Catch Point on the main line.

[Timber]

Hi - I am just starting to build a model of Fochriw Station on the Brecon and Merthyr Railway.   As you will see from the attached signal plan the station had what appeared to be a sprung catch point on the main line.....

 

Any clues as to the purpose of this?.....sorry I am not very savy on prototype matters.

 

Given there was a goods shed on the single siding you would think that for shunting purposes engines would want to run in both directions through the passing loop.

Edited September 2, 2023 by Timber

[Nearholmer]

Is it steeply up hill to Dowlais Yard?

 

If so, to protect a train on the Up road from runaways from a train heading that way?

 

 

[Michael Hodgson]

In that location it would protect a train standing in the Up Platform (or approaching it) if a train departing to the right broke a coupling and its rear potion rolled back down the hill towards it.  A train stading in the down platform would also be protected, as the normal position of point 8 would be towards that trap

[Michael Hodgson]

Nearholmer beat me to it!

[Cwmtwrch]

There is a steep climbing gradient towards Dowlais Top from well before Fochriw, so it's there to catch breakaways from northbound (Up) freights. The gradient was 1 in 40 up for about 2.5 miles below Fochriw, where it briefly eased, before going back to 1 in 40 for over a mile more, to the summit. The Cardiff Traffic District Sectional Appendix 7/1960 states that "Shunting must not be done at Fochriw Station unless there is an engine or a brakevan with a hand brake applied, at the Bargoed end of the vehicles." This seems to imply that shunting is normally only done by northbound trains. If there was a second engine present it would almost certainly be a banker at the rear of a northbound train.

The slotting by lever 12 presumably means that the signalman can hold the points closed if necessary.

[Michael Hodgson]

49 minutes ago, Timber said:

 

Given there was a goods shed on the single siding you would think that for shunting purposes engines would want to run in both directions through the passing loop.

 

Shouldn't be necessary to run through the loop to shunt the siding.   Many minimal stations were only served by a diaily pick-up goods in a particullar direction, in this case the Up direction, Wagons would be attached/detached as required by a daily pick-up goods leaving the back of the train (with the brake hard on if it's on a steeep gradient) in the platform.  There would be enough room short of 4 signal to do this.  The station would not be served by Down goods trains.

[Timber]

thank you everyone - much appreciated!

[Grovenor]

1 hour ago, Cwmtwrch said:

The slotting by lever 12 presumably means that the signalman can hold the points closed if necessary.

Yes, exactly.

[Timber]

Would anyone guess if this is Ok for the catch point on the siding or would you make it longer / do anything different?

[Halvarras]

This one on the down main line between Truro and Chacewater was presumably placed to catch wrong-line downhill runaways on this uphill stretch, which D1639 is slogging up on 31st May 1969. This catch point has since been removed, probably made redundant when unfitted or partially unfitted freights became obsolete.