Train - Cow catching technology 1869 Cloth Placemat

Colorized photo from 1869 Original title: Rawlings Springs Photographer: Andrew Russell Location: Sedgwick, Rawling Springs, WY Look at all the interesting improvements in cow catching technology. Cowcatchers are triangular devices mounted to the front of a locomotive (even modern ones), that is used to help escort a lazy bovine out of the way. Struck by a train, the cow becomes steak and the train may derail, I would imagine. The first cowcatcher was invented by Charles Babbage in 1838. No one mentioned what inspired him to make such a thing, but I would love to see his prototypes and testing methods. The design basically lifts a cow off the tracks and place him on the side, but I'm sure it left a bruise of some kind. These models are a bit more unusual as they covered the open areas with wood. I can only imagine that animals got their leg caught in it and this would maybe stop that? Or maybe it cleared small rocks off the tracks, it would explain that patch the center one has. We may never know.