It depends on what era you are modeling. In the classic era, any town would generally have a double ended siding, and many towns had sidings on both sides of the mainline. After the transition era much trackage was abandoned, especially switches which are a high maintenance item.
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Hello All,
Unfortunately, I don’t have the room as “She Who Must Be Obeyed” has relegated me to a 4’x8’ platform which sits on the bed in the computer/spare bed/train room.
The helix is in the middle of the oval and has a 15-inch radius to the mainline with an immediate curve, which would derail the descending cars.
Hope this helps.
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I lived for over 40 years across the street from the Minneapolis Northfield & Southern’s “high line”, a dead-end branchline running through Bloomington and Richfield into the southern edge of Minneapolis MN. It has been featured in MR in it’s 21st century operation by Progressive Rail. It ends with a run-around track, which is used to serve LeJeune Steel and Model Stone Co., both of which would be facing spur tracks if not for the runaround.
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Other consideration is, what type of train will be switching this location?
If it will be a “local” (running from Yard A to Yard B), then a run-around will be needed.
But if it will be a “turn” (from Yard A to point M then return to Yard A), then a run-around won’t be needed. The turn will switch all facing point spurs on the way out to point M, then switch all previous trailing point spurs (which will now be facing point spurs) on the way back to Yard A.
As a side note, there will need to be a run-around at point M, to put locomotive on the front of the returning train.
Dan
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Dan, I think you have “facing” and “trailing” reversed.
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Lost,
You’re right. After further review I had those reversed.
“Facing Point” where the engine approaches from the “Point” side of the turnout.
“Trailing Point” where the engine approaches from the “Frog” side of the turnout.
p.s. But you did understand what I was attempting to explain. 
Dan
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I find it simpler to remember that on a facing point spur, the engine has to have the car in front of the engine to push it into the spur; on a trailing point spur, the car has to be behind the engine.
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Excellent. 
Facing point: you’re facing the switch and can go either way.
Trailing point: the two tracks are trailing into one in front of you. Or turning into a single trail?
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And every switch is good for one move.
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You seem to contradict yourself. First you say for a “turn” you don’t need a run-around at the turning point, and then you do say you need a run-around at that point. Once you get to the turning point, you will always need a run-around to get the engine at the front for the return trip to work the opposing switches..
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Yes - or all three if it’s a three-way.
Trailing in this context means behind. If the Packers are leading the Steelers 13-7, then the Steelers are trailing.
Imagine you’re on an engine in the middle of a long section of north-south single track mainline, and your loco is facing north. You have to move your engine off the mainline to clear another train.
In front of you is a turnout with a line branching off from the straight track to the east, your right as you look north. This is a facing-point turnout. You can get off the mainline by throwing the switch and moving forward into the spur, going through the facing-point switch.
Behind you, a turnout is branching off from the straight track to another spur track, let’s say it is also to the east. Since your engine is facing north, this is a trailing point turnout. You can move your engine into that spur track, but only by throwing the switch and backing onto the trailing-point spur.
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I said that there is no need for a run-around at any “locations” between yard A and point M. But that you would need a run-around at point M.
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I make no presumption that the OP or you considers the “location” to be an intermediate point.
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If I understand your question correctly, this area isn’t an intermediate point but is a terminus in a point to point operation. The area has two sets track coming off the main at an elevated section of my layout. Those tracks in turn split up several times into spurs which lead to several industries. I simply made two of them into a run around. Cars arriving here will eventually be returned to the other terminus at the other end of my layout.
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