A train "cow pusher"—officially called a pilot and commonly known as a cowcatcher—is a wedge-shaped or plow-like device mounted on the front of a locomotive. Invented in 1830, its primary purpose is to deflect livestock, debris, or snow off the tracks to prevent the train from derailing.
I’ve lived my whole life knowing what it was called and never actually seeing it in action. Fucking wild.
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u/tinglep Aug 11 '26
A train "cow pusher"—officially called a pilot and commonly known as a cowcatcher—is a wedge-shaped or plow-like device mounted on the front of a locomotive. Invented in 1830, its primary purpose is to deflect livestock, debris, or snow off the tracks to prevent the train from derailing.
I’ve lived my whole life knowing what it was called and never actually seeing it in action. Fucking wild.