Re: the derailed BR loco in the link below. Caption says caught on "trap points". Is this British English for a spring switch?

http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?n ... r_1964.jpg

Based on the photograph, my guess is that in English we'd call it a derail, such as between an engine terminal or yard and a main line.

They're called "catch-points" in the UK, right?

Joshua

Aarne's basicall got it. Instead of an on-the-rail obstacle to serve as a derail, a switch that "goes nowhere" is used where a siding re-enters another track (main line, station lead, etc.).

In the picture, it appears that the loco was backing toward the camera, and that behind the camera the siding joins the main. The protecting points were not shifted to allow the loco to proceed.

JAC

"The Railway Dictionary" Alan A. Jackson, Alan Sutton Books (UK) 1995:

TRAP POINTS: Safety points [switch] provided in a line to prevent unauthorized movements on to another line.

CATCH POINTS: Trailing points arranged to derail harmlessly any vehicle running in the wrong direction. Inclines are usually protected in this manner and catch points are an official requirement where the gradient exceeds 1 in 260; a second pair is also required if the gradient is lengthy. A runaway or catch siding may also be provided.

Also reffered to as a "switch point derail" in North America. And, apparently, it did just as it was supposed to, unfortunatly not neccessarily at the right time (although i guess we don't really know if it was not under human control or not)

"Trap points" are always positioned to derail anything attempting to pass through them except when the road is cleared.

They are controlled by a signaller and interlocked with the signalling system. They are usually used to protect outlet roads from yards or depots from unauthorised moves onto running lines.