Riccarton Junction

Thanks, Ian.

Not having much of a clue (yet) how Steam Locos work, I assume that if the headshunt results in the engine being at the front, but still facing into the platform, it can still move forward ok i.e. the engine doesn't need to be pointing the direction it's going (as in the Sidmouth pic) http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/s/sidmouth/sidmouth(tarr8.1963)old3.jpg

Would this diagrammatic example of a "Terminal headshunt" from wiki be the kind of thing you mean by run-round loop? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headshunt#:~:text=A run round loop (or,"running round a train".

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated. As an aside, was just browsing the brilliant Disused Stations website and came across Sidmouth: http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/s/sidmouth/index.shtml ...and there is a description of how locos switched ends without a run-round Perfect!

Apologies if this is in the wrong place - there are a lot of sub-forums around here and it may take me a while to get my bearings Just wondering about how locomotives (steam) turned round at stations (especially at small stations where there wasn't huge shunting yards). For examples: 1. Loco and carriages pull into buffers at a small branch line station. How does the engine get to the front again for the return journey? 2. Loco comes into a smallish goods yard. How does the engine get to the front again to take freshly loaded goods away? Guessing some form of shunting is involved. I'm new to modelling and also new to how steam locomotives operated, so apologies in advance for what may seem like obvious questions. Only way to learn is to ask!