Chapter 156: Outbounds and sealed blocks
Twenty yards of outbounds and sealed blocks
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.
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.
20 yards, pars from 3 to 12 moves. Beside its theme, chapter 156 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 156.1 | 5 | The outbound Dover, Albany, Dover, Albany on Track 1, Concord on 2, Boston on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 2 | Yard 156.2 | 7 | Dover on 1, Boston on 2, Albany on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 3 | Yard 156.3 | 7 | The outbound Albany, Dover, Albany, Albany, Albany on Track 1, Boston on 2, Concord on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 4 | Yard 156.4 | 8 | Boston on 1, Dover on 2, Concord on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 5 | Yard 156.5 | 8 | The outbound Albany, Albany, Erie, Albany, Albany on Track 1, Dover on 2, Concord on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 6 | Yard 156.6 | 8 | The outbound Dover, Boston, Dover on Track 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for a timetable. |
| 7 | Yard 156.7 | 3 | The outbound Erie, Erie, Albany on Track 1, Concord on 2, Boston on 3, Dover on 4. |
| 8 | Yard 156.8 | 6 | Erie on 1, Boston on 2, Albany on 3, Dover on 4. |
| 9 | Yard 156.9 | 8 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Albany, Albany, Boston on Track 1, Dover on 2, Erie on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 10 | Yard 156.10 | 6 | Concord on 1, Dover on 2, Boston on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 11 | Yard 156.11 | 7 | The outbound Boston, Dover, Dover, Boston on Track 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 12 | Yard 156.12 | 6 | The outbound Concord, Dover, Dover on Track 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for a timetable. |
| 13 | Yard 156.13 | 12 | The outbound Concord, Dover, Dover, Concord, Dover on Track 1, Erie on 2, Boston on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 14 | Yard 156.14 | 9 | Concord on 1, Albany on 2, Erie on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 15 | Yard 156.15 | 10 | The outbound Dover, Dover, Concord, Concord on Track 1, Albany on 2, Erie on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 16 | Yard 156.16 | 8 | The outbound Boston, Albany, Boston on Track 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Dover on 4. |
| 17 | Yard 156.17 | 12 | The outbound Dover, Dover, Boston on Track 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for a timetable. |
| 18 | Yard 156.18 | 11 | The outbound Concord, Erie, Erie on Track 1, Dover on 2, Albany on 3, Boston on 4. Watch for a timetable. |
| 19 | Yard 156.19 | 10 | The outbound Concord, Albany, Concord, Albany, Albany on Track 1, Erie on 2, Boston on 3, Dover on 4. |
| 20 | Yard 156.20 | 12 | The outbound Dover, Boston, Boston, Boston on Track 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Concord on 4. |
New to the game? How to play covers pulls, shoves, goals and par in a minute.