Balloon loop

They did not commonly appear on freight railways until the 1960s, when the modernising British Rail system introduced merry-go-round (MGR) coal trains that operated from mines to power stations and back again without shunting.

European systems were almost universally converted to looped operation in the early 20th century, and most also adopted single-ended trams.

[citation needed] Loops were also used on some tramways in Asia, South America and New Zealand, as well as on other Australian systems in addition to Sydney.

Occasionally, balloon loops are used for reversing trains on lines with heavy grades and tight curves to equalize wear on both sides of locomotives and rollingstock.

Such a balloon loop was constructed at Beech Forest on the 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) Victorian Railways line from Colac to Crowes.

Balloon loop at Linnéplatsen at the tramway in Gothenburg , Sweden .
Double sided island platform on a balloon loop - Olympic Park, Sydney , Australia
P1 & P4 departures
P2 & P3 arrivals
Maules Creek & Boggabri Coal Terminal East balloon loops
Light-rail train using the balloon loop at Lechmere station in Cambridge, Massachusetts , US in 2020
View of the balloon loop at the temporary PATH World Trade Center station from above.