Beartrap ~ My Final Word....

Beartrap George, he would think you insane.

I ran the risk of this when I was with the last surviving fireman from the C&S narrow gauge once. His name was Doug Schnarbusch, and he couldn't hear very well. But I should say he did have a pretty good sense of humor, once you got to know him. I asked him once if he'd ever heard the term "Beratrap" in reference to the cinder catcher, he looked at me as though I had lost my mind, and then started in on a story about how they had used to set traps above Como in earlier years for different types of game, and even bear, when it was thought that some of them were getting too close to town.

I have attempted many times over the years to try to dissuade the use of that word with regard to the unique style of cinder catchers that defined the look of C&S engines as much as the top mounted air tanks did.

I've given up. That word has taken hold in the railfan community and probably can't be rooted out, but I would suggest that it's use does define the user as a pure railfan, and not as anyone who knows better.

At least readers of this forum know, or at least have been exposed to, true historical facts regarding the proper name of the device, each is free to determine their own favored term.

It no longer makes any difference to me, as I said, I've quite given up, as Jerry Day may one day regarding the term "toilet seat" herald.

But I do caution against use of terms that define the user as a greenhorn and/or pure railfan.