Okay. So I feel like this might be common knowledge to some people, but I'm definitely new to trains and train terminology. Since there is an old train on the Forest Festival Trail, I did a little light reading today on locomotives. I was shocked when I discovered that the front wedge shape on trains actually serves a purpose! Turns out it was used to push animals (cows) and objects out of the way of the train so that it's pilot wheels weren't derailed--thus the name, COW-CATCHER.
I imagine it would have happened kind of like this...
(drawing reblogged from thepostitproject.blogspot.com)
i feel uncomfortable.
ReplyDeletehah really? It makes me LOL
ReplyDeletelolz-er.
ReplyDeletewouldn't that still impale and, consequently, kill the cow though?
oh whatever- rofl-copterz.
COW-KILLER.