"Now Arriving On Track One"

By decoding the smoke signals, I see that the Daily Excitement pulled down the wye extension, backed around onto the old Durango Mainline then running forwards to the Depot.

In D&RG(W) as there was(still is) no signalling system, was it general practice to run Express trains on the mainline at restricted speed into Stations or was the line expected to be clear so Express's could arrive in a fitting manner rather than wandering along looking for a place to stop? I'm also assuming that the first set of facing points were always to be set for the Main unless in use.

Chris
in New Zealand