Good thoughts, Dave.
It’s no hijack, Ric. It’s all part of the discussion. 
Speaking of which, I don’t think anyone has put the boxcar at Mystery, Inc yet. It should look like this as the train leaves.
(http://www.jbrr.com/Pics/Operations/2009.10.06/IMG_6792.JPG)
Maybe the next diagram should not show the train on the track. Like Ken stated, we stopped the train BEFORE the switch when we were running. Here you can see it where it is stopped - the white reefer (6557) is where we split the train.
(http://www.jbrr.com/Pics/Operations/2009.10.06/IMG_6790.JPG)
BTW, Ken (and anyone else), I’ve tentatively got Mike coming over on Tuesday the 20th about 930. He might have jury duty so we’re playing it by ear. If you come I’ll definitely run.
Of course there is that dang traffic. 
I’ll mark it on my calender, though I doubt I can get there by 9:30. More likely after 10.
That would be my first move, too. Clearing out the siding at Mystery and moving the hopper to the LCL track.
Then backing out and pulling forward on the main to set car 112 on the siding in front of car 181.
Pull forward and get back on the main and back up till you clear the LCL switch.
Pull forward till you clear the switch to McCown Freight and couple on to the hopper and make sure all 3 cars were coupled together (181, 10, and 112).
Back into McCown and pull out the 2 cars there (45 and 8279).
Pull forward and throw the switch to McCown and back out to the main. (with 181, 10 & 112 on the front of the engine and 45 & 8729 coupled to the rear)
Back up and clear the switch to BI and uncouple 8729.
Pull forward and clear the switch to BI.
Throw the switch to Brunt Interchange and back car 45 into it and uncouple it.
Throw the switch to Mystery and push car 112 onto that siding.
Uncouple and back onto the main, throw the Mystery switch and couple back up to 8729.
Throw the switch to the LCL siding and pull forward onto it, uncouple car 8279 and clearing the switch to McCown drop off cars 181 & 19.
Throw the switch to McCown and back car 110 into McCown freight.
Pull forward, clear the switch, and back onto car 8729.
Pull forward, clear the switch.
Throw the switch and back car 8729 into McCown.
Pull forward, throw the switch and back out and couple onto the rest of your train.
This is much easier to do in person than having to write it out…
You’ll be just in time for the start of operations! It usually takes about a half hour to set up.
Isn’t it interesting how just a few cars can create a challenging scenario. Next, I’ll have to move on to Jackson. We had some tricky stuff there.
Bruce,
You said - "Isn’t it interesting how just a few cars can create a challenging scenario. "
During this discussion of operating rules, I did a Google search of “Shunting Puzzle Rules” and found this statement under the Inglenook Puzzle.
“What looks like a simple task can provoke quite a bit of headscratching. The number of possible combinations regarding the positions of these 8 items of rolling stock, by the way, is a mere 40’320, so it should take some time before a feeling of “oh yes, I know this one” grabs the operator. Once the train is made up, the five items of rolling stock are either simply redistributed on the sidings wherever there is room for them, or replaced with five other items if the headshunt leads to somewhere, e.g. a fiddleyard or perhaps even a larger layout.”
Bruce Chandler said:
You'll be just in time for the start of operations! It usually takes about a half hour to set up.Isn’t it interesting how just a few cars can create a challenging scenario. Next, I’ll have to move on to Jackson. We had some tricky stuff there.
I’ll save Jackson for Ric to figger out. Occoquan was easy compared to that nightmare…
Ken Brunt said:Bruce Chandler said:
You'll be just in time for the start of operations! It usually takes about a half hour to set up.Isn’t it interesting how just a few cars can create a challenging scenario. Next, I’ll have to move on to Jackson. We had some tricky stuff there.
I’ll save Jackson for Ric to figger out. Occoquan was easy compared to that nightmare…
Yeah…Jackson is just EVIL!