Broadly speaking, TOK has it right.
Ok, are we ready for some basic road training? Then I'll begin....
The Basic'sEaling Common has two ends - the Acton end is to the east, and the Ealing end is to the west. On shed roads, no train operator is permitted to cross the halfway point (
depot shunters can - but have their own approved procedure for this). On outside roads, train operators may cross the halfway point - subject to the correct procedure below.
Entering The DepotUnless there is a reason (ie, signal failure at Ealing Common, etc), ALL trains enter the depot from the west end (Ealing end). A few trains will reverse off Ealing Common's Westbound platform, but by far the majority will enter the depot from Ealing Common's Eastbound platform [having run empty from Ealing Broadway].
Either shunt signal will show a route 1 or 2.
Route 1 will take you to the stop board next to the west shunters cabin (left hand side) - he will then verbally (face to face at your cab door) instruct you on where in the depot the train will be stabled. It will be something like "14 Acton please" or "12 Ealing mate"........maybe even "can you put it on 8 Ealing, six car mark". That last one is important - 8 is a shed road, so there'd be a problem if he said 8 Acton (
can't cross the middle 
). The six car mark is also important - it means the back car is left "on juice" outside the shed. If they want it "off juice", they'll say "take it right in" or simply "leave it off juice". If they want the train on "the Alps" (21 - 24 roads), the shunter will take the train because of the manual point setting needed.
17 Ealing can only hold a 3 car unit!!Route 2 will take you to the right of the West shunters cabin where you'll find an arrow pointing left or right. These are 19 & 20 roads. At the halfway point, there are shunt signals for each road, which, when cleared, will allow access (subject to a train already being there) to the Acton end. There are stop boards at the end of these roads.
If a train enters the depot from the East (Acton) end, a shunter will ALWAYS take over the train from the stop board.
Exiting The Depot (West end)Going WestTrains cannot go west from 19 & 20 Acton or shed roads at the Acton end (
can't cross the middle line in a shed). From 19 & 20 Ealing, a shunt signal will clear giving access to the outlet shunt on the left of the west shunters cabin. The outlet shunt has three routes - 1 for Ealing Common Westbound, 2 for Ealing Common Eastbound & 3 for 31 & 32 roads (adjacent to Ealing Common's Eastbound platform).
Route 3 is for depot shunters only.
Trains on "the Alps" (21 - 24 roads) will called by radio to the "first stop board" by the East cabin, then the West cabin will take over, calling the train to "the second stop board" and finally the outlet shunt (to the right of the West shunters cabin).
All other trains will be called straight to the outlet shunt on the right side of the West shunters cabin by the radio from the West cabin. The outlet shunt has three routes - 1 for Ealing Common Westbound, 2 for Ealing Common Eastbound & 3 for 31 & 32 roads (adjacent to Ealing Common's Eastbound platform).
Route 3 is for depot shunters only.
Going EastThe East sunters cabin will call all trains out by radio to the outlet shunt signal (typically you'll hear something like "train 20 on 12 Acton, proceed to East end outlet signal"). Exceptions are trains on the Ealing end of shed roads (
that middle line thing again) and trains on 19 or 20 Ealing, which will need a clear shunt signal to move onto the Acton end first.
Once at the outlet signal (
there is a train stop enforcing a max speed of 10 mph on the way down the hill!), a route 1 is displayed for the sand drag (
depot shunters only!) & route 2 is for access to the Eastbound 'local line' from Ealing Common. However.......before reaching the actual main line, there is a second shunt signal - route 1 is platform 4 (Eastbound local / District), route 2 is platform 3 (Eastbound fast / Piccadilly).
Other Useful InfoAll points entering the depot (except where shunt signals are used) are manually set. All points leaving the depot (again except where shunt signals are used) act as 'spring & toggle'.
All shunt signals are controlled by Earls Court control room signallers.
If radio communication doesn't work, the cabin shunters MUST use hand signals (coloured lamps or flags) - and they must stand in front of your train to ensure the hand signal is not misunderstood by another train.
**now waits to be corrected or told that's too much information** ;D ;D ;D ;D
). The six car mark is also important - it means the back car is left "on juice" outside the shed. If they want it "off juice", they'll say "take it right in" or simply "leave it off juice". If they want the train on "the Alps" (21 - 24 roads), the shunter will take the train because of the manual point setting needed. 
