Computer geeks know that Charles Babbage, an English mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, originated the concept of a digital programmable computer. That was in the mid 1800’s and it eventually led to more complex electronic designs, though all the essential ideas of modern computers are to be found in Babbage's analytical engine. It was a long time before technology caught up with his ideas.
But another of his many inventions was put to use fairly soon.
In 1830 Babbage was a passenger on the opening run of the Manchester and Liverpool railroad line. One can only speculate about the details of that journey, but his interest in rail travel led to the invention of a plow-shaped device to be mounted on the front of the steam engine for the purpose of rapidly removing any obstruction on the rails. At first they called it a “pilot “, but in rural North America, it acquired its more common name. Of course we know it as the “cowcatcher”, the more technically correct, “cattle catcher”, or the more graphic descriptor…the cow plow.
Even this invention was not seized upon right away. Instead, European railways fenced the tracks.
But in America reports of trains being derailed by cattle were common in the early days of railroading, and of course it was especially problematic in the wide-open west where livestock weren’t often fenced in. Even a good-sized hog could derail a train. A buffalo was a real challenge.
You don’t see them on modern locomotives. The buffalo are long gone and one seldom sees a cow running free.
But it happens.
On October 21, 1948, a freight train approaching Medora from the east, encountered just such a free-range cow, sleeping, or at least resting, on the track. If said locomotive had a cow-catcher, it didn’t seem to work. One freight car jumped the track and rolled, just east of the Station House. The engine and caboose stayed on track but another fifteen cars got by the station before rolling off the track and into a heap.
Thankfully, no one was hurt, but if the cars had left the track just a little bit sooner, they surely would have wrecked the Station House or worse.
Farmers from near and far, came with grain trucks to gather up the spilled grain. Two days later railway crews had everything up and running again at a cost about $50,000.
The whole episode was celebrated in true small town style by local poet C.J. Barnes in his modest epic, “The Drowsy Cow.” which was published in the local paper. Another local poet took it another step with a response – from the point of view of the cow.
You know an event is epic if the poets weigh in on the story.
A New Threat!
How fitting it is that, to protect the crew and passengers, modern locomotives and passenger cars have a device known as an anti-climber fitted above the coupler, which is designed to prevent colliding vehicles from travelling up over the frame and through the locomotive cab.
Sources:
Brenda History Committee. Bridging Brenda Vol. 1. Altona. Friesen Printers, 1990 Waskada Memoirs. Morden. Morden Commercial Printers, 1967
Note: Did you know that there is a “Cowcatcher Magazine”? It is about model railroading.
