Today's southbound Northlander featured the ever-regal 1805, captured here at the south mileboard to Martins Siding. This used to be the location of a previous siding known as Mallard Siding, long since removed with the passage of time leaving very little evidence of it ever being there. Mallard Siding was only about half of Martins 4710 feet in length making it defunct once Martins was constructed to handle the increasing freight train lengths. Nowadays 4710 feet isn't enough to handle really long trains but since there is little traffic on this line anymore, and of what there is only one of two meeting trains would ever be longer than the siding, it suffices. The longer train will pull through on the main holding short of the far switch and allow the opposing train (typically a Northlander on the rare occasions it happens) to pull into the siding. Once that switch has been re-aligned for the main the freight will carry on its way allowing the passenger to exit the other end.
