What's the front of a train called?

Answer 1

Kinda vague question......the front of the whole train consist is called the "head end"....or "lead end"...."front".....whatever.....there's no specific name that everyone goes by. The little plow looking thing on the front of the engine is called a cow catcher. It's used to push things off the track to the side of the train.....animals, snow.....VEHICLES

Answer 2

The front of a train, where the engines are located, is the head end.

The lead end , however, is the engine end only if the train is going forward. If the the train is backing up, which is called a shoving move, or just a shove, then the last car, (or the caboose) is the leading end.

Answer 3

the term cow catcher is still used to describe the v-shaped piece of metal that runs across the lower half of the front of an engine -- i work with guys who have been railroading for 30 plus years and the term is still used rather on the road or in the yard -- your question is vague but dttc did pretty much cover all the basics -- however, i've been working for csx for sometime now and have yet to hear the front end of an engine called the pilot, not saying he's wrong, just have not been privy to the terminology

Answer 4

Locomotives no longer have cow catchers..those have been gone for many, many, many, many years...

If you mean the "bottom" front.. Thats the "pilot"..on the pilot there is a "plow" - the "plow" comes in handy for snow (but also for debris and cars). Around the "pilot" area, there is a "knuckle" (coupler), "MU cables", "jumper cables", "ditch lights", and the "coupler cut lever".

On top of the pilot on a hood unit (I.e. GP38, -9, etc), is a "platform"...this leads to the "running boards" down the side. Along these are "grab irons" On a cab unit (I.e. FL9, PA1, F7), the "pilot" leads right into the "nose", all incorperated into the design of the "F end".

The "head end" is used to refer to the front end of a "consist" - a single or multiple engines with cars behind.

Answer 5

I read that in the Days when mail was primarily carried by the trains the first car behind the engine was called the headend.

Answer 6

Knuckle, Cow Catcher,

Answer 7

The front of the train is what drives the train and it is called a locomotive. Locomotives are also called cab cars.

Answer 8

The Engine!

Answer 9

I don't know what exactly your looking for but theres a cow catcher and a smoke box in the front of a steamer.It is not like a ship where they have bows and sturns and sh*t decks and things.

Answer 10

in case you advise an previous sort prepare such as you often see in western movies, the very front piece is named the "cowcatcher." in case you advise an aerodynamic cutting-edge variety, it fairly is purely the nostril of the prepare.