Unnamed heashunt

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Unnamed headshunt 18/10/2020 at 20:11 #133172
Hawk777
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Hi folks! There appears to be a headshunt or something like it at the Cambridge end of the down loop (accessible by routing from K253 to the grey triangle directly ahead). As far as I can see it isn’t described in the manual. Sending a train into it, it appears to end in a buffer stop, and be very very short too (even a 20 m train still fouled the points). What is it? At first I thought trap points, but why would there be a signalled route into trap points?
Last edited: 18/10/2020 at 20:17 by Hawk777
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Unnamed heashunt 18/10/2020 at 20:24 #133173
Steamer
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It's just a headshunt; the signalled route gives an extra 45m for shunt moves without having to foul the main line. There's only one track circuit covering it and the points.

Similar arrangements crop up on other simulations; another common one one older installations was a yellow GPL (or yellow disc in semaphore areas), which could be passed in the 'On' position if the points were set for the headshunt.

"Don't stress/ relax/ let life roll off your backs./ Except for death and paying taxes/ everything in life.../ is only for now." (Avenue Q)
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Unnamed heashunt 18/10/2020 at 20:25 #133174
Albert
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The sim has apparently been expanded since the manual was made. Possible reasons for such a route could be to allow overlength trains into the loop, or for some sort of loco movement (Carlisle sim has a few such cases).

That a train will foul the points is logical as there is no track circuit break, so any train will keep the track circuit occupied no matter how short it is.

EDIT: @Steamer, as far as I can see in the sim the headshunt is just 15m, not 45m?

AJP in games
Last edited: 18/10/2020 at 20:26 by Albert
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Unnamed heashunt 18/10/2020 at 20:34 #133175
Hawk777
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Ah, I think I understand, thanks to both: it’s not the kind of headshunt where you would put e.g. a locomotive in and then bring it back out to a different track, rather just a way to make the Down Loop a little bit longer?
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Unnamed heashunt 18/10/2020 at 20:34 #133176
Albert
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Yes, or if multiple tracks connected to it (with points under yard control instead of signalled) then it could be a headshunt to shunt a loco out and immediately back in. But that doesn't seem to be the case here.
AJP in games
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Unnamed heashunt 19/10/2020 at 05:07 #133186
sunocske
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Re 45 m. The headshunt might truly be only 15 meters, but if you count in the pointwork between the signal and the buffer stop...
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Unnamed heashunt 19/10/2020 at 10:00 #133189
clive
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Yes, it's only an extra 15 meters. It's basically a way of locking the points normal to give a bit of extra length. I have no idea why it was thought necessary, but it's in the original control tables and it's clearly visible on King's Cross panel (where it looks much longer).
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Unnamed heashunt 19/10/2020 at 10:04 #133190
clive
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sunocske in post 133186 said:
Re 45 m. The headshunt might truly be only 15 meters, but if you count in the pointwork between the signal and the buffer stop... ;)
Hmm, Google Maps shows it as 48 metres but my memory is the buffers were almost at the fouling point. I'm going to have to dig out some photos.

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Unnamed heashunt 19/10/2020 at 11:08 #133193
clive
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Mantis 31733.
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