A puzzeltask

[SMcNeill]

Repeat until cars are in the order that the train needs to be in.

I had real trouble understanding your proposed solution, but your last sentence showed me that this is not the solution. I think so! If I translated that correctly, no.
 
Only nine shunting operations are necessary!

I think I've still got the proper solution.  That last line is in there in case you want to move multiple cars, such as car #2 and car #17 both to the end of the line (or in some other position).   We'll compare what I've wrote to whatever you end up giving us as the final solution, and see what the difference is (besides just the language/translation barrier perhaps).