Catch points

A protective crossover is a railroad switch, which is to secure a driveway in front of other train movements. It is used where a Entgleisvorrichtung ( track blocking ) offers on the track only insufficient protection against a flank drive. A special form is the Zwieschutzweiche.

In Germany is mandatory to ensure protection with points according to § 14 Section 11 of the Railway Construction and Operation (EBO ) edge protection for trafficked with more than 160 km / h tracks in stations and interchanges.

The third ordinance amending the 1991 EEO protection switch to protect traffic with more than 160 km / h tracks in stations and interchanges were made ​​mandatory in May.

• 3.1 Cross Lock

Technical reasons

Entgleisvorrichtungen on the track ( track blocking ) may only be used in sidings, and sand turnouts are only designed to prevent elopement against a Zugfahrstraße. Both are not suitable to bring a train to a safe standstill, without another train may be endangered thereby. This is due to the fact that the outer rail track is not pierced, and the inner wheel disc can be pressed by the derailing of these outer rail track in the direction of travel the track when the vehicle is not within the short distance ( about 3 m) comes to a stop. Therefore, at junctions, where is to be expected with larger braked loads, install a protection switch. Behind the protection Soft sufficient space must be available in order to exclude a sequence danger. Since very few safety controllers monitor the shunting and thus do not create emergency brake when driving over a closed Rangiersignals, a Zuggefährdung is the only way to prevent not touch driveways. This is another reason for a purely mechanical solution. The protection switch can be configured in two ways:

Protection switch with buffer

This protective soft ends up as a normal switch, after a short stretch of mostly 10 meters at a buffer stop. This strand leads away from the operational track, so that when the buffer would run over the train track next to the operation comes to a halt. This type of protection switch is mainly used for industrial tracks that flow into a main track, so not the same every runaway cars derailed. Often in this type of switch a longer piece of track will be added to obtain a parking space for empty wagons, so that the transition to a Rangierweiche here is fluent. However, this protection switches are always involved in the interlocking of the station, even if the rest of the marshalling yard is equipped with manual switches. If the track used for protective purposes, can also be dispensed with the buffer.

Entgleisweiche

When Entgleisweiche (also derailment switch) is a switch to stop the railroad tracks immediately after the heart. Thus, the vehicle does not tilt against the protected track the derailment, hears the outer rail track on earlier than the inner facing against the protected track. Here also the protection strand from the protected track away. This type of protection switch is mainly used in route tracks, for example, at a junction with another route.

Operational reasons

If from an operational trapping point is mentioned, may also be a switch that leads into a siding or other siding and siding that speech.

Since it is expressly prohibited in the running regulations to set enemy running routes, protection switch must be installed to ensure a smooth operation at certain points. So it is not allowed on a single-track line, retract simultaneously in the crossing station without protection switch. When the time would not a train to a stop, he might bring the return into the flank. Without protection switch would otherwise have a sufficiently large Durchrutschweg be present. For space reasons, this is usually not possible, and usually the system sufficiently long tracks is also more expensive, than install two additional points. If in both tracks installed at extension ever a switch leading from the main track, a simultaneous entry is possible. In addition, this course can also be used for sidings.

The protective turnouts are always involved in the interlocking of the station and are now mostly controlled remotely. Since protection switches are also provided with a point heater, it is easy to spot in the winter on the lack of a second Zugfahrstraße which serve as protective turnout turnouts.

Other Applications

Border barrier

By incorporating a protective system ahead of a boundary also an unauthorized border crossing can be prevented. Such points were the rule on the inner German border on the East side. The turnouts were on Entgleisstellung and were not changed before the end of the control and with the approval of the Customs Service of passage. This agreement was incorporated as a wave trap in the interlocking mechanism that without this the turnout could not be converted from the protective layer.