Track Cars Shunt the System?

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not specified
• D. Not applicable

Answer: (B)

Shunting a track circuit means creating a deliberate electrical path between the rails to indicate that a block is occupied. Signals and interlocking rely on this indication, and the methods used to produce a proper shunt are tightly controlled.

Track cars are not used to shunt the system under normal operating rules. They’re maintenance devices, and their movement isn’t treated as a valid or reliable way to simulate occupancy for signaling purposes. When testing or working around the signaling system, crews follow approved procedures with designated shunt devices or authorized locomotives, and with proper protection, rather than relying on a track car to produce the needed shunt.

So the statement is false because track cars are not considered, or used, to shunt the signaling system in normal practice.