Sentence:  Here in England it is, thank God! the custom for us to <WSD>shunt</WSD> ourselves off the grand trunk railroad of business, in tearing up and down which our lives are mainly passed, into some quiet siding once every year. ... [W]hen July is running into August, and everything is breaking up, you feel that your business for the season—be it in commerce, law, or literature—is achieved, and that the time for your being temporarily <WSD>shunted</WSD> has arrived. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To divert to a less important place, position, or state.