Snow fighting in Nebraska

[Marty Cozad]

Thats right, the RRs have to deal with it and so do we. After seeing a video that a friend sent to me on fighting snow on Donner Pass, I realized that our dealing with snow on our GRRs is ,,shall we say,,,,childs play.[:I]


rotary is just heading in to clear a siding.


I took lots of photos and some video but I don't know how to post the videos.


I saved many of the good shots to share at the ECLSTS clinic this April.

I'm not totally nuts but I did have to let the crew warm up alittle.
This is made to work and clear the snow and not to be a model of any protoype.
The ice is still a problem . But with a stiff broom and ive pick in hand we managed to clear the line. Tomorrows warmer weather should melt and clear the rail heads so running trains in the snow will be fun.[^]

[Anonymous]

Great shots Marty! sorry I don't know how to add a video clip either.

What sort of fan is it? Is that cone in the middle part of the fan, or is that something you added?

Glen.

[Anonymous]

Well its 38 degrees here and a place near here about 200 km away call Goondiwindi had 48 degrees the other dat so any talk of snao is superfalous. I'll go surfing instead.


Rgds ian

[Rastun]

That's just wonderful Marty [:)] I definately need one of those. You could just provide a link to the videoclip in the url brackets. Hmm the Rotary looks like a remmnant from GN [;)]

Take Care,

Jack

[Marty Cozad]

Jack
My ol buddy Rocky from FL sold it to me. Hes a GN fan. I run GN with my BN after the mirger.
I call it the "Rock rotary"

I will be sharing at the ECLSTS about building one and the cost involved.

[TurboOne]

That looks cool Marty. No snow here in San Diego, but we have cooled down to 54 here at midnight. Brrrrrrrrrrrrr.[8D][8D][8D][8D]

Take care and have a great time training.

Tim

[Anonymous]

Morning Marty, see your viewing post as I type. I think this will be a huge hit atr the ECLSTS! I need to nail down the day or days I will attend and book a room.

[bman36]

Hey Marty,
Thanks for the clips... er... shots! Always a treat to see. Sure hope next winter does not start out with ice so I can play too! Later eh...Brian.

[Anonymous]

Hey Marty great photos as usual . Always look forward to seeing your stuff . Got a video that you would like . Its by Charles Smiley Productions at 18351 Blackhawk st. Northridge Ca 91326. Its called "Empire of the North" and its all about the forming of the Burlington Northern .

[Marty Cozad]

Mike
I'll have to get that tape some day.
Meanwhile I'm wet and cold.

Had to clear the line at Minersville. the wedgy plow was pulled into the siding to clear it as the rotary has about to head back to the shop.



Wedgy is done and head home also. I hear the dinner bell call me after a great day of work,, after work.

[Anonymous]

I tried plowing a few weeks back but all of my motive power it track power. The rails didn't se a train for weeks and the track was real dirty. Ended up pushing the plow around by hand . Told my wife Connie we have to battery power at least 1 of our engines for next year . Have fun !

[Marty Cozad]

Mike. COOL
hey if you use a track side RC unit and if you have a honey-do 14 or 18 volt DC battery drill, then you have the makings for a battery unit. You then just need the loco wired and a gondola to carry it.
Believe me, I had to help push alittle also. Rerailing a wedgy plow with cold fingers in the snow is a ,,challenge.

[Anonymous]

I had to laugh , I know how it is to get that front truck on when you can't feel your fingers too good .

[Rastun]

Ok,
We need someone to video tape all of Marty's presentations at the train show. Especially the one about the rotary plow. Then after the show mail them to me since there isn't any way I can go.

Later,

Jack

[Anonymous]

Marty, I'm surprised you haven't made a ballasting car you could use to spread salt over the rails to keep the ice off. Use Calcium Chloride though, works like salt but doesn't eat concrete brass etc.

See another Idea for a clinic[:p]

[bman36]

QUOTE: Originally posted by carpenter matt

Marty, I'm surprised you haven't made a ballasting car you could use to spread salt over the rails to keep the ice off. Use Calcium Chloride though, works like salt but doesn't eat concrete brass etc.

See another Idea for a clinic[:p]

Matt,
Calcium Chloride is five times more corrosive than road salt. [V] VERY nasty stuff. The Ontario Highways Dept. uses it with great success. It melts ice RIGHT NOW. The down side as I said is that it is very corrosive. At work we have dedicated tractors to run Winnipeg to Thunder Bay in the winter. They are "sacrificial" if you will. Cars in Ontario last maybe four years and then you throw them out...what's left anyways. Our equipment takes a huge beating from that stuff. I think for Marty working sand pipes would be cool! Later eh...Brian.

[Anonymous]

Bman, i used to sell something that was non corrosive to metal and concrete at a hardware store i worked at 15 + years ago, guess it wasn't Calcium Chloride... what the heck was it[banghead][%-)] I'm not going to sleep tonight until i remember!

[aljay]

Marty,

Those are great shots, I am very impressed with your rotary......Great machine..

[Anonymous]

Got a question about snow. In the UK Brit Rail always blamed the late/cancelled trains on the 'wrong snow'. We don't get a lot here on the west coast these days but when we did it was wet freezing stuff. When I worked in the Falklands the snow was wonderful dry stuff that you could snow ball for hours without getting cold hands. So, what type of snow do you get? Marty looks like he gets wonderful dry powdery snow for the rotary to work on. Any other plow stories out there? Success/failures?
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[Marty Cozad]

Kim
Your right on the dry fluffy snow. Around here we always hope that the tempt drops before the rain/sleet/slush gets here. snow alone is fine. ice before hand is bad. The rotary does heavy wet just fine if I get traction to push into it. It has the torqh to move it. I have also had where the track was cleared just fine but the rail head ices up when the cold air hits it.
thus is life.