Chapter 127: The helper and placards
Twenty yards of the helper and placards
A second switcher works the far lead with its own cut. Either engine can move, changing engines is free, and the two have to hand cars to each other through the tracks.
Placarded hazmat cars may not couple directly to the engine, may not be humped and may not be kicked, so they have to travel with a buffer car between them and the power.
20 yards, pars from 4 to 19 moves. Beside its theme, chapter 127 draws on placard spacing, placards and auto racks, 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 127.1 | 8 | Dover on 1, Boston on 2, Albany on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 2 | Yard 127.2 | 5 | The outbound Concord, Concord, Concord, Dover, Dover on Track 1, Albany on 2, Boston on 3. |
| 3 | Yard 127.3 | 6 | Albany on 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Boston on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 4 | Yard 127.4 | 8 | Dover on 1, Albany on 2, Concord on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 5 | Yard 127.5 | 4 | Concord on 1, Albany on 2, Dover on 3, Boston on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 6 | Yard 127.6 | 5 | The outbound Albany, Dover, Dover on Track 1, Concord on 2, Boston on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 7 | Yard 127.7 | 8 | Boston on 1, Albany on 2, Concord on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 8 | Yard 127.8 | 4 | The outbound Albany, Concord, Albany, Albany, Concord on Track 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3. |
| 9 | Yard 127.9 | 9 | Boston on 1, Albany on 2, Concord on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 10 | Yard 127.10 | 5 | Concord on 1, Albany on 2, Dover on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 11 | Yard 127.11 | 9 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Boston, Concord, Concord on Track 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 12 | Yard 127.12 | 6 | The outbound Concord, Dover, Dover, Dover on Track 1, Albany on 2, Boston on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 13 | Yard 127.13 | 12* | The outbound Dover, Dover, Albany, Albany on Track 1, Erie on 2, Boston on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 14 | Yard 127.14 | 8 | Boston on 1, Dover on 2, Concord on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 15 | Yard 127.15 | 12* | The outbound Boston, Albany, Albany on Track 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 16 | Yard 127.16 | 9 | The outbound Dover, Erie, Erie on Track 1, Boston on 2, Concord on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 17 | Yard 127.17 | 16* | Concord on 1, Dover on 2, Albany on 3, Boston on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 18 | Yard 127.18 | 8 | The outbound Dover, Boston, Dover, Boston on Track 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 19 | Yard 127.19 | 12 | The outbound Erie, Boston, Boston, Erie on Track 1, Concord on 2, Dover on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 20 | Yard 127.20 | 19* | The outbound Albany, Albany, Albany, Albany, Concord on Track 1, Dover on 2, Erie on 3, Boston on 4. Watch for a helper on 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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