of crews.
Should these trains require expedited movement, and if
main-line traffic permits, they may be inspected on the main track
and forwarded without entering the yard.
However, if they do not
require expedited movement, trains of this type may be handled in the
progressive yard illustrated in figure 1.1 as follows:
(1) The train would be brought into the receiving yard (A) on
any track from 1 through 3.
(2) It would head through its track out onto the lead and
through the bypass track, marked XX, into the departure yard on any
track from 1 through 10.
(3) The train would be inspected, checked by a yard clerk, and
air-tested.
If no defective cars were found, the train would be
ready for forwarding without switching.
b. Two-crew switching.
In the combination yard illustrated in
figure 1.2, tracks are used interchangeably.
Note that the tracks
are numbered 1 through 17, and that two switching leads are shown on
the east end of the yard. Assume that two yard crews are switching
cars on these leads. Crew No. 1 uses lead 1, and crew No. 2 works on
lead 2.
If crew No. 2 has cars for tracks 1 through 10, it cannot
switch them without delaying the other crew.
The reverse situation
prevails if crew No. 1 has cars for tracks 11 through 17.
The
yardmaster must, therefore, exercise good judgment in assigning
various switching cuts to the two crews. To crew No. 1, he assigns a
cut of cars intended primarily for tracks 1 through 10. To the other
crew, he tries to assign cars which belong predominantly on tracks 11
through 17.
However, each crew has some cars belonging on the
other's tracks.
These cars are held out temporarily on any track
with enough room. When both crews finish with the other cars, they
exchange the ones belonging to each other, and complete the
switching.
Or, to prevent any possible confusion, they could
exchange places on the leads, and switch to the correct tracks the
same cars that they had previously held out.
c. Advantages.
Note that time is saved in both examples
presented in subparagraphs a and b.
In the situation described in
subparagraph a, the road train may bypass a train on the lead marked
X, near the yard office in figure 1.1.
The through train,
unassisted, is able to proceed to the departure yard, thus saving the
time of a yard crew which would otherwise have to move it were the
train left in the receiving yard.
The employment of two switching
crews, working as outlined in subparagraph b, also saves time.
Frequently, switching a track as rapidly as possible results
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