Chapter 75: Cabooses and the helper
Twenty yards of cabooses and the helper
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.
A second switcher works the far lead with its own cut. Either engine can move, changing engines is free, and the two have to hand cars to each other through the tracks.
20 yards, pars from 4 to 15 moves. Beside its theme, chapter 75 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 75.1 | 4 | The outbound Dover, Dover, Dover, Albany on Track 1, Boston on 2, Concord on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 2 | Yard 75.2 | 4 | Dover on 1, Boston on 2, Albany on 3, Concord on 4. |
| 3 | Yard 75.3 | 11* | The outbound Concord, Erie, Concord, Erie, Concord on Track 1, Boston on 2, Dover on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 4 | Yard 75.4 | 7 | Albany on 1, Boston on 2, Erie on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a timetable. |
| 5 | Yard 75.5 | 7 | The outbound Albany, Concord, Concord, Albany on Track 1, Erie on 2, Boston on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 6 | Yard 75.6 | 11 | The outbound Dover, Dover, Dover, Albany, Dover on Track 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3, Boston on 4. Watch for waybills unread until pulled. |
| 7 | Yard 75.7 | 11* | The outbound Erie, Dover, Erie, Dover, Dover, Erie on Track 1, Albany on 2, Boston on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 8 | Yard 75.8 | 4 | Albany on 1, Concord on 2, Erie on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 9 | Yard 75.9 | 7 | The outbound Boston, Albany, Boston, Boston, Boston, Albany on Track 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 10 | Yard 75.10 | 5 | Albany on 1, Erie on 2, Concord on 3, Boston on 4. |
| 11 | Yard 75.11 | 11 | The outbound Albany, Albany, Albany, Albany, Dover, Dover on Track 1, Boston on 2, Concord on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 12 | Yard 75.12 | 10 | The outbound Concord, Concord, Erie on Track 1, Boston on 2, Dover on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for waybills unread until pulled. |
| 13 | Yard 75.13 | 13* | The outbound Concord, Dover, Dover, Concord on Track 1, Albany on 2, Boston on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 14 | Yard 75.14 | 7 | Albany on 1, Boston on 2, Concord on 3, Erie on 4. |
| 15 | Yard 75.15 | 11* | The outbound Concord, Concord, Dover, Concord on Track 1, Erie on 2, Boston on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 16 | Yard 75.16 | 8 | The outbound Albany, Albany, Boston on Track 1, Dover on 2, Concord on 3, Erie on 4. Watch for a timetable. |
| 17 | Yard 75.17 | 15 | The outbound Concord, Concord, Concord, Erie, Concord, Erie on Track 1, Albany on 2, Boston on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead, waybills unread until pulled. |
| 18 | Yard 75.18 | 5 | The outbound Boston, Dover, Boston, Dover on Track 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Concord on 4. Watch for waybills unread until pulled. |
| 19 | Yard 75.19 | 8 | The outbound Concord, Concord, Concord, Boston, Boston, Boston on Track 1, Erie on 2, Albany on 3, Dover on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
| 20 | Yard 75.20 | 15* | The outbound Concord, Concord, Concord, Erie on Track 1, Boston on 2, Dover on 3, Albany on 4. Watch for a helper on the far lead. |
* A par marked with a star is the best known line for a yard too large to solve outright.
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