OT - train guys question

[AJMD429]

How deep a snow do the mountain trains here in the U.S. go through without problems? I'd think that the first train to head down the track with several feet of snow might make for lots of flying white stuff. How would they know a too-deep drift was ahead? (...pics welcome... ).

[Buck Elliott]

The Central Pacific (later -- S.P.) and Western Pacific railroads built "snow sheds" to keep the white stuff off the tracks over and through the Sierras.

Across the Northern Plains, railroads relied on huge rotary snow blowers to clear the right-of-way, especially when wind-driven snow drifted over the tracks. I have seen snowbanks 16 ft. high along the rails in some parts of the West and NW.

[awp101]

Across the Northern Plains, railroads relied on huge rotary snow blowers to clear the right-of-way, especially when wind-driven snow drifted over the tracks.

I've seen video of one of those in action. The video was impressive enough, I can only imagine seeing one in person doing it's thing.

AJMD, think of a huge box fan looking contraption chewing through the snow and spewing it to the sides and that'll give you a good idea.

I think this is what I saw: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha59KFvCQUY

[Jayhawker]

More than a foot of continuous snow could cause problems if it builds up under the wheels, but most locomotives will run right through small drifts. A lot will depend upon the front of the locomotive, whether and what shape the cowcatcher or nose has. Generally, after a snowfall, the railroad will dispatch crews to ensure the right of way is clear. After all, trains, and their cargo, can be expensive but often the cleanup after a derailment can be even more expensive.

[Hobie]

Some railroads ran plows on the front of the train. But when the snow gets up there they use a big rotary snowblower/thrower. The Cumbres and Toltec has a couple..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPwPcb7CBgo

[44magHunter]

Cool vids. That is just amazing how much snow they are really moving there. It looks like about 4-5 ft at least!

[Gun Smith]

Go to Railroad Park Resort Dunsmiur California. Go to Gallery. Go to Advanced search. Type in Snow Plow. And Type in Snow Plow. This was another way to move snow about 100 years ago.

http://www.rrpark.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=283

[Mike D.]

Rotary plows are used occasionally on Union Pacific's routes across the Sierras, but not like they once were. The nice old wooden snow sheds have largely been replaced by concrete ones by now. Back when I was a kid, the drag freights over the hump were powered by huge cab forward 4-8-8-4s and you could hear the pounding exhaust coming for miles. We'd sit on rocks by the tracks with our hands over our ears as they passed by with huge drivers and massive side rods clanking, and the engineer laying on the whistle chain. I sure miss that. Sad that they have been gone for 50 yrs, with all but a handfull falling to the scrapper's torches.

[bcp]

They can do quite a bit with a V-plow, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QenN5DVuLtw

Bruce

[Don McDowell]

Actually on main lines the snow doesn't get that much chance to pile up on the tracks, the wind and draft blows alot of it clear.
The winters of 77-78 and 79-80, we had about 4 ft of snow on the level from Rawlins to RockSprings. The only way to get up and down the rightofway was on snow machines or thiokols, but the tracks stayed pretty clear.

[jeepnik]

Back when newgroups were the thing, one binary group was for steam trains. Here's one I grabbed from there of the Cumbres and Toltec plow front steamer.



I've got some of rotary blowers as well. Have to look for them.

[AJMD429]

It looks like that cable or whatever on the right front blade would get ripped of if it hit heavy snow.

[Buck Elliott]

It looks like that cable or whatever on the right front blade would get ripped of if it hit heavy snow.

That's an air coupling...

[Buck Elliott]

They can do quite a bit with a V-plow, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QenN5DVuLtw

Bruce

Looks like Northern Nevada...

[Buck Elliott]

Rotary plows are used occasionally on Union Pacific's routes across the Sierras, but not like they once were. The nice old wooden snow sheds have largely been replaced by concrete ones by now. Back when I was a kid, the drag freights over the hump were powered by huge cab forward 4-8-8-4s and you could hear the pounding exhaust coming for miles. We'd sit on rocks by the tracks with our hands over our ears as they passed by with huge drivers and massive side rods clanking, and the engineer laying on the whistle chain. I sure miss that. Sad that they have been gone for 50 yrs, with all but a handfull falling to the scrapper's torches.

We used to sit on the sandstone buttes above the tracks in Echo canyon, and watch the UP's Big Boys and Challengers do the same thing -- many times double-headed, or with a helper in the middle of the train.

I do miss that...

[2571]

Across the Northern Plains, railroads relied on huge rotary snow blowers to clear the right-of-way, especially when wind-driven snow drifted over the tracks.

I think this is what I saw: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha59KFvCQUY

Sorry guys, not impressed. We use bigger'n that to clear household driveways here.

[AJMD429]

That's an air coupling...

You'd think a couple of feet of iced-over snow hitting that plow would rip that air coupling right off.

[jeepnik]

That engine is on a scenic line. Looking at older photos or engines they don't have an air coupling hose sticking through the plow blade. I think it may have been added after it was moved to scenic serivce, possibly to aid in moving thnings around the yard.

[Buck Elliott]

That engine is on a scenic line. Looking at older photos or engines they don't have an air coupling hose sticking through the plow blade. I think it may have been added after it was moved to scenic serivce, possibly to aid in moving thnings around the yard.

That would be my guess, too.

[Mike D.]

We used to sit on the sandstone buttes above the tracks in Echo canyon, and watch the UP's Big Boys and Challengers do the same thing -- many times double-headed, or with a helper in the middle of the train.

I do miss that...[/quote]

Yep, same thing here. Two or three helpers were always required on long freights over Donner Pass. They pick 'em up at Roseville and drop 'em at Truckee or Sparks, NV. Three articulated consolidation engines in and out of sinc made for quite a spectacular sight and sounds situation. They had a very peculiar sound, not at all like the general service 4-8-4s. The last run was in 1957, a railfan special, and 4294, the last of it's kind, rests in the CA State Railroad Museum. Bringing her back to life is discussed now and then, but the million dollar plus cost to rebuild the engine makes it an unreachable goal for the time being. It was serviceable when placed on outdoor display in front of the depot, but time and theft of parts from the engine took it's toll before it was brought indoors for a paint job and cleanup for static display at the museum. It's still a sight foe sore eyes and an engineering masterpiece

[Buck Elliott]

Those old cab-forward Mallet-design locomotives were conceived and built to operate in the snow-sheds, so the engine crews would not be asphyxiated by the smoke in the sheds...

[AJMD429]

It was serviceable when placed on outdoor display in front of the depot, but time and theft of parts from the engine took it's toll before it was brought indoors for a paint job and cleanup for static display at the museum. It's still a sight for sore eyes and an engineering masterpiece

They DID manage to restore just such an engine in Indianapolis about 25 years ago, and it made some runs, but I think there were turf battles and cost issues and finally something about rebuilding all the tubes that just cost too much to keep it going unless it was going to be earning serious revenue somehow, which it wasn't.

Me and the kids DID get to watch it close up though (only time I've seriously sped with them in the car, and only time I ever 'raced a train' - although NOT to cross the tracks, but just to be where it was going to stop in town briefly).