Stand Well Clear

[kevin_standlee]

My thanks to debgeisler for posting helicopter footage of UP clearing snow from the Sierra Nevada. I've seen the rotary snowplows on the maintenance-of-way sidings at Roseville and Truckee, but I've never had an opportunity to see them "live." I bet the local railfan community turned out in droves when they got word that the rotaries had been deployed. It's quite a show!

Comments

[jeff-morris.livejournal.com]

Apparently Donner Pass is giving them fits...don't know if it's been completely cleared yet.

[timill]

Clearly they need to bring 844 or 3985 West to sort it out...

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

Very cool. One of those things that I sort of knew had to exist, but never really thought about.

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

These rotaries are the biggest of the big guns, and the railroads actually prefer to not deploy them if they have any choice. They prefer to use spreaders and flangers, which are cheaper to operate. As I recall, the usual practice over Donner is to operate the rotaries in pairs, with a rotary snowplow followed by a couple of locomotives, then another rotary pointed the other direction. This makes it harder for them to get stuck, since they can plow the other way if necessary.

Calling out the rotaries means increased snow-clearance costs for the rest of the season, because it's often difficult to use the other snow-clearance equipment after you've run the rotaries, on account of the "trench" or "tunnel" that the rotaries create. You end up having to keep using them until the surrounding snow melts. This, combined with a series of relatively mild winters, is why the plows have mostly sat on the side tracks. But UP has to keep them maintained, because when they need them, they really need them.

I vaguely remember reading an article in Trains magazine about the rotaries that I think was written by a man who was a substitute teacher for me when I was in the fourth grade. His wife was my fourth-grade teacher, and he was a teacher as well and filled in for her for several occasions. At least I think I'm remembering the names correctly.

[travelswithkuma.livejournal.com]

Bears happys not haves tos shovels thats muchs snows.

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

Me, too, Bear!