Train Experts: What is the thing ("Plow") in front of an old steam engine called?
Couldn't find it on Wikipedia. I'd be happy to hear multiple answers, different "nicknames"...
The thing is in front of the engine and I assume its function is to clear away obstacles from the tracks. It looks like a plow, but
Yup. I'll just add the technical name for the device is a "pilot." These included "slatted" types (cow catcher) and pilot plows as Rango points out. Steam engines had either, but pretty much all the mountain routes utilized pilot
