Eastern Railroad Discussion > Pan Am still operates jets

The jet snow blower has perhaps already been used once or twice around Ayer, MA this season to cope with early snowfalls. It's pictured yesterday parked at the north end of Hill Yard at Ayer as SD40-2 607 readies intermodal train 23K for its early afternoon wb departure for Chicago. Is it really necessary to stand a football field's length away from and operating jet snow blower?

Photo #3 depicts Pan Am's efforts to cultivate business with local turf farms. Obviously not an expedited service.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/14 03:27 by JPB.

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Having grown up in Massachusetts during the B&M days, I'd venture to say that # 3 describes operations at the current "railroad". I wish NS would just take over the whole operation.

farming and railroading have always gone hand in hand

A tiny little pebble or small rock has little mass but is still lethal.


It is no different than the "Caution Jet Blast Area Warnings on USN Aircraft Carriers

control room walls or blast diverter doors that popped out of the flight deck floors,

OR the "Caution Jet Blast Area" signs at the end of jet qualified airport runways.

I am unsure if the U.S. Navy has solved the problem of sailors/air crew being blown
off flat tops which happened(s) on deployments.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/14 06:59 by leonz.

You have obviously not been around when one of these is operating!!
Even though the jet is idling the thrust it produces is considerable!! Standing closer than 300 ft from it WILL knock you off your feet and debris blown up would cause severe injury or worse!! Also the exhaust gasses produced are extremely hot and would cause burns!!
In my opinion 300 ft is way too close for safety!!

mkostecky Wrote:
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> You have obviously not been around when one of
> these is operating!!
> Even though the jet is idling the thrust it
> produces is considerable!! Standing closer than
> 300 ft from it WILL knock you off your feet and
> debris blown up would cause severe injury or
> worse!! Also the exhaust gasses produced are
> extremely hot and would cause burns!!
> In my opinion 300 ft is way too close for
> safety!!


Don't forget the deafening sound!!! Ear plugs don't cut it when one of those things is around!

Posted from iPhone

mkostecky Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You have obviously not been around when one of
> these is operating!!
> Even though the jet is idling the thrust it
> produces is considerable!! Standing closer than
> 300 ft from it WILL knock you off your feet and
> debris blown up would cause severe injury or
> worse!! Also the exhaust gasses produced are
> extremely hot and would cause burns!!
> In my opinion 300 ft is way too close for
> safety!!

I have seen them operate and they are indeed loud but I didn't see chunks of snow or debris being tossed hundreds of feet. If the 300ft clearance is enforced by RRs then I'm guessing they must clear operating personnel out of the area.

This 'jet' won't fly, but will send anything in front of it flying...

yeeears ago i've operated ours here in Philly and it WILL definitely blow debris around like a tornado ... yes the sound is deafening even inside the heavily insulated cab

Posted from Android

Photo 2 looks like a Tim Allen leaf blower.

while,

Photo 3 looks little like a tribute to Don King's barber.

Jay

octrax Wrote:
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> This 'jet' won't fly, but will send anything in
> front of it flying...

How fast might this vehicle go using its jet propulsion? Probably not as fast as NYC's M-497 jet powered RDC at 183+mph.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-497_Black_Beetle

Totally Off Topic, but I couldn't resist. Taken during flight testing of Pan Am's L-1011 aircraft. Taken from another Pan Am L-1011. See the wire trailing behind the vertical fin? The flight test trailing cone which picked up true static air was about 100 feet behind the airplane. Back in my first career.

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JPB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> octrax Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > This 'jet' won't fly, but will send anything in
> > front of it flying...
>
> How fast might this vehicle go using its jet
> propulsion? Probably not as fast as NYC's M-497
> jet powered RDC at 183+mph.
>
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-497_Black_Beetle

the unit is diesel powered ... the jet does not propel the unit even in neutral with the air brakes released ...

Posted from Android

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> JPB Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > octrax Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > This 'jet' won't fly, but will send anything
> in
> > > front of it flying...
> >
> > How fast might this vehicle go using its jet
> > propulsion? Probably not as fast as NYC's M-497
> > jet powered RDC at 183+mph.
> >
> >
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-497_Black_Beetle
>
> the unit is diesel powered ... the jet does not
> propel the unit even in neutral with the air
> brakes released ...
>
> Posted from Android

The jet is permanently throttled down to idle and cannot be throttled up.

mkostecky Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Out_Of_Service Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > JPB Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > octrax Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > This 'jet' won't fly, but will send
> anything
> > in
> > > > front of it flying...
> > >
> > > How fast might this vehicle go using its jet
> > > propulsion? Probably not as fast as NYC's
> M-497
> > > jet powered RDC at 183+mph.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-497_Black_Beetle
> >
> > the unit is diesel powered ... the jet does not
> > propel the unit even in neutral with the air
> > brakes released ...
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> The jet is permanently throttled down to idle and
> cannot be throttled up.

the diesel engine for the machine had a throttle and the jet engine had a throttle ... the jet ran on aviation fuel ... when initiating ignition to the jet we had to open up the ignition fuel valve and wait until the igniting fuel reached a certain %age and then start the jet then shut off the igniting fuel once the jet started spinning ... i'm not a jet expert and always wondered how that all worked because i could thottle up the jet and get that baby RIP-ROARIN so could you or some other jet expert explain the propulsion part of it or lack of where it doesn't propel the unit ... thankX ...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/14 20:33 by Out_Of_Service.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/22/14 09:36 by Out_Of_Service.

Don't forget it was 26 years ago to date (12/21/88) Pan Am flt 103