Chapter 248: The running track and placard spacing
Twenty yards of the running track and placard spacing
A running track loops to a far lead and far ladder, so open tracks can be worked from either end. One move takes the engine and its cut round the loop.
Placard spacing rules for outbounds: a placarded car may not stand at the head of the train or be coupled to another placarded car.
20 yards, pars from 4 to 15 moves. Beside its theme, chapter 248 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 248.1 | 6 | The outbound Boston, Concord, Boston, Concord, Concord on Track 1, Albany on 2, Erie on 3. Watch for a running track to the far lead. |
| 2 | Yard 248.2 | 8 | Albany on 1, Concord on 2, Boston on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for a wye off the lead. |
| 3 | Yard 248.3 | 9 | The outbound Dover, Dover, Dover, Concord, Concord on Track 1, Albany on 2, Boston on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for a running track to the far lead. |
| 4 | Yard 248.4 | 10 | Erie on 1, Boston on 2, Albany on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 5 | Yard 248.5 | 4 | The outbound Erie, Boston, Boston, Erie, Erie on Track 1, Concord on 2, Albany on 3. Watch for a running track to the far lead. |
| 6 | Yard 248.6 | 4 | The outbound Concord, Dover, Dover on Track 1, Erie on 2, Boston on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for a hump yard, a track closed to the engine. |
| 7 | Yard 248.7 | 8 | The outbound Concord, Concord, Boston, Concord on Track 1, Albany on 2, Erie on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a running track to the far lead. |
| 8 | Yard 248.8 | 10 | Boston on 1, Dover on 2, Erie on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for a wye off the lead. |
| 9 | Yard 248.9 | 11* | The outbound Albany, Albany, Albany, Albany, Dover on Track 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Boston on 4. Watch for a running track to the far lead. |
| 10 | Yard 248.10 | 4 | Boston on 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 11 | Yard 248.11 | 14 | The outbound Boston, Concord, Concord, Concord, Boston on Track 1, Erie on 2, Dover on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for a running track to the far lead. |
| 12 | Yard 248.12 | 4 | The outbound Dover, Dover, Erie on Track 1, Boston on 2, Albany on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for a hump yard, a track closed to the engine. |
| 13 | Yard 248.13 | 15* | The outbound Dover, Dover, Dover, Erie, Erie on Track 1, Concord on 2, Boston on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for a running track to the far lead, a wye off the lead. |
| 14 | Yard 248.14 | 7 | Erie on 1, Boston on 2, Albany on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 15 | Yard 248.15 | 11 | The outbound Erie, Albany, Albany on Track 1, Concord on 2, Boston on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a running track to the far lead. |
| 16 | Yard 248.16 | 8 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Concord on Track 1, Erie on 2, Dover on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 17 | Yard 248.17 | 8 | The outbound Dover, Dover, Concord on Track 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Boston on 4. Watch for a hump yard, a running track to the far lead, a track closed to the engine. |
| 18 | Yard 248.18 | 6 | The outbound Erie, Concord, Erie, Erie on Track 1, Dover on 2, Boston on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for a hump yard, a track closed to the engine. |
| 19 | Yard 248.19 | 11* | The outbound Albany, Erie, Albany, Albany, Erie on Track 1, Concord on 2, Boston on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a running track to the far lead. |
| 20 | Yard 248.20 | 13* | The outbound Concord, Concord, Dover, Dover on Track 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for a running track to the far lead, 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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