Chapter 208: Auto racks and outbounds
Twenty yards of auto racks and outbounds
An auto rack is two car lengths long and takes two slots on a track and two behind the engine, so every capacity becomes a length budget.
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 3 to 11 moves. Beside its theme, chapter 208 draws on the helper, placard spacing and placards, 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 208.1 | 5 | The outbound Boston, Dover, Boston, Dover on Track 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3. |
| 2 | Yard 208.2 | 8 | Boston on 1, Albany on 2, Dover on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 3 | Yard 208.3 | 3 | The outbound Erie, Albany, Erie, Albany, Albany on Track 1, Dover on 2, Concord on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 4 | Yard 208.4 | 5 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Dover, Boston, Dover on Track 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3. |
| 5 | Yard 208.5 | 6 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Albany on Track 1, Concord on 2, Dover on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 6 | Yard 208.6 | 7 | The outbound Erie, Boston, Boston on Track 1, Concord on 2, Dover on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 7 | Yard 208.7 | 3 | The outbound Boston, Dover, Boston, Dover on Track 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 8 | Yard 208.8 | 7 | Albany on 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3, Boston on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 9 | Yard 208.9 | 9 | The outbound Concord, Concord, Erie, Erie, Erie on Track 1, Boston on 2, Albany on 3, Dover on 4. |
| 10 | Yard 208.10 | 8 | Dover on 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 11 | Yard 208.11 | 7 | The outbound Erie, Albany, Albany on Track 1, Concord on 2, Boston on 3, Dover on 4. |
| 12 | Yard 208.12 | 8 | The outbound Concord, Concord, Concord, Concord, Albany on Track 1, Dover on 2, Erie on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 13 | Yard 208.13 | 9 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Albany, Albany on Track 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 14 | Yard 208.14 | 5 | Erie on 1, Albany on 2, Dover on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 15 | Yard 208.15 | 9 | The outbound Albany, Boston, Albany, Albany on Track 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3, Dover on 4. |
| 16 | Yard 208.16 | 5 | The outbound Concord, Concord, Dover, Dover on Track 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 17 | Yard 208.17 | 10 | The outbound Boston, Dover, Boston on Track 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 18 | Yard 208.18 | 7 | The outbound Boston, Albany, Albany on Track 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Dover on 4. |
| 19 | Yard 208.19 | 10 | The outbound Dover, Boston, Boston, Dover on Track 1, Concord on 2, Albany on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 20 | Yard 208.20 | 11 | The outbound Dover, Concord, Concord on Track 1, Albany on 2, Boston on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
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