Pilots

[NW Mailing List]

Mr. Honeycutt,
Your response is greatly appreciated.
Jim Cochran

On Thu, Jul 29, 2021 at 12:13 PM NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
wrote:

> While not a complete answer, I offer the following from the 1906 *Locomotive
> Dictionary*:
>
> "*Pilot*. An inclined pointed structure of wood or iron bars fastened to
> the front bumper of a locomotive to remove obstructions from the track.
> Formerly called cow catcher."
>
> I would also add that effective after January 1, 1981, the Federal
> Railroad Administration regulations required that "Each locomotive shall be
> equipped with an end plate that extends across both rails, a pilot, or a
> snowplow.  The minimum clearance above the rail of the pilot, snowplow or
> end plate shall be 3 inches, and the maximum clearance 6 inches."
>
> FRA also decreed that, except for steam locomotives,  ". . . locomotives
> used in switching service built after March 31, 1975 may not be equipped
> with end footboards or pilot steps."   Additionally, except for steam
> locomotives, locomotives ". . . built before April 1, 1975 may not be
> equipped with end footboards or pilot steps after September 30, 1978."
>
> W.E. Honeycutt
>
> On 07/25/2021 11:47 PM NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
>
>
>
> A long, long time ago when class Gs were the predominant life form and
> ranged the N&W in their small herds, they sported a variety of pilots. In
> briefly looking over some of the drawings from the archives, there appear
> to be styles for passenger locomotives, different ones for freight, yet
> others for yard work and even some that mounted to the rear of tenders.
> Although their common name would seem to indicate that their purpose was
> bovine entrapment, I suspect their main function was to protect railroad
> equipment. What other uses might they have served? At least one style of
> yard pilot had steps that I suppose could be used as a perch for a yardman
> to quickly get from one place to another. I doubt OSHA would condone such
> practices in later times. It seems that the pilot would present an
> obstruction to coupling to cars ahead of it. In some of the drawings it
> looks like the angled members started lower down on the front sill (is that
> the correct term for the large timber that ran across the locomotive under
> the boiler front?) than others. Did this allow for easier coupling
> operations? A conceptually relatively simple device for plowing obstacles
> off the tracks, but I wonder if there are subtleties here that warrant
> exploration.
>
> Jim Cochran
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