In New York City one winter they had a problem of the horse car drivers falling asleep on their seats and freezing to death. The solution was to remove the seats.

Could that have been the winter of 1888?

Hello all....this is my first post. I am 71 years old, with a lifelong interest in RRs. Did some firing on a couple of excursion RRs in NY State years ago.

Anyway, I think lack of cabs was at least in part to maintain visibility, and therefore safety. Don't forget that there were no windshield wipers in those days and no easy way to clear rain, ice, snow, etc. from a windshield, if it was present. When I was in the pilothouse of a steamboat years ago, I remember the pilot saying that it was illegal to have a front window in the pilothouse of a steamboat until fairly recent years, for that reason.

Geoff Quadland

The item about horsecar drivers brings to mind some of the photos of early electric streetcars, and how they had open ends just like the horsecars they replaced. Eventually either the unions or the various government authorities started requiring enclosed platforms, which resulted in some rather ungainly "add-ons" to bring the older cars "up to code". I think a few of these have survived by being made into work cars and lasting long enough to become historical relics rather than old clunkers.

Neat topic.

The collection of grasshoppers at the B&O museum is certainly interesting from an evolutionary perspective.

A look at the John Hancock suggests it's cab was more about vision than comfort, given the fireman is out in the weather and would stay out there on the camels.



Bob

All [machines] simple or complex at their infancy or beginning have lacked personal/operator protection.

Consider how long it took for safety glasses to be "realized" for operating a hand-held hammer,
or the length of time elapsed before seat belts were designed into automobiles.

An apparatus's evolution and/or sequence of design is continually improved as needed.
And it usually stems around preserving life if the machine concept is dangerous.

The question of "why" it took decades to feature protective cabs on railroad/railway locomotives
is a necessary one... yet... it is [skipping a step].

"When"... as others replying to this interesting question have contributed... seems to be the more
productive route to take in this little-ole-thought-provoker.

WHEN did makers of locomotives begin designing [shelter] into their product designs?
From there.. we might figure out "Why".

Enjoying the incredible forum here.

John