Quote:
Originally Posted by Trev
.................I still don't get it though. If the driver passed a red signal and thereby gained access to the main line, surely the points would have been set against him? Wouldn't he have de-railed? ..............................
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Trev, even when set against them, trains can force their way through trailing points without derailing although the points themselves will probably be damaged.
I don't know what happens in the U.S. but some railways actually use spring-loaded points at the entrance and exit of loops like those mentioned by Gandalf on the RH&DR. They are also quite common on Swiss metre-gauge lines.
One way to guard against this happening is to use trap points as was discussed in a previous thread.