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Kopfmachen

English translation: reverse/reversal

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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

German term or phrase:	Kopfmachen
English translation:	reverse/reversal
Entered by:	Armin Prediger

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18:13 Feb 5, 2008

German to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Transport / Transportation / Shipping / Shunting (railroad)

German term or phrase: Kopfmachen

Beim Kopfmachen fährt der Zug im Wendebahnhof auf einem Teil der zuvor befahrenen Gleise in die Gegenrichtung. Dazu wird vom Stellwerk eine Fahrstraße in Gegenrichtung eingestellt, bei der ein Teil der Einfahrzugstraße als besetzte Ausfahrt verschlossen bleibt.

(http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrtrichtungswechsel)

It's a pretty rare term - even in German it only gets a few google hits. Anybody have any ideas? Any help would be very appreciated...

Armin Prediger KudoZ activity Questions: 47 (1 open) (2 without valid answers) Answers: 116
Local time: 09:42

reverse

Explanation:
That's what all trains haveto do at a "Kopfbahnhof", and that's all it means here.

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Note added at 19 mins (2008-02-05 18:32:49 GMT)
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It's also known as "turning back" (see the UIC International Union of Railways Dictionary), but that always smacks to me of stopping a train short of its scheduled destination, and I've never used the term.

The train arrives at a terminus and it goes back in the other direction - it's easy enough if the train is either a multiple unit or a push-and-pull formation, each of which have driving cabs at both ends. It becomes a little more difficult if the traction unit has to change ends as well.

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Note added at 55 mins (2008-02-05 19:08:43 GMT)
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"Reversal" may be the word you want.

Selected response from:

David Moore
Local time: 10:42

Grading comment

Perfect, thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided
5	reverse	David Moore

Discussion entries: 2

Answers

11 mins confidence:

reverse

David Moore
Local time: 10:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 705

Grading comment

Perfect, thank you!

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Kopfmachen

English translation: reverse/reversal

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Kopfmachen

English translation: reverse/reversal

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