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I am not an expert, but it's main purpose is to sort cars by gravity. An engine of some sort pushes cars up the hump, a yard hand pulls the coupler release lever at the top and the cars roll down the hill. Someone in a tower lines the switches and the cars go into a predetermined track. Something called retarders will slow the car down and it stops when it makes contact with cars already positioned on the track. Some of this may now be computerized. The sorting is based on outbound destinations. It is more efficient than having a switcher push individual cars into the outbound tracks.
Someone with more knowledge might be able to add to this.
So its a deterministic pachinko game where the cars are the balls?
And quick, I would guess. And efficient.
So its a deterministic pachinko game where the cars are the balls?
It has been automated, as of 1973, at the Southern Pacific (now defunct). The Colton yard in Southern California.
what a weekend
need a big time coffee. iam still sleeping haha. didnt get much sleep on the weekend.
saturday, first tding the discgolf tournament with around 50 people. then i had to go to my boss and friends 50th party. late night coming home by bike. sunday hangover and making the house look good again, and in the evening went to a concert. again late coming home.
so today back in the office with what it feeels like 20 hours sleep missing
last week i found the time to finally open my miniprints monthly sub box.
i have to say, miniprints is awesome, i really like what bernard is doing. and the box is just great value (no iam not sponsored) of course i had to make a vide.
and here for you

the vid.
wish you all a great start for the weekend.
cheers
jay
Slow, lumbering ballet! Someone should put some music to it haha.
late night coming home by bike. sunday hangover
I've done that before. Friend told me come over to meet a girl that said she could drink me under the table. So, I rode my bike (bicycle) over the mountain to his house. We started with beer, then moved to whiskey. She fell asleep before I did. My friend told me to stay the night as he drove the girls to the train station. While he was gone, I decided to ride home. When I started going uphill, the spots showed up and I was down. Got up, straightened the handles, lumbered back to the house. Woke up the next morning with a blanket on me and blood all over the couch. My friend asked me what happened and I told him I had tried to go home. After cussing and calling me an idiot, he drove me home. Luckily, it was around 2 am when I tried my stunt, so no cars.
Good morning all. A sunny day with the temperature in the low 20s C
Tea and toast please, Flo.
A Canadian friend sent me this picture because I like ships.
Retired NS Signal Construction Gang Signalman
Good morning! It's 55°F and partly cloudy.
Snarky Old Fart (in training)
I'm up!
Flo: I need an Amish Donut today. Did the delivery wagon show up with them yet?
Kusojiji: HUMP Yards: DJs Trains has a good video on the subject:
Hump Yard in the 1950s U.K. style.
Snarky Old Fart (in training)
If you haven't checked the news yet:
China and the US have agreed a 90-day pause to the deepening trade war that has threatened to upend the global economy, with reciprocal tariffs to be lowered by 115%.
Markets rally after Washington and Beijing agree to drastically cut reciprocal tariffs as US treasury secretary says ‘neither side wants a decoupling’
www.theguardian.com
'Shunter Black's Night Off.' 1941.
Good morning gang!
52° and mostly cloudy, with a high expected day of 71°. Rain is in the forecast for the next five days. Oh lovely!
BBL
Hi Troy, thank you very much! I've bookmarked DJ's site. Awesome info and that classification yard is going to cost me a lot of bucks in switches! haha
Gomez Addams
Staff member
Good morning. It's raining and 71.
Temps in the 50s f this morning supposed to have gusty winds today in Nebraska so driving with camper will be fun today.
We’re up this morning getting ready to head to hill city SD. Mount Rushmore crazy horse and a few other places to see this week.
Nice to get away before school is out and campgrounds get crowded.
Good morning all,
54f and sunny in east central Minnesota. 3 more days of sun and highs reaching 90 followed by a significant cool down for the weekend .
Garden work on the agenda today, also painting and roofing a new homestead cabin for the layout.
I always enjoyed driving and camping in the Black Hills, I love the open Ponderosa Pine timber stands and the interesting terrain.
Have a great day all--
Dave LASM
Good morning Crew. I walked alone this morning at 5:15, I was awake and since the 1st of the work crew won’t be here now till 8 I definitely had time.
Another beautiful Chamber of Commerce day. It’s 48f degrees heading to the high 80’s. Predicted rain has been changed to a now “maybe” Wednesday. The winds are calm and it was a great walk and I remembered my music this morning.
2 buddies called yesterday morning and asked what my layout was doing? They came over and the stuff I was going to prep for today got accomplished along with some items we planned to do right away this morning. Strung 2 additional bus power lines. Laid the 6’ of rail on the section I had put the ties strips down on. Added 2 run arounds and had lunch at 12:30. We then prepped 16 Blue Point switches by adding the wires to the machine and gluing the attachment plates to the styrofoam after drilling the holes for the switch rods. Had to remove the track switches to drill the pink foam for the switch rods. That was not fun, ruined 1 switch but I had a replacement. Around 5 Terry told the guys if they were joining us for dinner at 6:30 to go home and clean up. While they were gone I called the restaurant and asked if our table could be changed to 4. Yep! We had a good time yesterday and while they never asked until we were in the car they both liked Italian. We had a great meal and a goodbtime
At 8 this morning 4 of the guys will start at each end of the layout working in pairs installing the Blue Point switch machines. I will after they are installed drill out on the fascia for the control rod holes and the light indicators. Around 10 the wiring guy and his partner will bring the resistance soldering rig and attach the feeder wires to the track. I’ve had no issues with feeders 6 to 8’ but we are going overkill at every 3’. We did get the feeder wires dropped through the 2” foam base yesterday and cleaned up. Drilling pink foam is a bit messy! His wiring partner will follow behind and attach the feeders to the bus. Breaktime/snack time is 10:30 and lunchtime is at 2. The guys want to be hand cleaning track by 1 and running cleaning trains after lunch. I don’t have a cleaning train but 2 of the guys will bring their cleaning trains. All I have to do before anyone gets here is finish removing the stage skirting around my layout. Terry and the daughter will steam clean the skirting out on the patio. They offered I did not ask. The few bins that were under the layout have been moved out of the train room so the floor under the layout is clear.
Tuesday 3 of the guys will be back to finish anything leftover but mainly to help reattach the stage skirting and run test trains. One of those three is the operational guru of the area. A former professional railroader he and I for about a year have been working through schemes as to running my layout. He made up some switch lists a few months ago and Tuesday we will test them out. One thing we are concerned about is powering the track. I use the NCE power cab and have been searching for a new SB5 booster at a price under $260.00. Running 5 diesels at once with sound might be iffy. One of the guys will bring his along this morning. The power center is set up for it so it should be a quick add-on.
It’s going to be a fun couple of days down in the train room
Enjoy your day
Temps in the 50s f this morning supposed to have gusty winds today in Nebraska so driving with camper will be fun today.
We’re up this morning getting ready to head to hill city SD. Mount Rushmore crazy horse and a few other places to see this week.
Nice to get away before school is out and campgrounds get crowded.
kg: forget about Crazy Horse - nothing but a tourist trap, well was a couple of years ago.
Try and get to the 'Reptile Garden', not to far South out of Rapid City on sr16 (between I90 the the faces)
Food if you can 'The Powder House' where 16 splits off into 16A toward Keystone.
Go online and see if you can book 'Delta-09 Minuteman Missile Silo'. South East of Wall on I90. Still things to see if you can't book.
Wall Drug for food and lots to looks at.
And of course, do the side trip to the 'Bad Lands', South from Wall and back to Rapid City ( long way ) if you wish.
Like Military stuff? - Ellsworth AFB ( Box Elder, just East of Rapid City ) has a museum with lots of big stuff outside.
Have fun!
L8r
If you haven't checked the news yet:
China and the US have agreed a 90-day pause to the deepening trade war that has threatened to upend the global economy, with reciprocal tariffs to be lowered by 115%.
Markets rally after Washington and Beijing agree to drastically cut reciprocal tariffs as US treasury secretary says ‘neither side wants a decoupling’
www.theguardian.com
Timed over the weekend to allow the billionaires to get their stock buys in before the NY Stock Exchange opens this morning. Still it’s a goodish thing.
I say in 60 days the pause falls apart and the market goes down and then “cooler” heads will get the agreement going again the market will rise.
Generally I am not one who buys into conspiracy theories but this tariff thing while definitely needed rings like a plot in play
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