In the above table, you’ll see a variety of cars heading to multiple destinations. All of the above cars are at Hinkle Yard, and are on one track. The switch list shows the list of cars, load/empty status, waybill destination, the block in which cars for those destinations are to move from Hinkle, and the track the yardmaster has designated for that block. In this case, you can see cars moving to Stockton, CA, Coos Bay, OR, and Laredo, TX will all go in the Roseville block, despite their differing ultimate destinations. They will connect in Roseville for their ultimate destinations. The switch crew will move each car from the current track to those tracks designated on the switch list.
They continue with this process, switching each inbound train, until they’ve completed all of the inbounds, and the yard master cuts them off. At this point, it’s time to make up the outbound trains.
A different yard crew is generally responsible for making the outbound trains. That crew will make sure all the cars are coupled, and will couple the air hoses (unless there are mechanical forces available to perform that task). Once all cars are coupled, and air hoses coupled, the train is inspected. Bad order cars will be moved, and cars in-need of repairs will either be repaired on-the-spot, or moved to a repair track.
Again, this portion of operations has a high degree of variability: