Chapter 187: The wye and outbounds
Twenty yards of the wye and outbounds
A wye turns the whole cut in one move, reversing its order and the facing of every car. Some cars must stand facing the bumper at their destination.
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 4 to 14 moves. Beside its theme, chapter 187 draws on open slots, doubled outbounds and the running track, 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 187.1 | 5 | The outbound Erie, Dover, Erie, Dover on Track 1, Concord on 2, Boston on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for a wye off the lead. |
| 2 | Yard 187.2 | 5 | The outbound Albany, Albany or Dover, Concord, any car, Albany on Track 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3, Dover on 4. |
| 3 | Yard 187.3 | 6 | The outbound Erie, Boston, Boston, Boston, Boston on Track 1, Dover on 2, Concord on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for a wye off the lead. |
| 4 | Yard 187.4 | 8 | The outbound Dover, Boston, Dover in two sections from Tracks 1 and 2, Albany on 3, Concord on 4, Erie on 5. |
| 5 | Yard 187.5 | 4 | The outbound Erie, Boston, Boston, Boston on Track 1, Concord on 2, Albany on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a wye off the lead. |
| 6 | Yard 187.6 | 8 | The outbound Albany, Dover, Albany, Dover on Track 1, Boston on 2, Concord on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for a running track to the far lead. |
| 7 | Yard 187.7 | 9 | The outbound Concord, Dover, Concord, Concord, Concord on Track 1, Albany on 2, Boston on 3. Watch for a wye off the lead. |
| 8 | Yard 187.8 | 4 | The outbound Concord, Albany, any car, Albany, Albany on Track 1, Dover on 2, Boston on 3. |
| 9 | Yard 187.9 | 10 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Dover on Track 1, Albany on 2, Erie on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for a wye off the lead. |
| 10 | Yard 187.10 | 6 | Albany on 1, Concord on 2, Dover on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 11 | Yard 187.11 | 7 | The outbound Albany, Albany, Boston, Albany on Track 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a wye off the lead. |
| 12 | Yard 187.12 | 7 | The outbound Erie, Erie, Erie, Boston, Boston on Track 1, Albany on 2, Dover on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for a running track to the far lead. |
| 13 | Yard 187.13 | 12* | The outbound Albany, Albany, Boston or Dover on Track 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a wye off the lead. |
| 14 | Yard 187.14 | 9 | Albany on 1, Erie on 2, Boston on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 15 | Yard 187.15 | 7 | The outbound Dover, Erie, Dover on Track 1, Albany on 2, Boston on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for a wye off the lead. |
| 16 | Yard 187.16 | 8 | The outbound Albany, Dover, Albany, Dover, Albany in two sections from Tracks 1 and 2, Concord on 3, Erie on 4, Boston on 5. |
| 17 | Yard 187.17 | 11 | The outbound Erie, Albany, Erie on Track 1, Boston on 2, Dover on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for a running track to the far lead, a wye off the lead. |
| 18 | Yard 187.18 | 7 | The outbound Concord, Concord, Concord, Erie on Track 1, Albany on 2, Boston on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a running track to the far lead. |
| 19 | Yard 187.19 | 7 | The outbound Erie, Erie, Boston, Boston, Erie on Track 1, Dover on 2, Concord on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for a wye off the lead. |
| 20 | Yard 187.20 | 14 | The outbound Erie, Erie, any car, Boston on Track 1, Dover on 2, Albany on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for a wye off the lead. |
* A par marked with a star is the best known line for a yard too large to solve outright.
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