How would this be switched?

[ngauger]

Wow! I missed this thread 'till now

The PRR (The Standard Railroad of the World) had a lot of what would seem "Goofy rules"

One of which was they loved to see "White" clean looking smoke coming out of steam engines.

Another was that you Always work safe, but SAVE MONEY!!!!!!! With that in mind.. you are ALWAYS instructed to make runs, drops, and pick-ups using the following ideas:

Never move any car that you don't have to
Never move the engine any farther than you have to
Schedule time to limit Overtime

Now, looking back at the original diagram, we find that brakie's solution fits...
Moving the engine once into the sidings... and "if on a grade" letting the car(s) coast back to the train saves fuel.
as far as i know, if you have a good yard worker, they would set the train up before you left the yard. anyhting picked up along the way would be put at the front (behind the engine) as you go.

by default, the full cars would be at the rear ready to be dropped. another reason for this is that if you had a rear facing siding all the engineer had to do is uncouple after the car, pull forward and switch it off (backing) onto the siding.

for forward switches, (likre the diagram above) he has to make the "car to be dropped" the front car.... Oh yeah - another "Rule"

NEVER get the engine between the cars on the train....... In other words....

Caboose - car - car - <engine - car - car - car Engine heading toward car

It takes a lot of moves and fuel to "un-do" that goof!!

you always want the engine at either end of the train. This is where the slang never get the cabin in front of your face comes from:

car - caboose .................... <engine - car - car (Engine heading toward caboose)

on the above line, the engineer can "SEE" the caboose (cabin) DON'T go there!! LOL switch and RUN around the train!!!

In other words, like has been said: Think ahead!!!