6 | The outbound Dover, Albany, Dover, Dover, Dover on Track 1, Boston on 2, Concord on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 7 | Yard 124.7 | 8 | The outbound Erie, Boston, Erie on Track 1, Concord on 2, Albany on 3, Dover on 4. |
| 8 | Yard 124.8 | 5 | Concord on 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a running track to the far lead. |
| 9 | Yard 124.9 | 11 | The outbound Dover, Concord, Dover, Dover on Track 1, Boston on 2, Albany on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 10 | Yard 124.10 | 6 | Dover on 1, Concord on 2, Albany on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 11 | Yard 124.11 | 10 | The outbound Boston, Erie, Boston, Erie on Track 1, Dover on 2, Concord on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 12 | Yard 124.12 | 10 | The outbound Albany, Concord, Albany, Albany, Concord on Track 1, Boston on 2, Dover on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 13 | Yard 124.13 | 11 | The outbound Albany, Dover, Albany on Track 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3, Boston on 4. Watch for a running track to the far lead. |
| 14 | Yard 124.14 | 11 | Erie on 1, Concord on 2, Boston on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 15 | Yard 124.15 | 9 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Boston, Albany, Boston on Track 1, Concord on 2, Dover on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 16 | Yard 124.16 | 8 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Concord on Track 1, Dover on 2, Erie on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for a wye off the lead. |
| 17 | Yard 124.17 | 13 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Dover, Dover, Dover on Track 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 18 | Yard 124.18 | 7 | The outbound Concord, Boston, Boston, Boston on Track 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 19 | Yard 124.19 | 9 | The outbound Dover, Concord, Concord, Concord on Track 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 20 | Yard 124.20 | 17* | The outbound Boston, Boston, Concord on Track 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a running track to the far lead. |
* A par marked with a star is the best known line for a yard too large to solve outright.
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