Nostalgia & History > Odd equipment to service overhead wires when it snows too ; ^ )

Here's a shot by Al Burns (finding electrics away from his home territory in Montana) taken @ Iowa City IA on 9/28/81.

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Nice. But it could take out a lot of switch stands, and mile posts.

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Clearly a home-built special car.  Why have 2 cars, one for plowing and the other for overhead maintenance when one will do both?  They obviously started with an old flat car, and made their own custom plow as well as all wooden platform.  So even if the plow somehow touched the rails, (and probably did), it's completely insulated by 6 feet or more of air between the top of the plow and the overhead wire.  Also, no need for special boots, etc when working on the wire.  7-8 feet of all wood construction is a great insulator!

I do not believe this is in Iowa City.  Rather, I believe this is the Iowa Terminal/Traction in Emery, near Mason City.  I have shots of this car at work in 1979 but it wassn't used often as a snowplow.  Thanks for posting.  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/22 07:54 by ntharalson.