Western Railroad Discussion > Rotary planned for Friday

Providing a heads up for those in the area. Per a very reliable source, the UP is sending out the rotary on Friday to cut the snow back.

Wish I could be there to see it, but I hope someone here gets out.

Good luck!

Posted from Android

I would doze those banks back first before getting yourself into a Rotary trench for the rest of the season

This is for Donner pass right?

Thanks!

Posted from iPhone

Doodle Wrote:
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> This is for Donner pass right?
>
> Thanks!
Considering he stated "UP", then it would be Donner Pass", as the Feather River Canyon has way too many mud/rock slides for a rotary.

Doodle Wrote:
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> This is for Donner pass right?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Posted from iPhone

Yup!  So -- whether or not using a rotary is eeally necessary, 
itt seems this may be another Year of the Rotary!

HotWater Wrote:
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> Doodle Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > This is for Donner pass right?
> >
> > Thanks!
> Considering he stated "UP", then it would be
> Donner Pass", as the Feather River Canyon has way
> too many mud/rock slides for a rotary.

You know, that brings up a question: when's the last time that SP used a rotary over the Cascades in Oregon?  I remember when one was stationed in Oakridge.  Anyone know?

Oh, and WP did have at least one rotary.  I agree that it probably never ventured west of Keddie, but certainly could have up the Inside Gateway, as BN had one stationed in Westwood for awhile!

Lee Hower - Sacramento

Up al;ready had Dobis Bros. with 17 cats and they have already did that.  UP Meteorologist Mike Pechner

mcfflyer Wrote:
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> You know, that brings up a question: when's the last time that SP used a rotary over the Cascades
> in Oregon?  I remember when one was stationed in Oakridge.  Anyone know?

​I want to say it was the spring of 1989; they brought it out one time to test it and supposedly train people since it hadn't been used for many, many years before that. Unfortunately by the time they got it out there wasn't very much snow on the hill here so just east (north) of Abernathy they had cats plow snow up onto the tracks so the rotary would have something to plow. There was unfortunately one major flaw in this plan - in addition to plowing snow up onto the tracks they managed to also shove an old knuckle with the snow. Knuckles and rotary snow plows don't play nicely and after just a few minutes of "plowing" they found the knuckle and in the process pretty much destroyed the blades. They hauled the plow back to Eugene, managed to repair the destroyed potions of the blades (everything has to be balanced so it's not a slap-together repair), but the rotary never operated again until it was given to the group at Train Mountain in Chiloquin, Oregon. Fun times that day (I was up there on a "gas" train).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/17 19:09 by Railbaron.

FWIW, I just watched what appeared to be four Jordan spreaders pulling into Truckee via the Truckee downtown cam...
 

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Doodle Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > This is for Donner pass right?
> >
> > Thanks!
> Considering he stated "UP", then it would be
> Donner Pass", as the Feather River Canyon has way
> too many mud/rock slides for a rotary.

Didn't the UP use their rotary out in the midwest a few years back? I thought I remembered pictures of it posted here. Though for all I know, it could've been in the nostalgia forums.

Yes, taking the rotary up into the snow to train people in how to use it makes a lot of sense. A lot of people with 30 years experience have retired taking their winter skills and experience with them. Current road foremen and trainmasters may not have seen rotaries in action so it would be beneficial to get them some hands on time.

Last time rotaries were out was March 27th, 2011.  Here is a shot at Soda Springs crossing taken with my Canon AE-1 on Fuji Film.  This was strong La Nina winter and was the 5th snowiest winter ever. Mike Pechner



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/17 19:32 by weather.

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WAF Wrote:
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> I would doze those banks back first before getting
> yourself into a Rotary trench for the rest of the
> season

If I remember correctly, when there's no room left, that's when they call them!

Posted from Android

portlander Wrote:

> Didn't the UP use their rotary out in the midwest
> a few years back? I thought I remembered pictures
> of it posted here. Though for all I know, it
> could've been in the nostalgia forums.

I don't know how recently UP had one in the midwest, but in 1977 N&W borrowed one from the UP and another one from the SP to clear an area between Chicago and Decatur IL:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3284813,3286729#msg-3286729

What about last year???? You even started the threads....

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3986461,page=1

weather Wrote:
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> Last time rotaries were out was March 27th, 2011.
>  Here is a shot at Soda Springs crossing taken
> with my Canon AE-1 on Fuji Film.  This was strong
> La Nina winter and was the 5th snowiest winter
> ever. Mike Pechner

It was to TEST the newly rebuilt Rotary, the rotary leaving Roseville Thursday is to cut back the banks.

Is this going to run Thursday or Friday?
SR

Should've been today if it's that bad on the hill!

It's been VERY busy today, trains moving both East & West.  Just guessing, I'd say they want to clear their backlog of trains to create a window for tomorrow.  I believe the prefered use of a Rotary would be to stay ahead of trouble- clearing room for the next storm.  If indeed it runs tomorrow, that would be the "mission": getting the RR ready for March.
SR

@BoilingMan any idea of a window of time when the rotary plow might be on the move? I'd like to catch it going through Auburn.