Chapter 177: Sorting and sealed blocks
Twenty yards of sorting and sealed blocks
Every car has a destination and every track an assignment. Pull cuts to the lead, shove them back in the right place, and do it in as few moves as the yard allows.
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 4 to 16 moves. Beside its theme, chapter 177 draws on cabooses, sealed blocks and repair time, 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 177.1 | 4 | Concord on 1, Albany on 2, Boston on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 2 | Yard 177.2 | 10 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Dover, Boston, Boston on Track 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 3 | Yard 177.3 | 7 | Concord on 1, Dover on 2, Boston on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 4 | Yard 177.4 | 7 | Dover on 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 5 | Yard 177.5 | 8 | Dover on 1, Albany on 2, Concord on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 6 | Yard 177.6 | 8 | The outbound Dover, Dover, Concord, Concord on Track 1, Albany on 2, Boston on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for cars that need the shop first. |
| 7 | Yard 177.7 | 4 | Dover on 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 8 | Yard 177.8 | 6 | The outbound Dover, Dover, Albany, Dover on Track 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 9 | Yard 177.9 | 9 | Boston on 1, Dover on 2, Albany on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 10 | Yard 177.10 | 5 | Boston on 1, Albany on 2, Dover on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 11 | Yard 177.11 | 7 | The outbound Boston, Erie, Erie, Boston on Track 1, Dover on 2, Concord on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 12 | Yard 177.12 | 10 | The outbound Albany, Albany, Erie, Erie on Track 1, Dover on 2, Concord on 3, Boston on 4. Watch for cars that need the shop first. |
| 13 | Yard 177.13 | 7 | The outbound Albany, Albany, Dover, Albany on Track 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 14 | Yard 177.14 | 8 | Dover on 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 15 | Yard 177.15 | 9 | The outbound Concord, Erie, Erie on Track 1, Boston on 2, Albany on 3, Dover on 4. |
| 16 | Yard 177.16 | 6 | The outbound Dover, Dover, Albany, Dover on Track 1, Concord on 2, Boston on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 17 | Yard 177.17 | 13 | Albany on 1, Boston on 2, Concord on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for cars that need the shop first. |
| 18 | Yard 177.18 | 9 | The outbound Erie, Erie, Concord, Concord, Erie on Track 1, Dover on 2, Boston on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for cars that need the shop first. |
| 19 | Yard 177.19 | 10 | The outbound Boston, Albany, Boston on Track 1, Dover on 2, Concord on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 20 | Yard 177.20 | 16* | The outbound Concord, Erie, Concord, Concord on Track 1, Dover on 2, Albany on 3, Boston 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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