Cowcatchers

Dunno, but when I hit a deer in SW Missouri at dusk on one trip, got my car out of the

left lane before an 18 wheeler came around the blind curve, and limped it into a

gas station to poor water back into the leaking radiator, the station attendant jumped in his truck and raced back up the road to "save the meat".  Back in the day when

herds of buffalo crossed the tracks, I wonder if buffalo were hit, AND, in a buffalo

stampede, if an unstoppable herd would turn over a train?

Interesting question. I guess it depended on the era but would be interested in knowing what the procedure should have been.  I'm sure the RR had one.

 

--Greg

I believe they were supposed to gently scoop the animal up at crawling speeds without harming them, but from what I've read, an early prototype version ended up impaling the animal instead!

Back when I first start learning how to railroad (early 70s), there was a "Livestock Incident" report form. I think I recall the form had the following info to be filled out:

 

Milepost number.

Pole number.

Number of animals killed.

Number of animals injured.

The form was turned in at the end of the run.

 

In todays railroading, radios take care of notifications. (At least on the railroad I work for.)

 

FWIW: A year or so ago, I was running a passenger train. Things were really going smoothly.  Rounded a big curve and exiting a bridge when out comes a heifer from the brush to my right and down the track she starts running.  (Cattle, and other animals, SELDOM get off the right of way once on it, to their demise.) I knew by experience how this was going to turn out.

 

In a matter of seconds I was upon her and was expecting to hear the all-too-familiar sound. (Typically, there's simply a muffled "whumpf" sound as the animal is dispatched by the locomotive, and that's that.) This typically is followed by a radio call to the Dispatcher with the info/location.

 

Anyway, like I said I was upon her in seconds as she furiously ran straight down the track, between the rails. She disappeared from view, hidden by the pilot and sure enough "whumpf"... then "POW!!!".  My train went into emergency.

Well, this is a first. I've hit cattle, dear, dogs, small wild life, et al, and never have I been thrown into emergency.

 

Bailing off to keep from sliding the locomotive wheels and keep the cars stretched (for the smoothest possible stop under the circumstances) my first thought was she rolled underneath and hit the air hoses between the engine and first passenger, causing them to come apart.

 

Coming to a stop, it was out of the cab and back to the air hoses.  Nope. All was fine.

 

Back up to the front of the engine... we'll I'll be.

 

Seems as if I center-punched her right in the patootey with the coupler. During the impact, her hard head swung around to the left and hit the angle cock, breaking it completely off.  We were dead in the water!!

 

So, she had the last laugh. She managed to disable the train AND filled the coupler opening with manure.  For some reason, the Conductor didn't think it was his job to clean it out. (Deferring the task to me as the Engineman, instead!)  Neither of us tackled the project!

 

Long story shorter: A fellow from the Mechanical Department had to be hi-railed by a MOW guy to our location to repair the broke pipe and install a new angle cock. We were there about 2 1/2 hours before moving again.

 

Never had hitting an animal stop the train happen before, hope it doesn't again.

 

And NOW you know... the RESSSST of the story.

 

Good DAY!

 

 

It would appear that things haven't changed much  http://www.bangshift.com/asset...ar%20and%20train.jpg

Thanks Laming, I was hoping for a good story, and real explanation of RR policies, and got both. Bonus joke too! All is appreciated

 

The question about "road kill" was a simple assumption they might have been less likely to waste food 100 years ago.

 

I was also under the assumption the "cow catcher" was about debris on the track, more than animals, and fewer animals survived as speeds increased beyond its being effective over time. Regardless of pilot, or sweeper designs.

 

And I was also torn between "Its the railroads land", and it being the railroads responsibility not to inflict damage within a community it may divide.

 

 “We had scarcely whistled before we were flying through the yards with undiminished speed, when just as we came upon the warehouse a cow started out from the far end of the structure and was about to leisurely cross the track across our bow. Her intention was never carried out, for our pilot struck her amidships with a vicious blow and picked her up and hurled her through the bay window of the depot, across the telegraph table and onto the office floor amidst a wreckage of office furniture, while we sped merrily on our way, wondering what had become of the cow that for a brief second had appeared athwart our front end. I have often wondered what must have been the feeling of the agent at Toppenish when he appeared next morning and found his front end caved in and a hamburgered cow on his office floor.”  - From Forty Years a Locomotive Engineer – Reed – 1913

 

 

 “Dripp’s first cowcatcher consisted of one or more pointed wrought-iron bars that extended parallel with the track and about four or five inches above it. Precisely, the first model was little more than a spear attached to the front of the engine. So confident of the success of his invention was Dripps that he is reported to have said just before the weapon was tested that “it ought to impale any animal that may be struck and prevent it from falling under the engine wheels.” …when the first bull fell before a Camden & Amboy locomotive armed with a cowcatcher, it struck the animal so severely that a block and tackle was required to remove the impaled carcass from the front of the machine.” – From Travel on Southern Antebellum Railroads, 1828-1860 - Alvarez

Any stupid debris? (not upright walking ones), or natural ones trees? Etc. 

Ran through two herds of cattle. If they are between the tracks, the go under, but parts can come up between the cars and knock air hoses apart. If they are on the trot crossing in front, they usually go flying into the ditch. I hit a large bull standing on a road crossing once, at about 55mph, and just like the earlier post, we were disabled for a while. We had a rebuilt Santa Fe Gp35, with the flat pilot. It pushed it back a few inches,and wrinkled the steps, but broke the brake pipe at a threaded coupling about 6" behind the pilot. It's been so long ago I can't remember the details, but we set up the 2nd unit to lead, ran that way to a set out track. Snow plow pilots don't do any better.

If a train had a "plow" as opposed to a "cow catcher" the meat was only good for hamburger.

 

 

Santa Fe had a form for that, too.  However, after the advent of radio communication between tran and Dispatcher, the report was generated by the Dispatching Office.

 

Ranchers often maintain that any cows struck were prime breeding stock and try to get a premium settlement.  The right of way fence is the responsibility of the railroad, but the almost universal process is that the railroad furnishes the material and the farmer or rancher furnishes the labor.  This encourages another agricultural racket.  I had a farmer nearby when I was Assistant Superintendent in central Texas, who showed up about twice a year asking for steel fence posts to repair the right of way fence.  I don't know where all those posts went, but they sure didn't go into the right of way fence.  Occasionally, the right of way fence is cut and some old or sick cattle are struck.  Nobody knows how this happens,  but the railroad is obligated to pay the rancher for his "prime" beef.  

 

When I was a young railroader, I worked with Buck Savage who had hit a large bull in 1950.  He had been firing for Charlie Byland on the  now-famous excursion 4-8-4 3751, on a freight train from San Bernardino to Los Angeles.  They came around a curve at Yorba, making 50 MPH,  and the bull, seeing the approaching engine, began to run down the track in the same direction as the train.  He was hit from the rear, and his rear end was lifted as he was struck.  As a parting gift to the planet Earth, he deposited a large quantity of bovine guacamole on the smokebox front, where it baked.  Buck said that it was a very aromatic trip from there all the way to Redondo Junction, where the engine was washed.

The MOW guys that I worked with told me that the meat wasn't good for anything as it was bruised up too much.

 

I found that the best thing to do when seeing cattle along the ROW was to do nothing. Blowing the horn would more often than not spook the cattle onto the track. I came across some smart cows that wandered off the track just before we would have hit them.

 

Dogs were the worst offenders. If a dog got to running between the rails, that is where it stayed until it was run down. I hated running over dogs! Coyotes, on the other hand, were smart enough to get out of the way before you thought they were going to get it.

 

Deer were daring and would try to cross right in front of you. Some made it, some didn't. One buck had a doe on either side of the track. He couldn't figure out which one to stay with. Now there are two lonely does.

 

As far as I know, I still hold the record on our division for the number of possums (8) and goats (9) hit in one trip. Possums like to walk the top of the rail. Goats, like most everything will stay between the rails if they get to running that way.

 

I had one turkey at night fly right at me into the side of the cab, breaking the side mirror.

 

 

one day we were going about 30 or so on the train and a dog jumped out and started running in the guage,,,they run straight ahead and never go left or right ! anyway i grabbed a plastic water bottle went out on the front of the engine took aim let it fly and one hopped that dog right in the butt ! He quickly jumped out of the way. There wasnt a Sports  Center top 10 in those days but it remains one of my personal great moments in sport ! conrail john

Never hit any cattle, but we took out a few deer.  It was usually at night, and if they were standing or running on the track we'd shut off the headlight and ditch lights- sometimes they moved, sometimes they didn't.  Blowing the horn had no effect other than making them freeze or run right down the gauge.

Andre's description of the sound is right on- occasionally punctuated by a sick thump as the carcass got balled up under the lead truck.

How do squirrels typically react?

quote:

How do squirrels typically react?

They're very squirrelly, you don't really know what they're going to do.

Re roadkill (vs. railroad kill), in the 1990's I worked with a guy who had a roadkill license. Apparently here in Minnesota they're issued by the counties. I guess the idea of licensing is to be sure the person knows how to safely clear the roadway of the obstruction, and knows how to properly prepare the meat and dispose of the carcass. So if a car hits a deer, the county sheriff's office or state patrol would call a nearby person with a roadkill license to come take care of the deer's remains. My friend normally gave the meat away, often to charity / soup kitchens etc.

Deer will come at dusk to feed on spilled grain around the elevators around here.  I once found half a deer at an elevator on the UP triple track in Nebraska.  My own favorite car/deer story was I once came upon a woman who had hit a deer and it had completely smashed her car.  She was shook up but unhurt.  As I helped her out of the car, a guy in a pickup truck stopped to help also.  This was before cell phones.  I offered to give her a ride into town to call her husband, and the other guy said he'd stay and watch the car and keep it from getting hit.

 

I dropped the woman off at a truck stop and went back down the road to get home.  I passed the car.  The guy with the truck was gone.  So was the deer.  

 

 

Kent in SD

 Not to revel in gore, but I had only seen Asian cows taken down. A slight bit different reaction, the big horns just stand there, many bounced.

Many interesting stories. Glad your all safe.

After a fruitless Marquette hunt, my pal got a charging 8pt on US-2 with a Z-71 passenger headlight. Beheaded. Called DNR showed his hunters permit, they both field processed it, he kept half, gave half to the local charity kitchen in St. Ignace, Mi.(tasty one) The truck died too, bent frame.

After DNR contact, non-hunters may be able to purchase a license, and keep it. 

 Someone will likely sign something to make it illegal if it isn't already. It'll get discussed, and signed over a veal dinner, I'm sure.

Nice reflections on the "crappy end" of dealing with less honorable livestock owners, and concerned citizens.  

  

As long as this has turned into what have i hit....i have run into three very large trees which fell across the track on separate occasions. In all they shattered the windshield, caved in the front walkway so you could not open the front door of the wide body, wiped off all the antenna gear off the roof..trees are brutal...usually i say oh no another tree !!!!then get on the floor..and wait for the crunch....oh and a month ago i turned a black bear in Westfield NY into a rug !! trains are unforgiving..conrail john

Cow Killed

A cow belonging to a farmer near Carthage strayed on to the Northwestern Railroad track and was killed by a train. The farmer decided his cow had trespassed on the company’s property and received her just desserts, so he gave the section men a dollar to bury her and said no more about it. The matter was reported to headquarters in the course of business, and soon afterward an officer of the company called on the farmer.

"You had a cow killed on the track a few days ago, didn’t you?"

"Yes, sir" timidly replied the farmer, thinking he was up against a soulless corporation in a suit for trespass.

"Well, how did it happen?"

"I’m sure I don’t know; the cow got out of the pasture and onto the tracks and was killed; it wasn’t my fault, I paid the section men one dollar to bury her, so the company isn’t anything out."

"How much was the cow worth?"

"Oh, she was a fair cow, worth about $25."

The agent left and the farmer worried about a trespass suit against him. A few days later he received a letter, and upon opening it he discovered, not a summons for trespass, but a check for $25 for the loss of the cow and an annual pass over the road, the letter stating that he was the only man that ever had a cow killed on their road that did not swear she was a registered thoroughbred worth $150.

Delphos Herald — Aug. 29, 1900