Chapter 17: The helper
Twenty yards of the helper
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.
20 yards, pars from 3 to 10 moves. Beside its theme, chapter 17 draws on the wye, yard orders and no-engine tracks, 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 17.1 | 3 | Dover on 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 2 | Yard 17.2 | 5 | Erie on 1, Albany on 2, Dover on 3. Watch for a wye off the lead. |
| 3 | Yard 17.3 | 7 | Boston on 1, Dover on 2, Albany on 3. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 4 | Yard 17.4 | 6 | Dover on 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 5 | Yard 17.5 | 4 | Albany on 1, Erie on 2, Boston on 3. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 6 | Yard 17.6 | 4 | The outbound Boston, Erie, Erie on Track 1, Albany on 2, Dover on 3. Watch for a hump yard, a track closed to the engine. |
| 7 | Yard 17.7 | 5 | Erie on 1, Boston on 2, Concord on 3. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 8 | Yard 17.8 | 6 | Concord on 1, Albany on 2, Boston on 3. Watch for a wye off the lead. |
| 9 | Yard 17.9 | 7 | Dover on 1, Albany on 2, Boston on 3. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 10 | Yard 17.10 | 6 | Boston on 1, Dover on 2, Erie on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 11 | Yard 17.11 | 5 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Boston, Erie on Track 1, Concord on 2. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 12 | Yard 17.12 | 5 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Dover, Boston, Dover on Track 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3. Watch for a hump yard, a track closed to the engine. |
| 13 | Yard 17.13 | 10 | Erie on 1, Concord on 2, Dover on 3. Watch for a helper on the far lead, a wye off the lead. |
| 14 | Yard 17.14 | 5 | Boston on 1, Albany on 2, Erie on 3, Dover on 4. |
| 15 | Yard 17.15 | 6 | The outbound Boston, Albany, Boston on Track 1, Concord on 2, Dover on 3. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 16 | Yard 17.16 | 6 | The outbound Albany, Dover, Dover, Albany on Track 1, Concord on 2, Boston on 3. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 17 | Yard 17.17 | 8 | Albany on 1, Boston on 2, Concord on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for a hump yard, a helper on the far lead, a track closed to the engine. |
| 18 | Yard 17.18 | 5 | The outbound Erie, Erie, Albany, Erie on Track 1, Boston on 2, Concord on 3. Watch for a hump yard, a track closed to the engine. |
| 19 | Yard 17.19 | 4 | The outbound Albany, Albany, Erie, Albany, Erie on Track 1, Boston on 2. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 20 | Yard 17.20 | 5 | Dover on 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3. Watch for a helper on the far lead, a wye off the lead. |
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