Chapter 29: Tonnage and open slots
Twenty yards of tonnage and open slots
The engine carries a tonnage rating. Loaded cars weigh more than empties, and the engine cannot move a cut heavier than its rating, so big pulls have to be broken up.
Outbound patterns can leave slots open to any car, or to a set of destinations. Choosing which car fills a slot cheaply is the puzzle, because the handy one is rarely the right one.
20 yards, pars from 3 to 13 moves. Beside its theme, chapter 29 draws on doubled outbounds, the running track and the wye, 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 29.1 | 6 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Albany or Concord on Track 1, Erie on 2, Dover on 3. Watch for an engine rated for 170 tons. |
| 2 | Yard 29.2 | 5 | The outbound Boston, Erie, Boston in two sections from Tracks 1 and 2, Albany on 3, Concord on 4, Dover on 5. |
| 3 | Yard 29.3 | 5 | The outbound Albany, Albany or Boston, any car on Track 1, Dover on 2, Erie on 3, Boston on 4. Watch for an engine rated for 130 tons. |
| 4 | Yard 29.4 | 8 | Dover on 1, Boston on 2, Concord on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for a running track to the far lead. |
| 5 | Yard 29.5 | 6 | The outbound Boston, Boston or Erie, Dover, Dover, Dover on Track 1, Albany on 2, Concord on 3. Watch for an engine rated for 140 tons. |
| 6 | Yard 29.6 | 7 | The outbound Concord, Albany, Albany, Concord, Concord on Track 1, Erie on 2, Boston on 3. Watch for a wye off the lead. |
| 7 | Yard 29.7 | 6 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Concord, any car, Concord on Track 1, Albany on 2, Dover on 3. Watch for an engine rated for 160 tons. |
| 8 | Yard 29.8 | 9 | The outbound Boston, Albany, Boston in two sections from Tracks 1 and 2, Erie on 3, Dover on 4, Concord on 5. |
| 9 | Yard 29.9 | 10 | The outbound any car, Albany, Dover, Albany, any car on Track 1, Erie on 2, Boston on 3. Watch for an engine rated for 290 tons. |
| 10 | Yard 29.10 | 5 | Concord on 1, Boston on 2, Dover on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 11 | Yard 29.11 | 7 | The outbound Albany, Albany, Dover, Concord or Dover, Albany on Track 1, Boston on 2, Concord on 3. Watch for an engine rated for 190 tons. |
| 12 | Yard 29.12 | 5 | The outbound Dover, Dover, Boston on Track 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3. Watch for a wye off the lead. |
| 13 | Yard 29.13 | 7 | The outbound any car, Albany, Albany, any car in two sections from Tracks 1 and 2, Erie on 3, Concord on 4, Boston on 5. Watch for an engine rated for 130 tons. |
| 14 | Yard 29.14 | 7 | Albany on 1, Dover on 2, Concord on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 15 | Yard 29.15 | 8 | The outbound Albany, Concord, any car, Albany or Dover on Track 1, Erie on 2, Dover on 3. Watch for an engine rated for 170 tons. |
| 16 | Yard 29.16 | 3 | The outbound Dover, Albany, Albany, Albany, Dover on Track 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3. Watch for a running track to the far lead. |
| 17 | Yard 29.17 | 13 | The outbound Albany or Concord, Erie, Erie on Track 1, Dover on 2, Albany on 3, Boston on 4. Watch for a wye off the lead, an engine rated for 180 tons. |
| 18 | Yard 29.18 | 6 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Boston, Dover on Track 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3. Watch for a wye off the lead. |
| 19 | Yard 29.19 | 8 | The outbound Concord, Concord, Boston or Dover, Concord on Track 1, Boston on 2, Albany on 3. Watch for an engine rated for 160 tons. |
| 20 | Yard 29.20 | 8 | The outbound Concord or Dover, Boston, any car, Boston in two sections from Tracks 1 and 2, Erie on 3, Dover on 4, Albany on 5. Watch for an engine rated for 140 tons. |
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