Nostalgia & History > What is this?

I found this photo on the Northern Arizona University Cline Library website,

http://www.nau.edu/library/speccoll

Caption to the photo, D&RGW Alamosa yard. Nov. '60.

---

Jordan spreader.

KG

I did a Google search for Jordan Spreader and found a Wikipedia webpage for Spreader (railroad).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spreader_(railroad)

The following excerpts are from the above website.

“A spreader is a type of maintenance equipment designed to spread or shape ballast profiles. The spreader spreads gravel along the railroad ties. The various ploughs, wings and blades of specific spreaders allows them to remove snow, build banks, clean and dig ditches, as well as trim embankments of brush along the side of the track. The operation of the wings was once performed by compressed air, and later hydraulics.”

“Oswald F. Jordan was a Canadian road master who worked in the Niagara, Ontario area on the Canada Southern Railway, a branch of the New York Central Railway. Jordan designed the Jordan spreader and supervised a crew at the St. Thomas Canada Southern shop as early as 1900. He formed his own company, O.F. Jordan Company, and continued construction of Jordan Spreaders.”

To be precise, it is Jordan Spreader OU, now on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. It has seen use in recent years, but is now undergoing a multi-year rebuild by the Friends of the C&TS.

Mike Wissler

Can someone explain what prompted the D&RGW to letter (vs. number) their narrow gauge maintenance equipment like the OU spreader in this photo and the OY rotary? That seems such an odd departure from all other railroads. Thanks.

Milwaukee Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Can someone explain what prompted the D&RGW to
> letter (vs. number) their narrow gauge maintenance
> equipment like the OU spreader in this photo and
> the OY rotary? That seems such an odd departure
> from all other railroads. Thanks.

Because when you see a spreader in action clearing snow, you go "ooh!" or "ooh - aah!", but when you see a rotary, you really get excited and go "oy!" (meaning "wow")?

Ray

More here:

http://trainweb.org/JordanSpreader/

Alamosa, Jan 7 2010.

---