This report is divided into two parts. Part 1 explains the need for railway classification yards, what they do, and how they do it. Part 2 presents a concept for a novel “folded two-stage yard” which embodies a back-and-forth approach to switching cars through a central switching area. Unlike existing yards that rely on either switch engines or gravity for sorting cars, a concept is presented for using mechanical means (a cable-driven “accelerator” unit built into the tracks) for moving railcars back and forth. It is proposed to operate the yard using an arithmetic sorting patten to build more blocks than the yard has tracks, enabling a long and narrow track layout. The concept is for the development of a totally automated switching yard, which would need no locomotives or switching crews to operate.
As part of a recent study of railroad switchyard technology, SRI determined that the design of classification yards has a significant impact on the ef...
Current work has uncovered a myriad of conflicting design considerations and philosophies. Computer and communication technologies are rapidly changin...
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United States Department of Transportation
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