Chapter 31: Cabooses and timetables
Twenty yards of cabooses and timetables
A caboose rides at the rear of its train, which is the ladder end, so it must be the last car coupled on. It travels with the engine and never goes over the hump.
The move counter is a clock. Arrivals roll in off the main at their move and need room; departures leave on time only if the train is standing in order, or the shift is lost.
20 yards, pars from 4 to 13 moves. Beside its theme, chapter 31 draws on auto racks, timetables and hidden waybills, 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 31.1 | 7 | The outbound Erie, Dover, Dover, Erie, Erie, Dover on Track 1, Boston on 2, Albany on 3. Watch for a timetable. |
| 2 | Yard 31.2 | 5 | Albany on 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Dover on 4. |
| 3 | Yard 31.3 | 5 | The outbound Boston, Concord, Concord, Boston on Track 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3. Watch for a timetable. |
| 4 | Yard 31.4 | 9 | Albany on 1, Erie on 2, Dover on 3, Boston on 4. Watch for a timetable. |
| 5 | Yard 31.5 | 5 | The outbound Concord, Boston, Boston, Concord, Concord, Concord on Track 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3. Watch for a timetable. |
| 6 | Yard 31.6 | 8 | The outbound Dover, Erie, Dover on Track 1, Concord on 2, Boston on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for waybills unread until pulled. |
| 7 | Yard 31.7 | 6 | The outbound Erie, Albany, Erie, Albany, Erie on Track 1, Dover on 2, Concord on 3. Watch for a timetable. |
| 8 | Yard 31.8 | 7 | Dover on 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 9 | Yard 31.9 | 12 | The outbound Dover, Dover, Dover, Dover, Boston, Boston on Track 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3. Watch for a timetable. |
| 10 | Yard 31.10 | 4 | Concord on 1, Albany on 2, Dover on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 11 | Yard 31.11 | 11 | The outbound Concord, Concord, Boston, Concord, Concord, Concord on Track 1, Erie on 2, Dover on 3. Watch for a timetable. |
| 12 | Yard 31.12 | 10 | The outbound Albany, Albany, Dover, Dover on Track 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3. Watch for waybills unread until pulled. |
| 13 | Yard 31.13 | 8 | The outbound Dover, Boston, Dover, Dover, Dover, Boston on Track 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3. Watch for a timetable. |
| 14 | Yard 31.14 | 6 | Albany on 1, Boston on 2, Concord on 3, Dover on 4. |
| 15 | Yard 31.15 | 11 | The outbound Albany, Albany, Albany, Concord on Track 1, Erie on 2, Dover on 3. Watch for a timetable. |
| 16 | Yard 31.16 | 9 | The outbound Concord, Dover, Concord on Track 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3. Watch for a timetable. |
| 17 | Yard 31.17 | 13 | The outbound Erie, Boston, Boston, Boston, Erie on Track 1, Concord on 2, Dover on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for waybills unread until pulled, a timetable. |
| 18 | Yard 31.18 | 12 | The outbound Albany, Dover, Albany on Track 1, Concord on 2, Boston on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for waybills unread until pulled. |
| 19 | Yard 31.19 | 13 | The outbound Albany, Albany, Albany, Albany, Concord, Albany on Track 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3. Watch for a timetable. |
| 20 | Yard 31.20 | 8 | The outbound Boston, Dover, Dover, Dover, Boston on Track 1, Albany on 2, Erie on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for a timetable. |
New to the game? How to play covers pulls, shoves, goals and par in a minute.