certain yard tracks such as running tracks and necessary switching
leads increase the efficiency of yard operations.
All activities in a yard are the responsibility of the
yardmaster, and he supervises all of the personnel who work in it.
He makes up switch lists from the yard clerk's track-check lists that
instruct the switching crews how to process the cars through the
yard. He also keeps a journal that presents at all times an accurate
picture of the status of all work, cars, and tracks.
Car inspectors check each car on every train after it enters the
yard and each car on every train before it departs.
Whenever any
defective car is found that cannot be repaired immediately, it is
sent to the repair tracks.
Yard operation and supervision is a job that requires a lot of
know-how and years of experience. From your study of this text, you
should have gained an insight into the complexity of the task of
maintaining a smooth and orderly progression of cars and freight
through a railway yard.
In a military railway operation in a theater, a congested yard
could cause a traffic jam that could result in logistical support
failure. It is important, therefore, that transportation officers be
familiar with yard operations and how they relate to the overall job
of railroading.
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