Chapter 221: Sorting and yard orders
Twenty yards of sorting and yard orders
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.
Yard orders fire on the clock: a track closes and reopens, the yardmaster reassigns a track, the work train needs one clear, and the other crew moves cars on its own schedule.
20 yards, pars from 4 to 13 moves. Beside its theme, chapter 221 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 221.1 | 5 | Albany on 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 2 | Yard 221.2 | 9 | The outbound Erie, Erie, Erie, Erie, Albany, Albany on Track 1, Concord on 2, Dover on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 3 | Yard 221.3 | 8 | Erie on 1, Dover on 2, Albany on 3, Boston on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 4 | Yard 221.4 | 4 | Erie on 1, Albany on 2, Dover on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 5 | Yard 221.5 | 7 | Concord on 1, Dover on 2, Albany on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 6 | Yard 221.6 | 13 | The outbound Dover, Boston, Dover on Track 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for cars that need the shop first. |
| 7 | Yard 221.7 | 8 | Erie on 1, Boston on 2, Albany on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 8 | Yard 221.8 | 5 | The outbound Dover, Dover, Albany, Albany, Dover on Track 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 9 | Yard 221.9 | 10 | Dover on 1, Albany on 2, Boston on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 10 | Yard 221.10 | 7 | Dover on 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 11 | Yard 221.11 | 10 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Boston, Dover on Track 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 12 | Yard 221.12 | 13 | The outbound Boston, Dover, Boston on Track 1, Albany on 2, Erie on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for cars that need the shop first. |
| 13 | Yard 221.13 | 11 | The outbound Concord, Concord, Dover, Dover, Dover, Concord on Track 1, Boston on 2, Albany on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 14 | Yard 221.14 | 7 | Concord on 1, Dover on 2, Albany on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 15 | Yard 221.15 | 11 | The outbound Boston, Erie, Erie, Boston, Boston on Track 1, Albany on 2, Dover on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 16 | Yard 221.16 | 5 | The outbound Concord, Erie, Erie on Track 1, Dover on 2, Boston on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 17 | Yard 221.17 | 12 | Concord on 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for cars that need the shop first, yard orders on the clock. |
| 18 | Yard 221.18 | 11 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Dover, Boston on Track 1, Concord on 2, Albany on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for cars that need the shop first. |
| 19 | Yard 221.19 | 8 | The outbound Concord, Dover, Dover on Track 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Boston on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 20 | Yard 221.20 | 13* | The outbound Boston, Boston, Boston, Boston, Albany, Boston on Track 1, Concord on 2, Dover on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
* A par marked with a star is the best known line for a yard too large to solve outright.
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