Model Railway Forum

A rather novel concept for myself, as in the US this is not done. If a cow, or a sheep, or whatever,
meanders upon the line, they are consequently turned into hamburger or minced mutton, or whateverburger,
I was to see.

One of my first patients was a chap who had been run over by a shunting locomotive in the local rail yard, he
was wearing these new fangled contraptions called a "Walkman" and didn't here the bells and
horns and as the locomotive crew desperately tried to stop. What I remember most was him being
impaled with all these dried, stalky weeds, abundant hereabouts, like so many indian arrows and he
the cowboy. His arm was nearly severed, but it sewed right up. Survived yes, though I
doubt he takes moonlight strolls upon the tracks, anymore.

(The weedy impalements were caused by him being dragged along underneath for a distance).

I read that UK line side fencing came about as locomotives did not have head lamps, which makes
sense, as unless it was the size of a house it would not have dispersed much light. But, if that
were the case, being seen, or seeing ahead, it makes little sense to expend billions of lumber in
a country not abundant in lumber, allow trains to run blind. Evidentiary, my dear Watson.

More the point, it would seem a necessity to protect valuable live stock.

On the thousands of miles across the USA I would guess it would not have been cost effective to run fencing down both sides of a track. Much cheaper option to fit those "cow catchers" on the front of locos.

Not that grass. This grass.