I know there used to be "sprung switches", where the mainline was like a regular frog, but the rail on the frog end of the siding was forced against the stock side of the frog by heavy springs. The flanges would "pick" the frog, forcing it over to permit passage. Not sure how a train took the siding from the point ends. It may be that it couldn't, and was only supposed to exit the siding this way.
LOL I used to work at a coal plant too, bet we could tell some stories!Guess who had to shovel the coal spilled around and in between the tracks??