Chapter 32: Auto racks and yard orders
Twenty yards of auto racks and yard orders
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.
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 5 to 11 moves. Beside its theme, chapter 32 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 32.1 | 7 | Dover on 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 2 | Yard 32.2 | 6 | Dover on 1, Concord on 2, Albany on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 3 | Yard 32.3 | 8 | Albany on 1, Erie on 2, Boston on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 4 | Yard 32.4 | 9 | The outbound Albany, Erie, Albany, Albany on Track 1, Boston on 2, Concord on 3. |
| 5 | Yard 32.5 | 7 | Dover on 1, Albany on 2, Boston on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 6 | Yard 32.6 | 9 | The outbound Albany, Erie, Albany on Track 1, Concord on 2, Dover on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 7 | Yard 32.7 | 9 | Albany on 1, Erie on 2, Boston on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 8 | Yard 32.8 | 8 | Dover on 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 9 | Yard 32.9 | 7 | Albany on 1, Dover on 2, Concord on 3, Boston on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 10 | Yard 32.10 | 6 | Concord on 1, Boston on 2, Dover on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 11 | Yard 32.11 | 9 | The outbound Concord, Concord, Albany, Albany, Albany on Track 1, Dover on 2, Boston on 3. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 12 | Yard 32.12 | 8 | The outbound Erie, Dover, Erie, Erie, Dover on Track 1, Boston on 2, Albany on 3. |
| 13 | Yard 32.13 | 11 | Concord on 1, Erie on 2, Boston on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead, yard orders on the clock. |
| 14 | Yard 32.14 | 7 | Dover on 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 15 | Yard 32.15 | 9 | The outbound Concord, Dover, Concord on Track 1, Albany on 2, Boston on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 16 | Yard 32.16 | 10 | The outbound Dover, Albany, Dover, Albany on Track 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3. |
| 17 | Yard 32.17 | 11 | Concord on 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Boston on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 18 | Yard 32.18 | 8 | The outbound Erie, Erie, Albany, Erie on Track 1, Boston on 2, Dover on 3. |
| 19 | Yard 32.19 | 5 | The outbound Boston, Concord, Boston on Track 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 20 | Yard 32.20 | 11 | Boston on 1, Albany on 2, Dover on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead, yard orders on the clock. |
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