There are other ways to speed up trains.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j55nMYZB09s

The foamers obviously didn't understand that a switch won't throw while the CP is occupied. I'm not sure about the wording used to authorize the reverse move. The two mains into San Diego split into four. As I recall the best signal you can get is restricting - or a "know nothing" aspect. The only reason I can think of for the four mains is so that only a blue signal has to be displayed, the tracks do not have to be locked out.

Wouldn't it have been faster to just get permission to take the switch in hand throw rather than back out of the CP? Maybe a track circuit to allow approach restricting on a clear track and restricting on an occupied track are in order?