Chapter 46: Outbounds and cabooses
Twenty yards of outbounds and cabooses
An outbound train must stand on its departure track in exactly the order the sign gives, ladder end first, so the order you shove cars in is the whole puzzle.
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.
20 yards, pars from 7 to 15 moves. Beside its theme, chapter 46 draws on yard orders, no-engine tracks and stub 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 46.1 | 8 | The outbound Dover, Albany, Dover, Dover, Dover, Dover on Track 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 2 | Yard 46.2 | 9 | Albany on 1, Boston on 2, Concord on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 3 | Yard 46.3 | 8 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Albany, Albany, Boston on Track 1, Dover on 2, Concord on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 4 | Yard 46.4 | 7 | Concord on 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a hump yard, a track closed to the engine. |
| 5 | Yard 46.5 | 7 | The outbound Albany, Concord, Albany, Albany on Track 1, Erie on 2, Boston on 3, Dover on 4. |
| 6 | Yard 46.6 | 12 | The outbound Boston, Albany, Albany on Track 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a stub behind another track. |
| 7 | Yard 46.7 | 8 | The outbound Dover, Dover, Dover, Dover, Boston, Dover on Track 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3, Albany on 4. |
| 8 | Yard 46.8 | 9 | Concord on 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 9 | Yard 46.9 | 12 | The outbound Boston, Boston, Concord, Concord on Track 1, Albany on 2, Erie on 3, Dover on 4. |
| 10 | Yard 46.10 | 8 | Albany on 1, Erie on 2, Dover on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 11 | Yard 46.11 | 11 | The outbound Erie, Erie, Erie, Albany, Erie, Albany on Track 1, Dover on 2, Boston on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 12 | Yard 46.12 | 10 | The outbound Dover, Boston, Boston, Boston, Dover on Track 1, Concord on 2, Albany on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for a stub behind another track. |
| 13 | Yard 46.13 | 10 | The outbound Dover, Dover, Boston, Boston, Dover, Boston on Track 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for yard orders on the clock. |
| 14 | Yard 46.14 | 10 | Erie on 1, Boston on 2, Dover on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 15 | Yard 46.15 | 13* | The outbound Albany, Erie, Albany, Albany, Erie, Erie on Track 1, Dover on 2, Boston on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 16 | Yard 46.16 | 9 | The outbound Erie, Concord, Concord, Concord on Track 1, Dover on 2, Albany on 3, Boston on 4. Watch for a hump yard, a track closed to the engine. |
| 17 | Yard 46.17 | 14* | The outbound Boston, Boston, Boston, Boston, Concord on Track 1, Albany on 2, Erie on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a stub behind another track. |
| 18 | Yard 46.18 | 15 | The outbound Erie, Boston, Erie, Boston, Erie on Track 1, Albany on 2, Dover on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for a stub behind another track. |
| 19 | Yard 46.19 | 11 | The outbound Dover, Albany, Albany, Dover on Track 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 20 | Yard 46.20 | 10 | The outbound Boston, Erie, Boston, Boston, Erie, Boston on Track 1, Concord on 2, Dover on 3, Albany 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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