Nostalgia & History > out plowing

Back in 1985 the ICG sent a plow exta out to bust the line open. running at 40 MPH shot at mayce Iowa Richard
ps the film was Agfa pan 400 iso

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3 some time i will have to get more scanned Richard

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Cool pictures (no pun intended!) Thanks for sharing!

Yes a 300mm is need to stay back far a nuff . And if it has been plowed before just dont stand where
the chunks have landed before. Richard

atsffan Wrote:
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> I guess he thought it would just
> be like snow falling in a storm - not the solid
> blocks it had become.

My dad was out taking pictures of Colorado's little Great Western clearing the tracks after a storm and experienced this. They had a snowplow mounted on one end of a gondola filled with rocks. Even going through a tiny drift, it broke up huge hard chunks of snow and sent them flying. My dad thought he was at a safe distance but still got hit by said chunkage, resulting in a few bruises. (His first concern of course was for the health of his camera.)

I've actually done some of this when Santa Fe still had wedge plows. The plow rides a few inches above the rail. When it hits a drift, the plow deflects downward compressing the lead truck springs. It is limited on it's downward deflection by two large, double flanged "shoes" just behind the lip of the plow. The shoes smack down on top of the rail, guideing the plow, and locking it down to the rail while plowing. When the weight of the snow is gone, the truck springs come back up to normal height and the plow rides in it's normal position again. Our plows were old, but rebuilt by mounting them on cast underframe flatcars, that were made up in the Topeka Shops from retired wheel cars. They had big turn buckles so they could crank the plow back up to a horizontal position, and couple another flatcar to it for movement in a train. Then the whole thing was ballasted with scrap iron for added weight.

Amazing shots!!!

Why does everyone seem to get rid of their plows? Doesn't it snow anymore? Global warming?

The CN still has there mostly . Its a hard life for a plow scraped two that I know of a Rusell and a wedge .
we had 13 to 14 on the ground now its all but gone.

filmteknik Wrote:
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> Why does everyone seem to get rid of their plows?
> Doesn't it snow anymore? Global warming?

Sure seems like it...I've yet to see a plow run and I've lived in Wisconsin, upstate New York, and Colorado....sigh....

Great pictures Richard. Your accurate description of where to be safe from the plow debris made me laugh!

For the railroads that could afford them Jordan Ditcher's are used in snow fighting service. Today if a line need's plowed it's usualy a branch line that doest not see much traffic where as on a busy mainline enough trains keep rolling to keep the tracks clear.
JC

QU25C Wrote:
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> Back in 1985 the ICG sent a plow exta out to bust
> the line open. running at 40 MPH shot at mayce
> Iowa Richard
> ps the film was Agfa pan 400 iso

I suppose for an engine crew this as close as it gets to flying blind! You just hope that no one left a hunk of iron laying around and it is covered by the snow. Oops what was that? :>)


Butch,,,,,,here we go

truxtrax Wrote:
>
> I suppose for an engine crew this as close as it
> gets to flying blind! You just hope that no one
> left a hunk of iron laying around and it is
> covered by the snow. Oops what was that? :>)
>
>
> Butch,,,,,,here we go
>
Yep blind and blowing the horn the hole way, unless you want them full of snow.
My spot was well planed out you have to know where its going to land . The chunks dont move far forword mostly to the side. And staying to the side that the wind is comeing from keeps most of the powder off of you . Shooting the dark side helps to as it gives you some dark in a sea of white . thanks for the good coments Richard