Models for railroad terminals

This paper describes the recent work which has been done by Battelle Memorial Institute in the development of models for the study of railroad terminals. Specifically, these models are mathematical or logical models programmed for the digital computer and reproduce the operating characteristics of railway classification yards. The problem of the amount of detail which should be included in the logic of the model is discussed and the factors which influenced the choice of the depth of programming are reviewed. The philosophy, structure, and general characteristics of one terminal model are discussed as well as some typical applications.