In the 21st Century the Class 1's have been doing their best to discourage 'loose car' railroading. They do their best to run off the one and two car a day customers as the look at them as requiring too much service for the revenue they generate.
Without loose car railroading there is little need of switching the loose cars and thus little need for hump yards to switch the loose cars.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
There is less carload traffic, and less classifying in transit. Many hump yards were shut down when the number of cars to be humped fell below about 1200 cars per day.
I'm not sure of that myself, "Hump yards good, hump yards no good."
I guess it depends on the railroad and their point of view.
You might be better odd asking this question on the "Trains" Forum under "General Discussion." There's quite a few professional railroaders over there who might be able to explain it.
Now every railroad wanted to get rid of hump yards.what gives
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