That’s a trap not a catch.
thats a trap point protecting a main line from an unauthorised movement from a siding, not a catch point. But nice video showing the trap point doing its work.
See the definitions in post #4 above and it should be clear.
How the heck did that happen? The signal was not cleared. Handbrake failure? Was the driver sacked?
My recollection is that it was a misunderstanding in the message passed from signalman via guard to the driver. Signalman informed guard that he would authorise the driver to pass the signal, driver took message as authority to pass the signal.
I have driven and would instinctively look at the settings of pointwork even though given the go-ahead, especially in the case of an unusual movement, as seems to be the case here. The movement is actually against a signal so is very unusual indeed.
Is there still a pass signal at danger rule? Stopped at a signal, phone broken so drive to next signal prepared to stop short of any obstruction and not pass over any points.
The tube has/had a stop and proceed rule. There was a nasty accident on the central Line when a train went into the back of another after passing a signal at danger and resetting the trainstop. Comments from the accident inspector about adequate training for stop and proceed. What is a 'driving in a way to stop short of any obstruction'? Difficult.You could pass points. Checking them was part of the procedure. There was a short list of caveats before you could do it and a little more than just a broken phone
It is common, but on the main line it's now almost unknown for the driver not to be able to see the position of points ahead (i.e. to be facing away from the direction of travel and with no view). Most transport accidents occur through mis-communication, perhaps the worst one being the Tenerife air disaster.
Not difficult - if you can't see anything, don't go; if you do go, drive at a speed where stopping is possible in the distance you can see. The same applies to road driving, but we all see idiots ignoring this basic principle depressingly often.
