http://www.ebay.com/itm/291538548749
Has anyone ever purchased this item? Own it? Does it run by itself? Does the snowplough actually spin? Thanks!
The one in the photo has a motor that spins the blade.
Older ones had rubber bands connected to the wheels that would spin the blade when the plow moved.
Ed
It is not self-propelled. Like the real ones, you need a loco or 3 to push it. The motor spins the blades only.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Hello all,
Prototypical rotary snow plows are not self-propelled. They do have power sources; steam or diesel, that drive the fan blades and power a steam generator that is used to provide hot water to clear the blades.
The tender, on the model you linked, provides fuel to the power source that moves the fan blades and water for the steam generator in the prototypical unit.
These models are DC which drives a motor that spins the plow blades. There is a Printed Circuit Board, in the plow unit, that keeps the plow blades spinning in the same direction despite the polarity of the track power (whether it is moving "forward" or "backwards").
I purchased this rotary plow. This set comes with a dummy "B" unit that is also unpowered. Again, this is a DC only unit that powers the plow blades.
With this set I was able to power the "B" unit and convert both to DCC.
I also added LED lights to the plow unit including forward and reverse head lights along with front and rear strobes.
The DCC decoder in the plow unit can now spin the blades in either direction; clockwise and counter clockwise, depending on which way the throw chute is directed.
With the now powered "B" unit I added interior lighting which is not direction dependent.
For this train I also added several MOW cars along with a mid-train RS11 helper, a dedicated water tanker, and an other similarly powered rear facing, smaller, rotary plow and tender; as per prototypical operations.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
Interesting that the blade on the Athearn has electronics so that the blade always spins in the same direction. Real ones can spin in either direction, depending on which side they want the snow tossed.
On that Santa Fe rotary with the B unit trailing. I suspect that the B unit (the real one) is not there to propel the plow. I believe it is there to power electric motors to spin the blade. Only. Thus one would need additional locomotives to push the plow.
7j43k On that Santa Fe rotary with the B unit trailing. I suspect that the B unit (the real one) is not there to propel the plow. I believe it is there to power electric motors to spin the blade. Only. Thus one would need additional locomotives to push the plow. Ed
Closer look at the rotary plow shows an exhaust stack on the opposite end of the blades and what looks like 3 pop off valves in the walkway. That says steam powered to me. Perhaps the B unit carried fuel and water?
Bernd
New York, Vermont & Northern Rwy. - Route of the Black Diamonds
protolancer(at)kingstonemodelworks(dot)com
Bernd 7j43k On that Santa Fe rotary with the B unit trailing. I suspect that the B unit (the real one) is not there to propel the plow. I believe it is there to power electric motors to spin the blade. Only. Thus one would need additional locomotives to push the plow. Ed Closer look at the rotary plow shows an exhaust stack on the opposite end of the blades and what looks like 3 pop off valves in the walkway. That says steam powered to me. Perhaps the B unit carried fuel and water? Bernd
Certainly possible, I suppose. But why would Santa Fe get rid of the tender that it originally had. Do remember that these plows were delivered before Santa Fe retired any B units.
When I purchased this unit I knew it was DC only. I planned on converting the rotary plow to DCC along with powering the "B" unit and building an entire MOW Rotary Snow Plow train.
This was a great project!
7j43kInteresting that the blade on the Athearn has electronics so that the blade always spins in the same direction. Real ones can spin in either direction, depending on which side they want the snow tossed.
When I contacted the great guys at Athearn, at first, they didn't know what the PCB driving the fan blade motor was for. After some investigation they told me that it was for the purpose I listed in my previous post.
When I converted the plow unit to DCC I removed the PCB and directly wired the motor output of the decoder to the fan blade motor. This allowed me to control the direction of the fan blade with the individual four digit DCC address separate from the consist address.
The throw chute is still "activated" by fiddling.
7j43kI suspect that the B unit (the real one) is not there to propel the plow. I believe it is there to power electric motors to spin the blade.
That's a lot of motive power to basically provide the functions of a steam generator car.
Correctly or incorrectly, I chose to power the "B" unit to propel the rotary plow.
I also added a steam generator car, between the the "B" unit and the rotary plow, and then added a MOW water tanker to provide the necessary water for the steam generator car after the "B" unit.
Stand pipes running the length of the underside of the "B" unit connect the water tanker to the steam generator car.
Next is the RS11 mid-train helper. Following that is a MOW crew train car that was converted from a bay window caboose.
Following that is a flatcar hauling a tracked backhoe and a wheeled bucket loader for auxiliary snow removal.
This is followed by another tender that provides power to the rear-facing rotary plow, also converted to DCC.
7j43kThus one would need additional locomotives to push the plow.
Absolutely!
I just added a BL2 to the rear end of this train, to aid in motive power. That makes three engines assigned to this Rotary Snow Plow MOW train.
7j43k Bernd 7j43k On that Santa Fe rotary with the B unit trailing. I suspect that the B unit (the real one) is not there to propel the plow. I believe it is there to power electric motors to spin the blade. Only. Thus one would need additional locomotives to push the plow. Ed Closer look at the rotary plow shows an exhaust stack on the opposite end of the blades and what looks like 3 pop off valves in the walkway. That says steam powered to me. Perhaps the B unit carried fuel and water? Bernd Certainly possible, I suppose. But why would Santa Fe get rid of the tender that it originally had. Do remember that these plows were delivered before Santa Fe retired any B units. Ed
Quite sure they were converted to electric power, with a bunch of traction motors in place of the old steam engine The B unit generated power to spin the plow blades and had its traction motors removed (perhaps those same traction motors were what went into the plow).
rrinker Quite sure they were converted to electric power, with a bunch of traction motors in place of the old steam engine The B unit generated power to spin the plow blades and had its traction motors removed (perhaps those same traction motors were what went into the plow). --Randy
I believe SP did the same thing. They had an old F7B unit which was used in conjunction with their rotary in the high Sierras (Donner Pass); traction motors powered by the B units generator.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Yep, those are pop off (safety) valves and a stack. I used to have this model (older version). If you were to look at the end of the unit, out of view in the photo, you would see the smoke box door.
I think it's neat to see Athearn offer this model in this configuration with the diesel B unit. But if a railroad were to convert an older steam powered plow to electric or diesel/electric, wouldn't they remove the boiler? Of course Athearn would have to retool and produce an entirely new shell. Or perhaps, the boiler was left inside for additional weight? Also, I would like to think that the operator in the plow's cab would be able to control the movement of a powered B unit (or units) at his discretion.
jj, I love your description of your MOW Rotary Snow Plow train. It would be great if you could post some photos of lt.
The electric plow's boiler provides steam to de-ice the blade and wing hinges as necessary. The original boiler was larger.
As noted, the permanently-coupled B unit has a prime mover, but the traction motors are now geared to the fan shaft in the rotary's front end, replacing the original two cylinder steam engine once installed there. Therefore, the B unit is nothing but a portable genset, and the plow is not self-propelled.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with a 4-wheeled rotary plow on the 'to be built' list)
Alco had been the principal manufacturer of Rotaries, but they built their last one in 1937.
The Athearn Rotary was based on the Lima Rotary, introduced in 1949 to fill the gap left when Alco exited the market. The Lima design carried a steam boiler that operated at 200# boiler pressure, and could be fueled with oil or coal, although the coal fired version was never built. The rotary blade was driven by two Pacific Coast Shay engines with three 13'x15' cylinders. Tenders were supplied by the purchaser.
A total of four units were built during late 1949 and early 1950, with two being sold to Union Pacific and one each to Rock Island and Soo Line. Lima expected a fifth order from the Alaska Railroad and actually began work on that unit, but the order never materialized and the parts were put in the Lima spare parts inventory.
The foregoing is from Eric Hirsimaki's book LIMA, THE HISTORY, Hundman Publishing, 1986.
I don't know about later conversions to diesel or electric operation.
I understand one of the Union Pacific units was preserved by a museum, but I have heard some rumors that it may have been scrapped.
Tom
A bit more on this particular model (the Lima rotary):
Most/all rotaries used a standard steam cylinder layout (think Climax locomotive) that drove a bevel gear on a shaft for the blade. Lima used two Shay engines, thus avoiding the need for bevel gears. And also using equipment they were VERY familiar with.
Lima turned the boiler around from normal practice. Normally, the firebox was at the rear of the plow, which made it very convenient to transfer coal from a tender to the firebox.
Lima's version made the boiler easier to maintain (it is said) because you could swing the smokebox open and conveniently work on the front end.
I hadn't heard about a possible coal version. I guess by 1949, hand firing would be passe, and a stoker would run underneath the boiler to the firebox. Or there was a human chain of guys with buckets.
I do love that Lima rotary!
There was also the coal miner's stikes in 1946 (which hastened dieselization).
The prototype of this model has an old fashion rotary plow and an old fashion tender from a steam engine. The plow is nothing more than the blade and the steam engine which turned the blade. The tender supplies the coal or oil to burn in the steam engine. The other modern option has a F7 B unit instead of the tender because the steam engine which turns the plow blade was removed and replaced with the traction motors from the B unit. The prime mover in the B unit supplies the power to turn the traction motors. Neither arrangement can move on it’s own. All of the power goes to turning the blade. Southern Pacific usually runs two rotary plows back to back with three or four locomotives sandwiched in between so they can travel either direction without having to be turned on a balloon track. This model uses DC track power to spin the blade. The older kit used a rubber band which sucked. I have the kit which I plan to use as the trailing plow. I plan on buying a powered RTR model for the front plow.
P.S. The Pentrex DVD, Battle for Donner Pass, has some really good footage and information about rotary plows as well as other snow fighting equipment.
Lone Wolf and Santa Fe P.S. The Pentrex DVD, Battle for Donner Pass, has some really good footage and information about rotary plows as well as other snow fighting equipment.
This is worth a look, too... Recorded in Feb. 2017
I suggest clicking the link and watching in full-screen at YouTube
I purchased that UP unit with tender and am happy with it. I removed any boards and wired a LokSound Select plus LEDs with a Shay sound file. Also added a current keeper or equivalent. I push it with F unit(s). It does a great jib of cleaning snow from my layout...nary a spec.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
peahrens I removed any boards and wired a LokSound Select plus LEDs with a Shay sound file.
I removed any boards and wired a LokSound Select plus LEDs with a Shay sound file.
Oh my. What a great idea. You are so tempting me to start another project.
I used track pick-up via semi insulated Intermountain wheels and brass strip to power a small motor inside the Athearn plow. I used flexible clear model airplane fuel tubing to help transmit the engine shafts rotation to the metal rod that rotated the plastic plow disk. I have an Athearn B unit as the prime mover followed by a GP diesel. The ideas for this Athearn plow power project came from another modeler who posted on this forum several years ago. I also wired in 3mm LED lights in front and rear, connected to the track pickup circuit. I did this as a DC project, but it works quite well. I believe I used 36 inch Intermountain wheels with the original Athearn trucks. I recall posting this project myself here at MR general forum and I believe on the Tyco forum as well-about 3 years ago or so.
Cedarwoodron