NOT A COWCATCHER?! What is it then?

NOT A COWCATCHER?! What is it then? | Railroad 101

Рет қаралды 1,321,259

8 ай бұрын

Everyone knows that the front of a train is called a cowcatcher, right? Well, no. There were a select few that could act "sorta" like a "cow catcher", but hardly any of them actually are referred to in that way! Let's learn the real terminology by studying a few examples.
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@crrm 8 ай бұрын

We often get the question of why our equipment is outdoors. The founders, Robert W. Richardson and Cornelius "Corny" Hauck, wanted the equipment in a "natural setting" for photography. Long term we are working to address this in a way that will provide cover to equipment while honoring our founder's wishes.

@stef.b.m.lk1902 8 ай бұрын

At Steamrail Victoria here In Victoria Australia we are in a simmiler situation with are passenger cars. We are working on ways to fix it. For example we are now utilising more modern 2 pack marine paints and so far it's proven to be working well.

@StarlordYT69 8 ай бұрын

hey boys how do you move narrow guage for expeditions out of the crrm

@HuntersStation 8 ай бұрын

hi i am hunter and me and my dad are planning fix the rio grande railway

@thomasthompson2084 8 ай бұрын

I've always heard them called cow kicker

@jontompkins1844 8 ай бұрын

Perhaps a shed on rails that can roll back simply?

@SouRwy4501Productions 8 ай бұрын

The pilot on 683 is what I like to call a “cow puncher” because of how the knuckle sticks out past the pilot itself, and would “punch” things on the line that would get in its way. A lot of eastern railroads used that kind of pilot design.

@ronaldstokes4841 8 ай бұрын

Ahhh... Reality! Thanx for that Karl (I'll bet there was a cool nomenclature for the guys who 'pried' animals from the front of the train). @@karlwithak.

@ronaldstokes4841 8 ай бұрын

The original 'Road Kill'.@@karlwithak.

@steeljawX 7 ай бұрын

@@ronaldstokes4841 If you're lucky/unlucky and your brake journals are on fire, you could have some nice flame-grilled ground chuck by the time you get into the station. Just need some A-1 to go with that. (Flatbed car branded A-1 rolls by.)...

@ronaldstokes4841 7 ай бұрын

Ha Ha! Jus' one thing... I wouldn' wanna mess up a good steak with ANY kinda sauce, even Bar-B-Q. Jus' light the fire under that meat and lemme at it! (The boxcar after the A-1 should be fulla California Red Wine.)@@steeljawX

@skybot9998 7 ай бұрын

My dad started on the railroad in 1947,he just turned 17 and was the oldest boy still at home. His dad died (train conductor) so my dad had his mom and younger siblings to feed. He retired in 1991. He used to fire on steam engines and used to say it was like feeding guts to a bear. Years later he would take me with him on some jobs and let me drive,blow the horn and throw a switch. Love ya dad. Miss ya❤🙏

@pogojp 6 ай бұрын

Sounds like a really great dad.

@skybot9998 6 ай бұрын

@@pogojp he sure was❤👍

@RedArrow808 5 ай бұрын

Good working class man. All due respect.

@chuckeye7475 7 ай бұрын

It was a nicely done video. But it seems that the pilot does what everybody thought they did, clear the track of objects that could damage or derail it. The term Cow catcher has good alliteration and is,,, catchy, easy to remember. Always fun to look at old trains.

@peoplez129 4 ай бұрын

I would imagine it made more sense when you were dealing with early tracks where you'd be likely to roll through small towns that also had cattle both in town and on ranches along the tracks. Almost everything was built near the train tracks after the tracks were built, and the tracks themselves were built to connect towns, which is why everyone built everything near the tracks, because it obviously made for a very convenient supply line of goods and an easy path to follow. A horse can only travel about 25 miles in a single day under the best of circumstances. That means if you were tens of miles away from a town or tracks, you would have literally days worth of travelling just to get supplies from town, so people instead naturally moved closer to the towns with train stations in order to save all that time and effort.

@TheInsanebrain247 4 ай бұрын

That's what I'm thinking: "cow catcher" may be the layman's term, but it's still accurate.

@CAMintmier 8 ай бұрын

Cowcatchers: Moo-ving things out of your way.

@Hyce777 8 ай бұрын

Limes.

@sitharc 8 ай бұрын

That was a subLIME pun and you know it, Hyce... I'm getting limed too now I know, lol.@@Hyce777

@kornaros96 3 ай бұрын

@@sitharclimes.

@sitharc 3 ай бұрын

@@kornaros96 lime away

@StringerNews1 8 ай бұрын

The cowcatcher is still there, just not in plain sight. On a trip on the Southwest Chief a few years ago, we were stopped outside of Albuquerque as some lucky people got to remove cattle parts from the locomotives. They caught the cows quite well; it took 4 hours to dislodge them!

@henrykraft5914 8 ай бұрын

Now that's some good dry humor...thank you for the laugh...sorry for the cows...😂

@steeljawX 7 ай бұрын

Now that is a legal conundrum. Does the rancher claim damages from the railroad company or does the railroad charge the rancher for trying to get free shipping on some bad beef? And who takes the fall? The FDA or the USDA? USDA would take charge over the cow....but if the cow was considered an animal "product" at Albuquerque then it'd be the FDA's jurisdiction.......... That's a whole bunch of fuster cluck right there.

@AndyZach 7 ай бұрын

@@steeljawX As an amateur lawyer, I'd saw the cow was trespassing on the railroad's property, the track. Depending upon the local law, the rancher may or may not be liable for stray cattle.

@TheDuckofDoom. 7 ай бұрын

@@AndyZach It depends on the old land contract, a lot of rail right of ways aren't fully owned by the railroad they are more like a lease or easment and were written so the property rejoins the adjoining properties when the railroad has stopped using it. I know in WA (and common in the west) the general state law is that livestock are allowed to free range and a property owner that doesn't want animals crossing must put up their own fence. (Of a specified minimum construction or better.) If the animal is aggressive and breaks through the fence then the animal owner is on the hook for damages. (The idea is that livestock are physically like wild animals, which would be a similar nuisance eating crops and such.) Dogs are [basically] considered predators and thus treated the opposite of livestock so the dog owner is responsible for any problems the dog is involved in outside of the dog owner's property, including harrassment of other animals on public right of ways.

@recursiveslacker7730 7 ай бұрын

@@AndyZachI personally think it has everything to do with whether there are stand your ground beef laws in that state. If the cow was moonacing the train, it had every right to defend itself.

@shaunholt 7 ай бұрын

1840s: Cow nudger 1860s: Cow pusher 1880s: Cow catcher 1900s: Cow exploder 2000s: Did you feel something?

@CritterFritter 7 ай бұрын

Lol

@sgt_s4und3r54 8 ай бұрын

I'm not much into trains in my adult life because I'm into aviation war history more but I still remember how much I loved my electric train sets and find this stuff you make very facinating. Thank you for bringing us this history. Keep up the good work.

@evanalvarez6404 8 ай бұрын

we need to make a "I can't believe it's not butter" remake and call it ""I can't believe it's not a cowcatcher" lol

@awesomealbertt1150 8 ай бұрын

What is “I can’t believe it’s not butter”?

@amg2292 8 ай бұрын

Hint It's a butter

@hipie379 8 ай бұрын

@@awesomealbertt1150a margarine brand I believe

@kylecamden1414 8 ай бұрын

Yes

@Nareimooncatt 8 ай бұрын

@@awesomealbertt1150it's a butter alternative that has that phrase as the product brand name. Of course that also became its catch phrase.

@jordonfreeman166 8 ай бұрын

“Where’s your cowcatcher?” “But I don’t catch cows, sir.”

@sitharc 8 ай бұрын

"Don't be funny!" snapped the policeman

@dustin_4501 8 ай бұрын

It's no use to argue with the policeman we will have to make those cowcatcher things for Thomas i suppose.

@sitharc 8 ай бұрын

People will say I look like a tram!@@dustin_4501

@ZergSmasher 8 ай бұрын

"But everyone will think I look like a tram!"

@sitharc 8 ай бұрын

Why didn't I think about that before... we need a tram engine! @@ZergSmasher

@trueaussie9230 8 ай бұрын

It's a sad day when one doesn't learn 'something'. I never knew 'cowcatchers' were made of wood or that they have their own 'trucks' and are removeable from the engine. Retaining 'patina - including dents, etc - is a very important and worthwhile aspect of preserving history. Good job!! 👍👍👍

@DungeonMetal 8 ай бұрын

Honestly not a train guy, though like many I am still interested and fascinated on histories of things and how things work. Massive shoutout to Hyce and others with channels like this. They are taking some very real time to communicate their passions and knowledge to the world, and that should be rewarded (especially when it is like this, preserving historical knowledge that wouldn’t make it to any real school book).

@sarahyoung646 7 ай бұрын

Same! I have some love of trains, enough to ride them when I get the chance as a tourist (most recently Maine narrow Guage and the train at Dollywood) but have never studied them deeply. I do love learning, though, and this channel is looking to be a treasure!

@nostalgiccameralife 8 ай бұрын

Bit of early history on the "cow catcher" vs. "Pilot": When the Camden & Amboy RR was built it was found desirable to have some way of easing the (very short wheelbase) locomotives into curves. What was invented was a pair of wheels on an axle, running about 7 feet ahead of the locomotive and connected to it with a wooden frame. This device was termed a "pilot" all the way back in 1832, because it guided the locomotive. It should be little surprise that the C&A alluded to a maritime term given the company's connection to the ferry industry. The steam locomotives of the C&A had only been in operation for a few days when an accident occurred. A pig on the tracks got under the pilot axle, and was run over by the locomotive, derailing the train (there is a surprisingly amusing account of this incident in the newspapers). It became evident that a guard was needed to keep such an event from happening again. A wooden grating was added to the pilot, this lay at a very slight incline, nearly horizontally above the rails, and sticking out a few feet before the pilot wheels (a drawing of one can be found in the 1837 book Sketch of the Civil Engineering of North America, free to read on google books) and it did function very much as a "catcher", anything the locomotive ran into would be knocked over and fall on top of this wooden grate. However at this time the pilot still referred to the leading wheels. This style of "catcher" was in use for a few years, but it had a serious flaw: when the crew put on the brakes, whatever unfortunate beast they had caught, tended to roll off the front and get run over. Presumably this was impetus to adopt the V shape, and push obstacles off the tracks rather than catch them. I have seen the term "cow catcher" used as early as 1835 (surprisingly the term doesn't originate with the Camden & Amboy despite their company being the first to use such a thing), and it remained in use into the 1930s, regarded as a part distinct from the pilot itself, as there are court documents describing the cow catcher as being fixed to the pilot. However, one can also find references to the "pilot, or cow-catcher" in literature dating back to the 1860s. So at what date the cow catcher and pilot began to be regarded as one and the same is hard to say. I would suppose the official nomenclature differed with each company.

@cieludbjrg4706 7 ай бұрын

"Life guards" were common on trolleys/trams before, too. In Oslo, they got the nickname "bondefanger", "farmer/peasant-cathcer". Probably a "spin off" to the term (word) "bondefangeri", tricking gullible people into shady deals.

@ibubezi7685 7 ай бұрын

Thanks for the info - makes it more 'visible'. So not only beef-burgers, but also ham-burgers (before they were made of beef...). Must have been truly messy, scooping off a bison - maybe they used steam from their boiler?

@gewgulkansuhckitt9086 7 ай бұрын

So you're saying if history had gone slightly differently, we'd be calling them "pig catchers"?

@peterbaruxis2511 7 ай бұрын

Thank you, I understand the pilot truck now, and keeping things from getting under the front of the locomotive.

@nostalgiccameralife 7 ай бұрын

@@gewgulkansuhckitt9086 Hog Holders has a better ring to it.

@sirusmaj 8 ай бұрын

"Moo" - best line ever.

@JakobNorthblood 8 ай бұрын

I also appreciated the knuckle-coupler on 5629 that seems to stow up for streamlining, and fold down when they need to use it. Very neat. Thank you for the education on engine pilots.

@rustyshackleford5166 7 ай бұрын

From what I recall about Thomas the Tank engine, Toby was the only one with cow catchers. There was one episode I recall where Thomas had to "wear" a snow plow and hated it. Toby (number 7) had skirting all around his structure and probably worked on a farm whereas the others were on Sodor where there likely weren't any livestock. IIRC, the main characters were all open in the front. I wonder if Toby had a license for catching cows or something...

@greggorytame6672 8 ай бұрын

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="503">8:23</a> Seeing Mark next to a standard gauge engine reminds me of the time I accidently got HO figures for a friend's HON3 layout.

@brucethebatcat5084 8 ай бұрын

Same scale! Just, narrow gauge trains are really, really tiny. HO and HOn3 share 1:87 scale, however HO is standard gauge (4’8 1/2”) whereas HOn3 refers to modeling 3ft gauge. As an example, 5629 would be HO while 191, 20, and 491 would be HOn3.

@greggorytame6672 8 ай бұрын

@@brucethebatcat5084 I guess I got my scale names mixed up. What's the called when they run a model narrow gauge train on HO track then?

@stephenhibma7387 8 ай бұрын

@@greggorytame6672 On30 equipment will run on standard gauge HO track.

@flamedude_1111 8 ай бұрын

I always thought of the n3 in HOn3 stood for "Narrow 3 ft"

@Rusty_Nickle 8 ай бұрын

That's what we call those big bumpers on the semis in the trucking world too. Almost everybody calls it a cow catcher. The reality is if you hit anything like a deer, you're going to blow it to smithereens but it definitely helps protect the truck

@davemccage7918 8 ай бұрын

There’s plenty of videos here on good ole’ KZfaq of cows learning that the “catcher” is more like a more of a cow disintegrator. All the videos seem to take place in India for some reason. 🤷‍♂️

@AndyZach 7 ай бұрын

@@davemccage7918 Lots of cows wandering around (hundreds of millions), lots of trains, lots of collision opportunities. That's why you'll see so many videos from India.

@samuelhowie4543 7 ай бұрын

Was headed to work work years ago and came around a curve and there was a red smear across the road. It looked like a few 5 gallon buckets of red paint had fallen off a truck. Surprisingly there was no deer parts on the road even though it was fresh enough to still be wet.

@Munenushi 7 ай бұрын

around here in Canada, we call them on trucks and cars; "bull bars"

@Rusty_Nickle 7 ай бұрын

@davesmith3023 not true mine took on three deer at once one night. Also they don't add anything to the aerodynamics of a truck

@gpawoodyshoneyhole 7 ай бұрын

I think the term cow catcher was more from my area the midwest. Where trains were hitting free range cows nearly every day and they needed things to help deflect them. Also helped with not blocking the track if one went under a train.

@tinkerlynch5276 7 ай бұрын

That strange looking bovine crossing in front of the steam engine at the end of this video floored me !!! Laughed so hard I got hiccups !!! You guys really show how much you enjoy working at the museum !!! I've been a "choo choo" kid as long as I can remember. Tracks ran on the backside of my maternal Grandparents 200 acres east of Savannah, Georgia and I was no stranger to those whistles (saw a lot of hobos too and Grandma's sheep & goat herds were depleted for hobo cusine). I'm a young 70 yrs now and still get a thrill out of being able to get the observant engineer or two to blow the whistle as I drive along side of the train, usually with a few community kids as excuses for having fun !!! Many thanks for making these informative and historical videos...keep up the good work and God Bless !!!

@redspud3 8 ай бұрын

I was in Japan working on subway cars for NYC a number of years ago. On adjacent tracks were several Shinkansen bullet trains. The pilot on those is massive. Multiple layers (4-5?) of thick (2"?) steel with spacers and braces. All behind a shroud for aerodynamics. All to keep stuff from getting underneath. Truly impressive amount of steel on the front of those trains.

@genefogarty5395 8 ай бұрын

Japan, NYC? Are they starting another MTA branch, lol.

@DangItshere 8 ай бұрын

@@genefogarty5395MTA has a quite a lot of orders for Kawasaki Heavy. The same manufacturer of several Shinkansen models

@Necro3Monk 7 ай бұрын

@@genefogarty5395 Cars being manufactured/serviced for NYC is what the comment probably means.

@angryagain68 7 ай бұрын

On our big trucks we call them "Moose Goosers". Donkey knockers is popular too.

@daltongalloway 6 ай бұрын

@@genefogarty5395NYC subway cars are made in a bunch off different places. Some of them are built in Japan and shipped herb

@Daisysdomain 8 ай бұрын

Someone from the UK here. On this side of the pond I can understand the confusion, as most UK locomotives don't have anything underneath the buffer beam we know the leading wheels or bogie as the pilot. If a bit of metal is there, it's a cowcatcher. The two phrases have always been separate for us as far as I know. I can't say for definite as I don't work in a rail industry I'm just a fan. Really enjoying these videos where you explain railroading terminology.

@richardwillson101 8 ай бұрын

Many UK trains do have a "lifeguard" in front of each leading wheel. Designed to reduce the risk of objects getting trapped in front of the wheels and derailing the train. Some DMUs also have snowploughs, which are great at deflecting objects and animals from the front.

@keithstudly6071 8 ай бұрын

That's because English cows are scientifically bred to know to stay off railway tracks. (Or at least so I've been told)

@bionicgeekgrrl 8 ай бұрын

@@keithstudly6071plus UK railways have by law to be separated by fencing all along the route, so it will be fairly uncommon for cows or sheep to be on the line unless a bit of fencing was broken or they gained entry via a crossing.

@causewaykayak 8 ай бұрын

Also from UK: about restoration and getting locos and parts. Perhaps another UK person will correct me if I'm wrong here but .... uk stuck with steam longer than most other european countries. When the decision was made to retire the stock they were sent to a big scrap yard in South Wales to be cut up -- however the guys there were busy on other projects so a huge site packed with steam engines just sat there intact until discovered by restoration buffs. A lucky meeting. Now the UK has a very healthy private sector of volunteer restoration railways. Wishing Colarado and it's museum all the best and lots of luck getting finance !!

@dkbmaestrorules 7 ай бұрын

@@causewaykayaknot really accurate that the UK stuck with steam for much longer than the rest of Europe...just off the top of my head, we got rid of it earlier than France, West Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Italy and the entire Eastern Bloc. In fact, the only countries that I know for certain withdrew steam before the UK are the Netherlands and Belgium.

@georgekatkins 7 ай бұрын

Nicely presented, Hyce. You do a good job explaining things with simple humor and clarity.

@lawrencequave7361 8 ай бұрын

Many of us love (or at least appreciate) large, complex things like train engines and cars, airplanes and ships of all sorts and sizes, heavy construction equipment, and even tractor-trailer rigs. Why? Because they're so damn big and complex they ain't 'posta work--yet they do. Thank you, Hyce, for your excellent videos. You speak very clearly and with a smile. Makes watchin' your stuff really fun.

@lordraven1991 8 ай бұрын

Was kind of wondering when the museum would get around to finally restoring the 491 and the 20 to 100%, didn't realize that you have already, complete with their earned battle damage lol. I normally think of restoration as "restored to new again" but I guess restored to a in use era is still a restoration in of itself.

@Hyce777 8 ай бұрын

Precisely!

@bc-guy852 7 ай бұрын

Yes - and even tougher to restore it to a used condition. But worth the extra effort and attention to detail!

@steveanderson6523 8 ай бұрын

You are very diplomatic when referring to these items. May i suggest...'cow obliterators'! Excellent vid.

@3henry214 8 ай бұрын

Or "hamburger helper" as that would be the results of a bovine encounter with one... 😉

@cliffordplasd8239 8 ай бұрын

Young man your love and passion for your work is amazing. Your enthusiasm comes through so natural and strong it inspires others to be interested and want to learn more. Keep it up as you are a great history teacher.

@patrickurquidez4693 8 ай бұрын

I like your channel here. One of the biggest reasons I subscribe to a new channel is based on whether it is informative, does it teach me something new, and this channel does that. Next, is the video fun to watch, not dull and boring. Yes, this video is fun to watch. I think you would be a great teacher because you make this video interesting, interactive, and enjoyable. Those three things are what great teachers do, and you nailed all three. I've always loved trains, so does my brother who is now an engineer for BNSF Railroad out of Gillette, WY. So thank you for your channel, and keep up with the great videos.

@emilpersson8250 8 ай бұрын

In Sweden we don’t have a pilot. We have what we call guard irons that is basically a steel bracket that sticks down in front of the first wheel set. I can send a picture in discord if you’re interested. And we call the pilot beam the buffer beam I bet you can guess why.

@carl-oscarbjorkman8923 8 ай бұрын

We also have snowplows of various designs. Some older electric locomotives have plows that look like the smaller pilots and others that are more plow shaped of various sizes full width or two small ones.

@obelic71 8 ай бұрын

Correct, i know from experience when 4 ex stategic reserve steam locomotives 2 B's 1 E and 1E2 came to the Netherlands we had to temporarly remove them because they interfered with the profile on the route form the port to the heritage railroad they still run on. We had to make them a little bit smaller so they could be used on the national network. And they are still shiney red 😁 On modern railway equipment they call it a chin spoiler alias underneath drive protection so the train doesn't derail when it hits a vehicle on the track.

@emilpersson8250 8 ай бұрын

@@obelic71 the big plows are in Sweden referred to as a norrlandsplow(norrland is the Swedish term for the northern third/half of Sweden.

@richardwillson101 8 ай бұрын

In the UK many trains have "Lifeguards" which are the same. Large, strong, well mounted lumps of steel designed to prevent things ending up under the wheels and derailing the train. They are not there to stop damage however. Also, some older DMUs do have a "snowplough" fitted. These are great when trains hit animals or objects as they deflect the object and dent rather than break. Fibreglass front ends don't even withstand a birdstrike!

@dr_dr 8 ай бұрын

@richardwillson101 units with GRP front ends or SFE (Sexy Front Ends) as they were colloquially referred to in design, do have a hidden obstacle deflector underneath that can be quite substantial are are designed to absorb impact by deforming rearwards. When they're used in anger, there isn't much left of the GRP in that area though. A lot of people do still refer [incorrectly] to the obstacle deflector as a "cow catcher", but perhaps it should be called "car catcher" these days!

@andrewreynolds4949 8 ай бұрын

I may have met Jeff before, without knowing it, on a trip to the CRRM. We were there just after 20 had been painted, and about a week before she was pulled out of the roundhouse for the public to see! We were kindly asked not to share photos of her yet, which we were happy to agree to.

@DielectricFailure 6 ай бұрын

Interesting. I grew up in Germany nearby a big collection of rail roads. Literally a massive intersection. So I appreciate this as trains remind me of a great childhood. Great presentation!

@BrilliantDesignOnline 7 ай бұрын

I used to dog catch for BNSF crews, and chatting, one crewmember said late one night they were moving a freight fast and a lone cow appeared on the tracks; He was snickering because he was imagining when the farmer found the cow back in the field and wondered what had happened to it: He said when they hit it, the cow flew about 100 feet and landed in a pasture where the other cows were where it had probably come from 😲

@MrTea_Man 8 ай бұрын

“It’s made out of wood. It would probably break” had me giggling inside 😂

@richardreid6377 8 ай бұрын

If it keeps the cow from getting under the pilot wheels and derailing the locomotive, a few broken boards are the cost of business. Expendable parts.

@KPen3750 8 ай бұрын

I have my own fun story of 20 shenanigans. In 2019 as part of my senior year i had to do a 1 month internship. So being the bright eyed 18 year old i called strasburg and asked if they would take me for the month, and they surprisingly said yes. This coincides with the last month 20 was at strasburg so i was basically cindarella around the shop, chasing tools, parts, i got to help put on 20s stack and her petticote (i think thats what its called) inside the smokebox. Well there was a weird whistle whenever 20 chuffed for the first time under her own power. It turns out the blast nozzle gasket didnt have the divider piece in it so steam whistled in the gap. So we put about 50 PSI of air in her boiler and replicated the whistle and stuck a shim down the funnel to see if that was the issue. Turns out the drivers piston had the crosskey for the crosshead removed and that piston made an almighty BANG as it hit the cylinder head and broke 2 head studs. That was the day i learned how to magnaflux the piston.

@bc-guy852 7 ай бұрын

I'm not really 'a trainguy' but I think this is a great channel! This is a great video and I am grateful that there are people who do this difficult work to bring this bit of history to a state where it can be used to teach and entertain. Well done! Thanks for your energy and your enthusiasm! And congratulations on (virtually hitting) 100 K - you've earned that KZfaq Play Button plaque!

@GonzoPhysics 8 ай бұрын

Great video! Just found your channel and can't wait to come down and visit. I grew up in a N&W railroad area, and I'm glad so may people appreciate the railroad history out west here. So many fascinating stories around here in Colorado!

@zacharysimpson3059 8 ай бұрын

I love how much I learn from your videos. I’ve tried to learn everything I can about steam locomotives since I was a little kid, but your videos make it so easy to find new information I’ve never heard or thought to look into. Keep up the good work. I’m hoping one day I’ll be able to go back to the Colorado Railroad museum and catch the 491 in action. The last time I visited I was really young and I don’t think it was in running condition. Maybe one day ☺️

@andrewframe8046 8 ай бұрын

Yep. That big steam chest casting is the scariest part of a possible collision at a crossing. If a car hits any other part of the engine, we can fix it. If it hits and cracks the steam chest, that engine just became a boat anchor.

@infernaldaedra 7 ай бұрын

That explains the almost pigiron quality of old anchors

@coldblazinfire 7 ай бұрын

Thanks for the video! I have been to the museum and I encourage everyone to visit the museum to take in the history. I appreciate the dedication and hard work of the people that take care of the museum and its contents. The roundhouse is impressive…

@Metal1667 2 ай бұрын

I got here through a video explaining how to run an ad blocker and this is the most wholesome random video of an enthusiastic person I've ever seen in my life.

@CobraDBlade 8 ай бұрын

I'm so incredibly jealous that your museum keeps the trains in running condition. In one of the towns I previously lived in they had a locomotive (Pere Marquette #1223) on display in a park near the river and I always wondered about how incredible it would be to see that beast thundering along, but it was forever confined to a short length of track behind a fence left to rot away in the sun hoping that there would be enough funding to replace the parts that fell off.

@SpookyZalost 7 ай бұрын

We had something like that over in boulder near the museum Hyce is at. #30. Fortunately it was rescued from said park, restored by the Colorado railroad museum, and now runs the route up in george town. I remember as a kid before the fence went up I'd dream of being an engineer and actually running #30 myself... these days I just work on my jeep though.

@vegetable2139 8 ай бұрын

The speed that the member list has to go now is hilarious 😂

@chadouellette790 7 ай бұрын

I love the old railway and its equipment! I live in Maine, up north we have the trains stuck in the middle of the thick woods. Spooky stuff but really cool!

@devilmaster73 8 ай бұрын

looking at 191 just brings me back to watching Buster Keaton's The General and some of the amazing stunts he did. Like holding a railroad tie while sitting on the cowcatcher and throwing it on another one to clear both off the tracks.

@uptoolate2793 8 ай бұрын

Yes, I was thinking the same thing but didn't comment because I thought no one would get it! Hey, at least there are two of us!

@loganfrancel9275 8 ай бұрын

What about switchers? Do the running boards count as pilots? And what about diesel locomotives? Is it just called a snow plow?

@Hyce777 8 ай бұрын

Switching boards are considered pilot boards, or a switching pilot. I've heard both a pilot and snowplow for diesels.

@CDROM-lq9iz 8 ай бұрын

I actually can answer this one, at least for where I work. Most modern(ish) diesels have a vertical plate on both ends of the frame. That can be called the "end sheet" or more often, "pilot." Many (but not all) locomotives do have an actual snowplow on the front. So, the short answer to your question is, if it has a plow, it's called a plow. If not, it's still just called a pilot. Also, a little snippet, pilots and snowplows have to have a certain height above the rail to meet FRA standards. A minimum of 3" and a maximum of 6"

@Hyce777 8 ай бұрын

@@CDROM-lq9iz that sounds right. I recall hearing the term end sheet all the time. I've heard some say "pilot plow" as well. Either way, not a cowcatcher. :P

@CDROM-lq9iz 8 ай бұрын

@@Hyce777 I believe on our test it uses the term "pilot height" but in practice it's whichever is closer to the rail. Also, while you're here I noticed a D&RGW SD40T-2 in the video and just thought I'd share that we have 2 former D&RGW SD40T-2s. The 5413 which I believe retains its original number, and the 5391 which is now the 5412.

@modelrailwaybackshop 8 ай бұрын

The Most common standard Height for a pilot is 5.5 inches from the engineering drawings of locomotives all the way back to the locomotive Cyclopedia of American Practice from 1909 all the way into modern engineering standards held within the FRA Laws to this day!@@CDROM-lq9iz

@Cragified 8 ай бұрын

Pilot (Archaic) - Guide or Leader : Now you know why it's called a pilot. It lead the train and locomotive down the track. This is where all the modern uses of the word originate from. Pilot episode - lead episode as a prototype. Pilot light - leads the main burner ignition and has to be present for it to happen.

@stizelswik3694 8 ай бұрын

Out of all the vehicles ever made, the train is my most favorite. Yes, especially the old locomotives. Thank you for sharing this with us!!!

@gregorydahlen2103 8 ай бұрын

Loved you clear descriptions with demonstrable hardware!

@CarlMarx 8 ай бұрын

In Norway the "cow catcher" (kufanger) refers to the bar on trucks and semis. Narrow roads and lots of wildlife makes them useful for truckers, also for night and/or winter driving they are a nice place to put extra highbeams or ledbars

@Wizarth 8 ай бұрын

Here in Australia, we call those "bull bars" (or "roo bars", depending on your background).

@b.y.2460 8 ай бұрын

@@Wizarth Bull Bars in the states as well.

@JohnDavies-cn3ro 8 ай бұрын

I always understood 'cow catcher' to be more of an English term, and 'pilot' the correct US one. As your Swedish correspondent says, European locomotives have guard irons, which are intended to knock minor obstructions, such as maliciaously placed stones, off the rails. Did not some very early US engines have small brooms suspended from the pilot beam for a similar purpose? However some British and Irish narrow gauge engines, such as the Tralee & Dingle or Lynton & Barnstaple which ran through very wild country had them fitted. Some standard gauge lines, such as one of the old Highland Rlwys branches, or the Wisbech & Upwell also had them, the latter because it was a roadside tramway. (Think Toby and Mavis, if you're familiar with 'Thomas and Friends'.

@oc2phish07 8 ай бұрын

Thanks Hyce, yes, I learned something today and generally speaking I learn something from each of your videos. Well Done.

@protheu5 6 ай бұрын

Love the enthusiasm in this video.

@bjrnfrederiksson2505 8 ай бұрын

Love it Hyce. And you did put Eric in the end of the clip, i LOVE the shenanigans you guys make and it makes the video's and material's much more digestiable. I love and im gonna wait for the next video.

@bond1j89 8 ай бұрын

The term cow catcher was first used in the late 1830s by Charles Babbage its inventor in a newspaper article. In a 1840 encyclopedia it is described as a angle or wedge shaped device attached to the pilot of a locomotive. In the 1940s and '50s, cowcatcher jumped the tracks and took on a new life in TV and radio advertising jargon. The term was used for a commercial that was aired immediately before a program and that advertised a secondary product of the program's sponsor. It was kinda a dark joke to Babbage who knew that it would most likely result in the animals death.

@Hyce777 8 ай бұрын

Well that's nifty as hell!

@bond1j89 8 ай бұрын

@@Hyce777 It is unknown if Babbage's invention was constructed or not, but it is also unknown whether later manufacturers were aware of Babbage's idea. Babbage is considered by some to be "father of the computer". There is a rumor that It is Babbage's design on the front of the John Bull. After a short time in service crews realized that the locomotive was too heavy for the trackage used on the C&A, its 10-ton frame simply could not be supported, which caused numerous derailments. To correct this problem the engine was given a front, pilot axle to help guide it into curves, which kept it from derailing so often. Curiously, workers decided to add affix a cow-catcher to this lead axle as nothing more than an afterthought in 1838, a feature that later became quite useful in larger models like the 4-4-0 American. To add the pilot axle, however, required the removal of the coupling rod between the two main axles. Because of this the John Bull's only powered wheel-set was the rear axle, closest to the control stand although it was still listed as a 2-4-0.

@nostalgiccameralife 8 ай бұрын

Alas, the story is likely not true. Babbage, in his 1864 autobiography states that a few days after William Huskisson was killed on the L&M in 1830, he was having dinner with some of the company men. The subject came up and Babbage suggested than an iron bar be fixed at a 45 degree angle just ahead of the leading wheels of the locomotive, which would in effect push anything in front of the locomotive off the line in the event of a collision. Babbage does not refer to his idea as a "cow catcher", and further states that when his fellow diners told him to take his idea to the company directors, he declined to do so. So no, Babbage did not invent the term, nor did he take any steps to actually implement his guard bar. Lastly, the only proof of this conversation comes from Babbage himself, several decades after the fact. There is no contemporary evidence for his claim. His book is titled "Passages From the Life of a Philosopher" and is well worth reading. The earliest use of the term "cow catcher" that I have seen dates from 1835, and has nothing to do with Babbage.

@notinterested8452 8 ай бұрын

😂 because it looks like a handsome mustache AKA cowcatcher. I'll see myself out.

@Ivaneck_ 8 ай бұрын

Your gentle joviality is very pleasant. Thank you for the video. Very interesting.

@ALL_OUT_OF_BUBBLEGUM 7 ай бұрын

I've never been on a train (Knoebel's, Dorney Park and Bushkill Park notwithstanding) but I LOVE that there are people keeping this archaic technology alive so people can still learn from and experience it. It's so amazing to think that's how passengers and freight were moved and how it revolutionized society at the time.

@MervynPartin 8 ай бұрын

Having been involved with locomotives a few years back, I always referred to them as pilots, but I was absolutely shocked when you said that the early ones were made of wood. I never thought that they were made of anything but steel. Thank you for your enjoyable video. I have learned something new.👍

@peoplez129 4 ай бұрын

It was soo early, there really wasn't much out there to even get in the way. Just the occasional animal. Of course these were also used to help clear snow too, but since early trains weren't that powerful, going through snow with something like a wedge shape would have actually been less efficient. Giving space for things to flow through is more efficient, because all they really needed was to break up the snow and inertia would do the rest. Wood was clearly just a cost effective way of doing it at first, because even with metal you'd have visible damage from a hard strike (not to mention it would add a lot of weight), and so wood was easier to source and replace early on, anywhere you were. If the first ones were steel, they might have lasted longer, but fuel efficiency would have been down, and if you needed to replace them, it'd probably be a long ways away to do so, since the point of early railroads was to connect wild towns to civilization, towns that wouldn't have had the resources for that kind of metal work, not to mention the amount of work needed to install it at the time. What does surprise me though is they didn't even bolt metal panels to the front of the wood for durability. That would have certainly made it quite more durable for a small amount of extra work, and much more aesthetically pleasing.

@MervynPartin 4 ай бұрын

@@peoplez129Your comment certainly makes a lot of sense. Damaged wood can be replaced anywhere, but steel not so easy away from civilization.

@stevenjohnston3496 8 ай бұрын

Hey Hyce, that piece of equipment (the pilot) when found on streetcars,cable cars ect. is known as the fender. Curiously our friends across the pond refer to those things we call fenders(especially on bicycles) as mud guards.

@marcfechtner1074 8 ай бұрын

Good job hyce!! When I want details, info, etc and want it accurate- you’re the stop👍🏻. Thanks for helping keep them powerful dinosaurs alive

@iMazyoda 6 ай бұрын

First video I've ever watched about steam locos! I must say I'm entranced and now have a new addiction! Fantastic video 😊

@ivovanzon164 8 ай бұрын

On most European trains these are reduced to just two bars in front of the wheels. The full width ones are used in situations where encountering humans is common (as the horizontal bar prevents people getting under the wheels). Full width ones are most often seen on trams where they are behind an emergency brake toggler plate. The Br52 Kriegslok had special deflectors fitted that would work as a snow plow in situations where a full width one was a bit too much

@csanadpeterszabo6318 8 ай бұрын

I can say it didnt work that one time the k36 did it if it was a cow catcher

@williamclark6466 7 ай бұрын

This is such an in depth video. Fantasticness.

@jameshowland7393 7 ай бұрын

Good stuff. This is my first visit to your site! Well done!

@balaclavaboi7785 8 ай бұрын

Hey Hyce did you know that when the flying Scotsman went on tour in the states during the late 60s they had to put a pilot on it aswell as all of the other safety equipment

@dustin_4501 8 ай бұрын

The King, GWR King George V number 6000 also other loco that when to America, although since he never had to run long distances she never had to be modify to meet american standards.

@CMDRSweeper 8 ай бұрын

While Hyce probably won't see your comment, you are correct. The Flying Scotsman history is amazing, and the locomotive almost didn't make it home to the UK either as the funds ran out and it was stranded.

@davidty2006 8 ай бұрын

That still exists in Mcalpine's back yard.

@mikebrown3772 8 ай бұрын

@@dustin_4501 Also both an LMS "Royal Scot" and a "Coronation" streamliner toured the USA in the 1930s equipped with bells and headlights but they ran extensively without pilots.

@dustin_4501 8 ай бұрын

@@mikebrown3772 Although i didn't mention i did know this two when to the US.

@MachRacer4 8 ай бұрын

681 has what is referred to as a “Road Pilot”. If it has a couple steps on the outer ends of the pilot like on the 20, it’s referred to as a “Switcher Pilot” due to the switcher steps were where the brakeman would stand during switching moves.

@Hyce777 8 ай бұрын

Not quite. Switcher pilots usually had full footboards, rather than just the steps.

@ThomasBaxter 7 ай бұрын

This was fun and informative... also the first glimpse of seen of the rolling stock at this museum. It'd be a tall order for me to visit from up here in Quebec, but dang they do look might fine!

@edew9180 8 ай бұрын

I didn't realize how much I cared about pilots. Great video, you seem pretty passionate about locomotives and it really shows in the video. Most train guys are monotone, so I definitely appreciate that enthusiasm.

@flamedude_1111 8 ай бұрын

Saying pilot truck sounds cooler than leading truck in my opinion.

@C.I... 8 ай бұрын

I've heard it called a "Pony Truck" at a local railway (UK).

@nitelast 8 ай бұрын

@C.H.. Apparently, that depends on the number of axels, with a pony truck only having 1, otherwise it seems to just be called a leading truck (or pilot truck, or leading axle). Looked it up just in case because I'd only heard the term pony truck referring to a set at the back. (also UK)

@DUBMANS 8 ай бұрын

Mr policeman called it a cow catcher in thomas.

@Viewer372 7 ай бұрын

I’m an octogenarian who grew up and spent most of my youth playing in a railroad yard near my home. Had my first “amorous adventure” in a box car at age 14. I walked on the third rail protection board hundreds of times while growing up. Always thought front end of locomotives had cow catches, until I viewed this video. Thank you for the great presentation and the information.

@UtahGmaw99 8 ай бұрын

I am in y 70's and I remember me and my brother standing by the railroad tracks and waving at the trains. Some times they would blow the whistle for us. Small town kids. Thanks for the memories.

@foellerd 8 ай бұрын

These days the argument for “human catcher” could be made. Ya I went there, it’s true though.

@Madcattlx 8 ай бұрын

There were actually a whole series of human catching devices made for street cars/trolleys. I know someone did a whole video on them but can't remember who.

@C.I... 8 ай бұрын

@@Madcattlx That would be "Train of Thought".

@4rumani 8 ай бұрын

This comment is complete nonsense. How is a "these days" thing. How would it prevent damage to the locomotive or the human.

@richardmillhousenixon 8 ай бұрын

@@4rumaniPrevent damage to the human? No. But it would prevent damage to the loco, just in the same way as the reinforced pilot on the express engine

@mast3gam3r18 8 ай бұрын

The name "human catcher" sounds a bit messy. And I mean that in the literal sense, if you know what I mean🚂😱💥💀👀😨🤮

@Rob1_5 8 ай бұрын

I'm one of the people that called it a cow catcher because of Thomas.

@leecarlson9713 8 ай бұрын

Loved the video! I have been waving to engineers for 76 years, and I just found your channel. And I subscribed.

@nateblackout47 8 ай бұрын

Would just like to say how much I enjoyed this video, first time visiting your channel... When I'm traveling the US again in the future I'll be sure to pop into your museum for a visit. Thank you again your new mate from Sydney Australia Nate. Keep up the great work 👊

@Srjl 7 ай бұрын

I can't get over how cheerful and friendly you present yourself in your videos as you nerd out about these things. It's lovely!

@wolfman515 8 ай бұрын

The early days of recycling. I certainly did learn something new from this, thank you for that tour, it was news to me.

@velvetbees 8 ай бұрын

It is a thrill to see these old locomotives. Thank you! 🙂

@uslanja 7 ай бұрын

My grandfather was a locomotive engineer for the CN (Canadian National Railroad) He ran the Wayfreight out of Fort Erie to St.Thomas. I remember as a young child climbing up into the cab of a steam locomotive before they pulled out of town. Not much room in there. The firebox door was open and the fireman was shoveling at a good pace while they were building steam. Still an awesome memory for this old man. Have always loved trains as far back as I can remember.

@carolynraley4047 2 ай бұрын

Wonderful info. Thanks so much. I was getting motioin sickness from the close-up camera angle, but I appreciate your depth of knowledge! I love watching trains but know nothing about them, so you're helping me fix that situation. Thanks! 😀

@Orangethemartian 7 ай бұрын

My great grandpa was a railroad engineer, we still have his old clock & lantern

@craigsmith8128 8 ай бұрын

People are here getting blown away because they werent actually called cow catchers & im over here still in shock that they were made from wood! I always thought they were assembled flatbar shaped and bolted to the front of the frame. Also you should do a video on the physics / engineering of pilot & trailing axles.

@Ironclockwork 8 ай бұрын

You learn something new every day. Thank you for the clarification and the edification.

@mattwilliams3456 4 ай бұрын

Glad to see the museum is still going strong. I spent a fair bit of weekends there in 2000-01 while attending gunsmithing school in Lakewood. For Halloween one year build a Mayan pyramid on the front of one of the engines…

@danielabrams4407 6 ай бұрын

what a video to end a day to! saw it randomly and something just drew me haha i was so engrossed in learning about the pilot and beam i was like noooo when the credits started rolling. definitely subbed!

@bigrollinghome2091 4 ай бұрын

I visited this museum about 30 years ago .. and then headed up to the Alpine Tunnel ... kind of an extreme drive over Hancock Pass!

@DanDavisHistory 6 ай бұрын

Fascinating, thank you.

@how2what4 7 ай бұрын

This is now on my bucket list of places to visit. What a neat museum!

@sabertoothanimations2912 7 ай бұрын

Honestly loved how you explained it, few ever actually mention it and why that name stuck with them, which i feel is a shame cause its such a cool history behind why it was. keep up the videos my guy ^^