Who knows about Westerns

RobertLCollins

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I think procedure on the Kansas Pacific was to stop and allow buffalo herds to cross. Even at that time (post-Civil War) buffalo herds were huge. It could take hours for them to get across the tracks. As the KP built across Kansas, hunters were sent out to against the herds, mainly to obtain meat for the construction crews. That's how Buffalo Bill Cody got his nickname. It was also around that time that the US Army began to encourage wholesale slaughter of the herds to fight the various tribes of the High Plains. That might make the incident unlikely.

Depending on where and when the incident in your story takes place, it's more likely that the train would hit livestock. That would cause a train to stop. There would be some effort to make certain the carcass was cleared from the tracks, as well as a check for fences or other signs that the railroad might not be at fault. If the railroad was at fault they could be sued for damages by the owner. If there was evidence they weren't at fault the suit would be dismissed. Thus your MC could be a witness in a court case; would that be good or bad for them?

Check various state historical societies to find out when railroad lines were built. That will tell you how plausible the incident would be. The earlier the more plausible; the later, the more likely the chance of livestock being the problem. Hope that helps.
 

csteffoz

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Wow, who woulda known a question about goring a bison would garner such a response. This is all really helpful. For people who are interested, I found this article on the massacre of buffalos in the American West after the transcontinental railroad - absolutely depressing and so interesting:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/where-the-buffalo-no-longer-roamed-3067904/


Apparently buffalo numbered in the tens of millions at some point before white men killed them to the point of a single herd numbering 300. Horrible. There are 200k now but they'll never be like that again.
 
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Siri Kirpal

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Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Those that remain still do charge vehicles. My husband was driving with his sister through Yellowstone and saw a bison charge a truck that wasn't keeping a respectful enough distance.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal
 

csteffoz

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That's a good point about cow catchers: that's more of a precautionary measure for the train, right? Like if it hits a cow, that animal isn't gonna be doing super ok after it gets "caught"
 

PeteMC

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You might want to read Joe Abercrombie's Red Country, which is very much a fantasy western.
 

shadowsminder

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