Chapter 2
YARD WORK
2.1. GENERAL
The fundamental purpose of a yard is to receive inbound trains,
to remove and add such cars as may be necessary, and to make up new
trains consisting of various car combinations of groups received and
groups on hand. This chapter deals wit the procedures involved in
getting this work done.
2.2. FREIGHT GROUPING
The governing principle throughout the grouping or blocking
process is to group each cut of cars so that its position in the
outbound train requires a minimum of handling in setting it off at
its destination, or at the next yard. For example, suppose the
yardmaster at Conroy yard, shown in figure 2.1, receives an inbound
train of 28 cars; the first 14 are bound for Maxey yard, and the last
14 are for Dewitt. On hand in his yard are 14 cars bound for Elton.
He orders the train to a particular track in the yard where either
the 14 Maxey or the 14 Dewitt are cut off and set over against the 14
Elton. The 28 cars, 14 Maxey14 Elton, if the move is made at the
head end, or 14 Elton14 Dewitt, if the work is done at the rear end,
are then doubled back against the other 14 inbound cars. The train
is now complete with three blocks or groups of 14 cars each, one
group each for Maxey, Elton, and Dewitt, and each group is in it
proper order in the train. On arrival at Maxey yard, the first 14
cars behind the locomotive are set off. The same operation is
repeated at Elton and Dewitt. This is a greatly simplified example
of the application of the car grouping principle. In actual
operations, train breakup and makeup is greatly complicated by
numerous groups and destinations ordinarily involved.
2.3. CLASSIFICATION
Classifying cars consists of assigning them to a particular
destination grouping, and switching them to a track containing the
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