Where to find a cow catcher?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hello again, folks,

I’ve bought a used Marklin Z scale train set, to be a model train to run on my HO layout. I’ve taken the “elephant ears” off the 2-6-0 steamer, and cut the European bumpers off the locomotive and tender. Now, to make my Z scale locomotive look like the “North American” locomotive in one of my city’s parks, I need a cow catcher. I’ve Googled, and found nothing. Does anyone know where I might obtain such an animal? (Pun intended!)

I might add that the Marklin couplers look like they’re from another world. What is the most protypical coupler that I can put on a Z scale Marklin?

Blaine

2

Cow catcher? Try the Calgary rodeo. For a pilot (which is what you need for that 2-6-0) and for couplers, you might try the Micro-Trains line. Failing that, get a junk North American-prototype steamer, and steal its pilot. You don’t really need a full-on pointed pilot, you know. You could fashion a step pilot from bits of metal. In Z scale, that would be a task beyond my aging eyesight, even with magnifiers, but that’s just me… [:)]

Just as a historical note, there were indeed once “cow catchers” on locomotives - the restored John Bull is a prime example. However, the need to scoop livestock off the track to prevent derailments diminished as the locomotives became significantly bigger and heavier than the livestock, ensuring that striking a steer would result in nothing much more than steak for the crew, rather than a destroyed locomotive. [swg]

3

I don’t model in N scale, so I can’t help directly with your needs. However, I can offer a bit of terminology that might help.

For cowcatcher, read pilot. Road locos had pilots, made from anything from used boiler tubes to massive steel castings with rotating couplers that were concealed when not in use. The long, pointy wooden ‘cowcatcher’ pilot vanished when locomotives began to use front end knuckle couplers.

If your loco is going to be used in switching, peddler freight or shortline/branchline service you might prefer to fit pilot steps, either separate on each side or all the way across. Locomotives as big as N&W 2-8-8-2s were fitted with steps rather than a pilot when their assignments required them.

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - where elephant ears were common and pilots were unknown)

4

Don’t pay any attention to any of these guys that make fun of the term “cowcatcher”. Up until around 1900 that’s what it was called down here in south east Texas when the old steam locos were the kings of the rails… As for where you might aquire one, you’ll probably end up having to make one from scratch or might work something out with one of the members here on the forum to make one for you.

Good luck to you.

Tracklayer

5

“COWCATCHER” is a politically incorrect phrase! It should be called a “bovine mover-to-the-side device”!! [:-^]

6

It’s possible you’re not going to find any. I did a search on the Walthers website and found nothing. The LHS should carry…well, I forget what it’s called, “Z Scaler” or something, it’s a mag devoted to Z scale trains. Anyway, there might be an ad in there from someone who makes detail part or conversion kits for Z steam engines.

Otherwise, I doubt there’s enough of a scratchbuilder / superdetailer market in Z to warrant making many detail parts, you might try (as was suggested earlier) making a switcher-style pilot yourself.

Micro-Trains makes couplers for Z scale, they’re basically the same as the Kadee’s you probably use on your HO cars and engines. (IIRC Micro-Trains was part of Kadee originally and the two brothers split them, Kadee being HO and larger and Micro-Trains serving the N and Z market.)

Micro Trains couplers

7

This may sound a bit crazy but a couple of years ago at a party store I saw a tiny steam locomotive in plastic that was meant to decorate a birthday cake. It was small enough to be pretty similar to Z and quite possibly the pilot would be usable. Obviously I have no other information on this little toy.

The phrase cow catcher reminds me of one of Mark Twain’s stories. He wrote about being on a train that was so slow that he suggested to the conductor that they should remove the cow catcher from the locomotive and put it on the rear of the coach, because at the speed they were going, they weren’t going to catch many cows, but there wasn’t anything to prevent them from climbing up into the back of the train.

Dave Nelson

8

I’m afraid that in Zulu-Scale you may just be S.O.L. so you are going to have to scratchbuild one. Go to index and KEYWORD SEARCH: PILOT; I did so and was surprised at the number of entries found.

9

Actually those “bumpers” are called buffers.

Best!

10

Ah, good old Wikipedia, always a reliable source of information! The page you linked is not too bad, but it in turn links to a page with so many howlers I had tears in my eyes from laughing!

Cheers,

Mark.

11

OK, now let me get this straight!

cow catchers are really pilots, BUT pilots fly airplanes

bumpers are buffers, BUT that’s what I do to wax my car

engines pull trains, BUT an engine powers my car

cars are the units pulled by an engine, BUT I drive my car on the road

trucks support the cars, BUT they are also on the road

they are rail roads, BUT you can’t drive on it

in Canada, they are called rail ways, BUT it is my way that counts

joining two cars is coupling, BUT that is what happens when you move in together

firemen keep the engine’s fire burning, BUT that is a person who puts fires out

an engineer runs the engine, BUT he designed the thing in the first place

BUT, I think I got the elephant ears correct, or are there any pachyderms out there that would protest

I’m tired, I think I’ll go have a good night’s sleep, and dream of things to be.

Blaine

12

[:)]

I grew up in the 40s and 50s with lots of steam. And I had a simple oval S and HO model RR. I never heard anything but “cowcatcher” for the thing on the front of a steam engine, and we noted carefully that a switcher did not have one.

We also noted that locomotive makers didn’t put cowcatchers on Diesel engines. Except for the small, minimally effective (for New England) snowplows that showed up on Diesels, we didn’t have a name for anything else that might be in that place on a locomotive.

It wasn’t until many years later that I heard the word “pilot” for that thing. But if it’s on a steam locomotive, and if it’s made of tubes or bars assembled in the classic wedge shape, I will continue to call it a cowcatcher.

[:)] [:)]

13

I guess you could say a ‘cowcatcher’ is one type of pilot; it’s a pointed pilot designed to move small debris off the rails so the train shells won’t hit it or roll over it. Switch engines (steam and diesel) have pilots that are basically small platforms for brakemen and yardmen to ride on. I suppose a snowplow designed to mount on the front of an engine is a form of pilot too.

14

Just thinking…you may be able to make one from a very fine comb. Cut the whole comb to the lenghth you need, cut the teeth to the desired lenghth & cut the back down to about the thickness of one of the teeth. You could probably even heat it enough to shape it to fit, or maybe cutting a notch in the back to allow it to bend. Jerry

15

I think in operation they, the cowcatchers where a bit more agressive in doing their jobs… [:O]

16

Couldn’t find a cow catcher.

Found a cow third baseman, though…

17

The cow catcher must have been udder the weather!

Blaine

18

See. We Texans know how to name things, but in the event we can’t come up with what an object or item is actually called we just label it as a thing, deal, whatcha call it and so forth. Believe it or not we actually got to the moon and back six times (except for Apollo 13) using that kind of terminology…

Tracklayer

19

Given the small size of a “cowcatcher” in Z scale, the easiest way to make one would be to fold one up from thin sheet styrene. You could either scribe the sheet before folding to represent the slats/tubes, or glue on styrene strip for more relief. Or model a solid pressed-steel pilot like the MKT used, no slats, tubes or holes required!

Cheers,

Mark.

20

It just struck me that some of the Hallmark “Lionel” ornaments might have a “pilot/cowcatcher” of a size that could be used for Z, although most of them seem about N scale in size. Perhaps cutting off just a portion of the pilot would give the right shape and general notion of the thing.

I realize this idea would sicken some collectors of Hallmark ornaments, and by the way I am NOT volunteering any of the ornaments in my collection for this elective surgery…

Dave Nelson