Catch Points - Trap Points
 

Can anyone tell me what the difference is? I thought they were two names used interchangeably for the same thing - but I am looking a hand-drawn track plan here which clearly referes to both types separately. Mostly it shows Trap points on sidings, and mostly Catch points on the running lines.

I assume that both types derail the wagon if it runs away in a siding, or rolls backwards on a gradient.

(Ok so its not "on-track machinery", but it's close. Perhaps it should have been in "Derailed":D )

One de-rails the other stops. See here for better explanation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catchpoints

Great link - Thanks southernsteam

Basically they do the same thing. (derail the truck or divert into a sand drag to stop it running away) but were located at different places

Catch points are "largely obsolete"

I recognised that sand drag in that picture on Wiki straight away. Its from the down platform at Goathland station.

I've only ever known 3 occasions where people have put trains into sand drags. Twice the sand drag was at Philips Petrolium at Port Clarence, and the other time was in that sand drag at Goathland when a guard left a rake of coaches in the down platform there and when the brakes leaked off during the night, off it rode towards it. Funny thing is, the guard who was guilty of that is now a Thornaby driver and was responsible for putting one of the trains into the sand drag at Port Clarence as well.

I'm lucky in that I've never put a train over catch points, but I came very close one day while shunting at Grosmont shed. I was headed towards the tunnel, which has catch points at the station end of it, with a line of loco's including a Deltic and a few steam loco's, using an 03 Drewery loco. When I was handsignalled to stop, the weight of the rake of loco's together with the falling gradient and the greasy railhead conditions in the tunnel just kept me going further and further into the tunnel, albeit at very slow speed. I fought with the brake and the sands for ages and was well past the halfway point in the tunnel, which is about a quarter of a mile long, before I managed to bring the rake to a stand. Hairy stuff. :D

Cheers. Ewan.

Trap & Catch points
 

Trap points were normaly found where a loop branches off and before it re-joines the mainline also where sidings have no headshunt. I.e. to shunt you would have to use the mainline where by the points would be reversed so shunting move can take place.As years ago where by a pick up freight would uncouple on the mainline and shunt the yard. Catch points on the other hand are spring points which when a train has passed either one or two blades would spring open as to de-rail any wagons that could have broken away from the train and run backwards.So as above description Trap points are worked from a controlling signal box, Catch points are train worked NOTworked by a signal box. Just for information the catch points at the bottom of the Lickey Incline have been clipped out of use pending recovery??????.PHILL. Hope this answers your query.

A very good shorthand way of remembering the difference, Thanks.

In Limerick, Ireland, they use these contraptions to protect the points in the station:
http://www.railsceneireland.fotopic.net/p47040913.html

I've seen de-railers similar to that on sheds like Thornaby.

They used to have a different type of de-railer at Darlington station before electrification but that type are a thing of past these days as far as I am aware.

A couple of pictures showing a type of derailer often used in Switzerland instead of trap points.
Attachment 427
Attachment 428
I do believe that's a piece of litter underneath the motor:eek:

There are de-railers situated before the end of P 5 and 6 at Huddersfield. In the old days they used to freeze up when the train standing in P5 drew out and before the one in P 4 was ready to leave. Cotton waste, Paraffin and a box of matches used to be the cure. Probably be locked away as a terrorist now!