rotary snowplow

[Anonymous]

Just rencly I bought a undecortate rotary snowplow at a train show, I was wondering if anyone had any pictures of rotary snowplows I could use a examples to paint/detail my undecortate rotary snowplow.

[Anonymous]

Which railroad? Do a Google search for "rotary snow plows" for your undecorated model.

Bob Boudreau

[Anonymous]

The Walthers rotary snowplow is patterned after the plow at the Mid-Continent Railway Museum: Oregon Short Line (Union Pacific) #762. For several photos of the plow on display and in operation (as well as a history and descriptive info) visit the Mid-Continent website http://www.midcontinent.org

Click on "equipment roster", scroll down to "service equipment" and click on "OSL 762."

If the plow you purchased is an Athearn product, it is a model of a newer and larger Lima steam-powered plow. The prototypes were used by Rock Island and Soo Line, and either their historical societies' websites or the Fallen Flags website may have photos. Note that the Athearn plow did not come with a tender, which was essential for a steam-driven plow.

Also note that steam-powered rotaries were not self-propelled units--the boiler furnished steam to turn the blades, etc., but not to provide propulsion.

[egmurphy]

Here are shots of two rotary snowplows that have been restored and are sitting in the yard at Chama, New Mexico on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. They are originally DRGW, as you can see from the lettering. I took the photos this summer. Those are separate tenders behind the plows. You can click on the photos to enlarge them.






Regards

Ed

[Anonymous]

The walthers model can also be used as a number of different roads. SP had that body style, Up and a few others. check out my site, i have some info on them.

www.trainweb.org/rrsnowfighting

[randybc2003]

If your snowplow is an assembled MDC "kitbashed" kit, I would paint it for whatever you wish.
Most of the plows were painted stock RR colors - such as MoW gray, Black, Boxcar Red, or whatever.
For pictures and stories of rotaries in action see:

http://www.alaskarails.org
(the general website - then go to SNOWFIGHTING and then ROTARY or
http://www.alaskarails.org/ARR-snow-fighting.html#Rotary%20Plow

Look at the wallpaper of this site. The rotary has a dramatic paint scheme.

I would also check historical soc. websites for such RRs as UP (prarie country), SP (Donner Pass), and D&RG, etc. Also, check the White Pass & Yukon and Cumbers & Toltec websites. Both still use steam rotaries to clear their lines in the spring.

You might also consider applying "snow" to the plow and an attendant loco - to indicate it had "been to the wars" per Randy Hood's articles in MR. In some photos of rotaries you almost can't see the machine for the snow & ice on it.

Myself - I have a Walthers rotary - I gutted the electronics and replaced them with a DIGITRAX decoder chip, w/ paramaters to control and limit voltage to the motor, and spin the roter in either direction. Also, I installed a WORKING light on the top of the cab. (Check "Rails Across the Tundra" and "Yukon and Alaska Railroads". - many of them had lights on top of the cab) I replaced the plastic turret valves w/ brass from CalScale. I got an Bachman Consolidation, fitted a decoder into it, and painted and lettered it for Alaska RR. W/ Digitrax 2 throttle controler - I run both my loco and plow!

Have fun with it!!!

[:D][8D]

[mcouvillion]

nedarb,

I've got one of the Athearn rotary snow plows. It originally came with a rubber band drive for the rotary plow. I found a small 1.5 volt motor and installed it inside with a AA battery holder and a small DPDT slide switch. The motor runs at a prototypical speed from the battery, whether the plow is moving or not. Looks awesome! You can change the direction of rotation by changing the position of the switch. By the way, even though the DPDT switch is not a center off, if I carefully position the slider, it will turn the motor off in the center position. Just another thought for you while you figure out what you want to do with your rotary. Good Luck.

Mark C.

[Anonymous]

hi everybody
i recently bought from a friend a model die cast rotary plow i 'm making the sp 208
and i've about 75% of it done i really need some good roof shots of sp208 if any one nows of any great roof shots of this unit let me know, since i want to make the bldes move i'm going to take a remote control from a toy boat or race car buy using the i have to use control chip from the boat or car along with the remote to make it really work ,i 'm ho scale so if any body has an extra front truck from the rotarty kit that is metal please e-mail me a that they dont want
matt fisher
[e-mail]
turlock ,ca