Canadian Railroads > MoW Monday - Three CN Jordan Spreaders, in Number Order

Several weeks ago I posted a scan of a CN flanger. Member poshell noticed the leading edge of Jordan spreader 50972 on the side of the shot, and asked if I'd shot it. Instead of just posting 50972 like he asked, I have gone on a ramble through plows and flangers, and finally we get to the subject spreader, plus two sisters in number order. All are air-operated, and are Model A according to various editions of the TSG. They are also indicated as maximum speed 25 mph. You'll note this is still the case with 50972, even though it is equipped with roller-bearing trucks. Does anyone know what controls the maximum in-train speed?
The modellers among you will appreciate the variations in lettering, with regard to font, placement of road number, and warnings such as being too high to pass through Winnipeg train shed. The headlight treatment differs on all three, as do the cabin windows, which could bedevil you. Highlighting of certain features varies, then you'll also see different weathering patterns on the blades, perhaps indicative of how snow/ballast has ridden them.
1. CN 50970, Model A, s/n 891, blt 7/57, photographed in Edmonton, at the south end of Dunvegan Yards on April 15, 1999. It was listed through the 1999 TSG, gone in the 2000 Edition.
2. CN 50971, Model A, s/n unknown to me (I have no TSG between 1991 - no s/n listed - and 1998, when it was no longer in the Guide), blt 8/56 [the '8' is speculative, based on what remains of that stenciling], photographed at Walker Yard, Edmonton, on August 9, 1991.  A very elegant wave pattern to the weathering.
3. CN 50972, Model A, s/n 876, blt. 1956, last appearance in 2000 TSG, gone the following year. Also shot at Dunvegan Yards, April 15, 1999.
Next week - a high-speed Jordan spreader. Thanks for working through this.
Fred

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Great shots as usual Fred!  CN 50971 is serial # 875, built 1956.

Dave

Great shots! Thanks for putting them up Fred.
All three units were built identical with medium front blade (plow), broken (articulated) side wings, front cab, raised rear platform, and air operated control cylinders.
Thanks for that missing serial number Dave. :-)

dstremes Wrote:
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> Great shots as usual Fred!  CN 50971 is serial #
> 875, built 1956.
>
> Dave

Thanks for the info, and thanks.
Fred

poshell Wrote:
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> Great shots! Thanks for putting them up Fred.
> All three units were built identical with medium
> front blade (plow), broken (articulated) side
> wings, front cab, raised rear platform, and air
> operated control cylinders.
> Thanks for that missing serial number Dave. :-)

50970 has extensions to the side wings, I imagine controlled by interlocking with the appropriate notch on the dial. What would these be used for in particular, and where are they stored when not attached? I'd hate to see them go wandering.
Fred

The little extensions are sometimes called broken wings and are usually stowed vertical. A main feature of the Jordan spreader design is the locking devices for each of the main side wings so that they can handle large loads,  the lock transfers the stress to the tubes behind the wings. The tube being hinged and pretty much perpindicular to the plow, transferring the load to the Spreader frame.

Back in the day Jordan Spreaders were used for spreading ballast and creating a drainage ditch profile to the ballast slope. Many or most spreaders had ditch profiles to the main wings that often included a drainage ditch, the broken wing would add a slope to the profile way out at the end. The little extension probably didn't handle large loads but there are stories about the extension being in the wrong place and causing the spreader to derail or sometimes overturn. Eventually the Jordan spreader became the go to machine for moving snow usually with a straight wng plow but just as often with the original plow.

The photo shows a similar air powered console from an ex- Southern Pacific medium sized spreader. I have photos of it in operation but at the time it was abandoned at a short line terminal. I simply copied and pasted the photo from the earlier post.

Here's a link to a comprehensive website with lots of Jordan Spreader info:

http://www.trainweb.org/JordanSpreader/sectionlist.htm



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/25 21:18 by TCnR.

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TCnR Wrote:
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> The little extensions are sometimes called broken
> wings and are usually stowed vertical. A main
> feature of the Jordan spreader design is the
> locking devices for each of the main side wings so
> that they can handle large loads,  the lock
> transfers the stress to the tubes behind the
> wings. The tube being hinged and pretty much
> perpindicular to the plow, transferring the load
> to the Spreader frame.
>
> Back in the day Jordan Spreaders were used for
> spreading ballast and creating a drainage ditch
> profile to the ballast slope. Many or most
> spreaders had ditch profiles to the main wings
> that often included a drainage ditch, the broken
> wing would add a slope to the profile way out at
> the end. The little extension probably didn't
> handle large loads but there are stories about the
> extension being in the wrong place and causing the
> spreader to derail or sometimes overturn.
> Eventually the Jordan spreader became the go to
> machine for moving snow usually with a straight
> wng plow but just as often with the original
> plow.
>
> The photo shows a similar air powered console from
> an ex- Southern Pacific medium sized spreader. I
> have photos of it in operation but at the time it
> was abandoned at a short line terminal. I simply
> copied and pasted the photo from the earlier
> post.
>
> Here's a link to a comprehensive website with lots
> of Jordan Spreader info:
>
> http://www.trainweb.org/JordanSpreader/sectionlist
> .htm

Thanks, Clive. Now that's a link.
Fred

The correct stenciling on spreaders should be in 6 inch letters, and read;

SLOW  SPEED  MAX.  25  M.P.H.
Unless otherwise restricted by special instructions or train order, Slow Speed Spreaders with the wings secured and the nose headed in the direction of train movement may be handled at 25 miles per hour.

HIGH  SPEED  MAX.  60  M.P.H.
Unless otherwise restricted by special instructions or train order, High Speed Spreaders with the wings secured and the nose headed in the direction of train movement may be handled at 60 miles per hour.

There are other rules pertaining to spreader movement speeds when the nose is trailing, when in a work train, and when in operation.

The same stencil is to be applied to Slow & High Speed Cranes respectively.