Reports by telegraph coming in

[Curmudgeon]

Several parts of the Colorado Consolidated Railways are reporting by telegraph snow is now to the top of the railheads.

Plows are not yet requested, but the plow is on the ready track, coupled to Shay #5.



TOC

[vsmith]

Thats a nasty looking peice of metal their Dave!

Bet the snow jumps out of the way rather than mess with that Bad Boy!

[Curmudgeon]

Still coming down.
Plow crews have been officially called out

[Anonymous]

Bloody hell.
Is there an elephant sitting on the other end to counter balance this monster!!

[vsmith]

Troy I was kinda wondering the same thing there....

[Curmudgeon]

You mean the plow?

Lead ingots both ends, filled to just where you can't see with rock.
Truck sideframes tied together (old trick we used to do with heavy loads), plastic wheels so they don't freexe to the rail, body-mount Bachmann coupler on the "push" end, spring-loaded adjustable rod for height and to allow clearing under plow when you back up.....

TOC

[Anonymous]

He he he.
I want to see this work.
Snow,baby,snow!
Mind you.If you leave it too low and hit a bad joint (ouch)
Very effective brake!

[tangerine-jack]

Is somebody mowing the cotton field? What's all that white stuff?

TOC, you're too late for the whimsy build off! Sorry pal, that entry is disqualified for not having a flame [}:)]producing device [X-)]

OH, what? You're serious about that "snow plow" thingy????? What would one do with such a thing? Oh, I see! The Christmas shopping season is here so you need a way to clear out a parking spot at the mall. Nice chunk of blade there buddy, you got a permit for that!

[Curmudgeon]

Don't need a permit.
Anybody questions me, I just let the jacket fall open a bit and the .45ACP is all I need.....

Did an initial plow, got pix, gotta go downlaod them and post.
Later, dudes and dudettes....

TOC

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Curmudgeon

You mean the plow?

Lead ingots both ends, filled to just where you can't see with rock.
Truck sideframes tied together (old trick we used to do with heavy loads), plastic wheels so they don't freexe to the rail, body-mount Bachmann coupler on the "push" end, spring-loaded adjustable rod for height and to allow clearing under plow when you back up.....

TOC

Jeez Louiez

That things gotta weight around what? 30lbs?

I sure hope that trestle reinforced![:D]

[Tom The Brat]

Bring it over!

[Curmudgeon]

It's heavy. NO derailments, plowed the entire line.
Finally stopped snowing, 5+ hours, getting colder, now they're talking more tonight and tomorrow.

Here is Plow Extra 1 climbing to the top of the Gorge Grade, crossing Table Rock bridge, approaching Whiterock. Rough going in the gorge, as the stuff REALLY piles up there.



Here we are approaching Malfunction Junction, coming out of the shadow at Laurel Yard. From here we plow the "wye", and down Lilac Branch towards Glory until we get to the snow line.



Back to Laurel Yard after plowing the Lilac Branch, now we get to start on the Bald Mountain Branch to Pete's Pit Mine.
This is steep, so the Shay is well suited to the task.
Crossing Morris Johnson Viaduct.



TOC

[Anonymous]

Toc, Is that black PVC pipe split in half and mitered together? Cool plow! Glad to see pics of your layout, Always try to get a mental picture when you talk about the big operating sessions.

[Curmudgeon]

Yes, cut and mitered together.
I think we used the PVC glue on it.
I really should do a photo series.
The gon can be converted back to a gon in a couple of minutes, three holes visible is all.
I used to do it every spring, but now I have a plethora of gondolas, so I don't.

TOC

[Anonymous]

Gee, TOC, you're expecting a lot from us, using words like plethora!
Remember the axiom: Eschew obfuscation.

Good looking plow and a little simpler than what that Nebraska guy uses.

Art

[Anonymous]

Dave,
You really got me thinking with this one.We are supposed to have a very cold winter here in England this year and as I live in an exposed area when snow arrives,everything stops.I looked at your design and the working capabilities.
However,running and building the trams got me wondering about snowploughs.I telephoned my Dad to ask and he said that they usually couple a few trams together and ram it !.
I thought he was joking.


Since it will take about a year to build 3 trams to push my snowplough,I'll stick with your idea.It looks likes it works[:D]

[Curmudgeon]

"Bucking Drifts" is the term I've heard for half a century or more.....
We do that when it gets thick.
I have a couple of LGB first gen Moguls I double-head, now I have 2 Shays and 2 Bachmann 2-8-0's I can do it with.

We really send it flying.
This wet stuff we get is not conducive to rotaries, so we bnack up, get a flying run at it, and generally buck 2 feet to 8 feet at a hit.

We spell out plow crews from time to time so everyone gets a shot at it.
I then assign a crew with single engine to just patrol the line if snow is continuing to fall during an ops session.

I have been out at 0300 keeping the line open by myself.

One year we lost the battle on the Goge Line Grade, it ended up inpacted with 30" of snow, we revereted to the old River Rock Grade to get up and down.
Had to dig the Gorge out with a shovel.


All thought of abandoning the old River Rock line and just using the new Gorge Grade dissappeared.

TOC

[Anonymous]

Don't forget.When all is lost,you can call on that great big 'Hand From The Sky'
This is the Superhero that takes the big bits of wood away from my track and puts my trains back on the track.
He comes in many forms,
and speaks many dialects.
But he is always there!
([:)] Just for fun,remember! )

[vsmith]

When it gets real bad, might be time to call in Marty's Mean Machine.

Anyone ever ask if he's got plans available?

[ttrigg]

Haven't heard of him offering plans, but I bet he would be willing to produce one for the correct amount of profit.

[bman36]

Dave,
See what you get for answering an email from a Canadian. There was more in the attachment then just photos of my Shay. That's how we sneak the white stuff past customs. Everytime a Colorado Low is on it's way up here I pray it won't clear customs. Always manages to though. Those things usually bring at least 8" of new white with them. [:0] The last one we had iced over my line completely. Frozen 'till Spring now. Oh well...just means I play indoors now. Have fun pounding the drifts. Later eh...Brian.

[Anonymous]

Marty form my understanding did a tutorial on his rotary at the ECLSTS last year, however has never posted his TOP SECRET formula for his plow on the web as far as I know.

He did divulge at one time it was powered by a cordless drill motor and a vacum cleaner fan. If I turn up missing the North table creek yard/shop cops have me locked up for leaking secrets.[:0]

[Capt Bob Johnson]

That impeller was an aluminum one fron a Kirby vac if I recall correctly!

[Puckdropper]

That plow is awesome! I made a plow for my HO layout last winter (and haven't quite finished it yet--need to install the roof and cab) the hard way: Bending sheet styrene. There's a very fine difference between too little and too much heat when doing that!

[Tom The Brat]

I tried that a couple years ago. All I got was burnt fingers and mangled parts[banghead], so I did something different.

Got some fresh snow this morning, but only outside the asylum[;)]

Eek! I need to get a move on! Sunday Shool is in 1/2 hour[:0]

[Puckdropper]

I got a 3" PVC coupling from Menards last night. 99 cents. Once I figure out how to cut the miters without (a) endangering the parts (b) making a huge mess in the garage/family room and (c) killing myself. I'll be trying my hand at making one. I may just have to wait for snow melt and pull the table saw out.

I've got the parts for the plow, but two questions come to mind: Can my porter push it? Just what am I going to attach it to? (The hook on the hook and loop couplers looks like a good place to start.

"Curmudgeon" looks like a good name for a plow, since he had the original idea/post.

[jasher817]

It looks like it just me but I don't see this wondrous contraption[:(]. The pics just have big red X[xx(] . The other pics come in just not the ones form Curmudgeon[?]

[jasher817]

Its working now. Cool pics

[Tom The Brat]

A winter landmark in Macomb this morning. The first the thermometer has gone below zero. It's -4 (-20C). Such a wacky temperature scale we use!

It's shoes from here on out[:(]

[Puckdropper]

Thanks for the heads up on the temperature. Whatever you guys get we get about a day later. (Although it may be more like 28 hours from Macomb.)