Making a Catch Point from an Old Point in OO Gauge
First what is a Catch Point? Well in real life railways they are a point or switch to derail. You might be thinking that the whole purpose of a railway is to keep the rolling stock on the track. But before wagons were fully braked, they could run down the track and block or hit another train. So Catch Points were added to the start of the siding before it joined the main line, so that any rolling stock running away, could be derailed before it hit the main line.
In Model railway terms not many companies make them and they are not cheap to buy. The one featured in the following picture is made by Peco. Typically priced between £10 to £15 online, but that does not include postage!
This one is set not to derail. They do look better if you weather them, remember the rail to nowhere would be covered in rust, even on the top! Loco's will loose power on the painted rail, but it's going to fall off anyway! See below:
So how do you make one? You need a damaged or old point. Needless to say you must have a switch blade of the point that can still be moved. Plus it must be the side of the deflection line.
You then go to work with a track cutting tool. The picture below shows you were to cut the track with the cutters using the arrows as a guide. I find the best tool are "snips" which will cut through anything.
You must also remove the unused point switch blade, plus the remaining rail that takes it to the other track. File away or cut away the where this rail lay. In the case of the completed point (seen below) I have not completely lost the scarring of the sleepers. As this looks it might have indeed been used once, or more, causing the wheels of a wagon to damage the sleepers. Metal on Wood!
You can also do this to a Hornby point. I have started on the one below. Hornby point blades do have a circular clip that holds them on, but you can cover this up with a thin balsa piece. I have yet to remove the unused point switch and cut away the remains of where the rail layed.
