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How are these sidings operated?


garethashenden
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I've seen this very simple siding arrangement used on multiple railways, but I can't quite figure out how it would be shunted. The trailing part is easy, but what happens with the facing part, particularly if there are wagons in the trailing section? Is it a case that each half gets worked by a train traveling in the relevant direction? That's the best I've come up with, but it seems a little awkward. In the diagram, the single track mainline is at the bottom, sidings are at the top.

 

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Various options so it would depend on the industry or purpose it serves. One option is that a train inbound pulls into the siding, reverses to drop off the wagons then pulls forward and attaches to wagons in the headshunt taking them back to the origin. Wagons might be moved to the headshunt by gravity, horse or capstans.

It could be a stub of an old line or yard retained as sidings which it was cheaper to leave as is than modify the track and signalling.

It could also allow engineering machines to enter on top of something in the headshunt and reverse out of the way without needing another driver and shunts via the mainline. There are a few GF sidings like that where the kickback part was used for longer periods of storage while the headshunt part was used by tampers etc berthing during the day for nighttime works.

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Of what I know of UK practice, and a bit of US practice, its exactly that.  Some sidings are only operable from a certain direction. 

If you want something interesting to do on google maps, search the Matt Brewing Company in Utica, NY, USA.  Theyre still railserved and Ive had quite a bit of fun trying to figure out how to actually get from there to any mainline as the area is peppered with defunct sidings, old rail served industries, and different arrangements of sidings and access. 

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I haven't seen this arrangement on any of the lines I have researched.  A loop is more normal.   It does rather depend on the length of the respective sidings and the topography, if the main line drops from right to left and the siding is level it would make sense in avoiding a facing point in the faster direction.

Otherwise remember horses and man power were used extensively for shunting almost to the end of steam. Shunting Horses don't need a track to run round their trains. Unfortunately I don't expect to see 00 gauge DCC compatible shunting horses with sound and smell available until at least 2050.

Near my home both Chedworth Station siding and Chedworth Woods sidings on a 1 in 70 down gradient were only able to be shunted by locos travelling Tender first, the Station sidings were taken out without being opened to the public , had the arrangement shown, effectively a siding with a level headshunt been deployed there would not have been a problem.

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Which highlights the flaw in many small goods yard / industrial models - not all the wagons were shunted by a locomotive - trains were put into the yard by a locomotive but then thereafter the movement of the wagons may be performed by other power - horse, tractor or a man with a pinch bar.

 

I don't think a giant finger counts....

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Which highlights the flaw in many small goods yard / industrial models - not all the wagons were shunted by a locomotive - trains were put into the yard by a locomotive but then thereafter the movement of the wagons may be performed by other power - horse, tractor or a man with a pinch bar.

 

I don't think a giant finger counts....

Maybe we need a rail equivalent of the Faller car system.

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Apart from the direction with which the siding is shunted, the turnout in the siding protects the 'main' from any errant shunting by horse or pinch bar.

 

The Signal box or ground frame which operates the "main' turnout would be locked with the other turnout so that they could not be at odds with each other.

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