Snow blowers?

[Boyd]

Are there any other designs of RR snowblowers than rotaries? Are there any that use augers like a 3 or 4 or 5 stage like attached to farm tractors?

[samfp1943]

You might enjoy this link to some of Alaska RR snowfighting equipment:

http://www.alaskarails.org/ARR-snow-fighting.html

If you scrowl down towards the bottom there is a link to ARR's BR Snow blower with a J-57 Jet Engine and also some of their 4x4 Truck mounted snow throwers (augur style) .

[trainboyH16-44]

If you go back a couple months to the Trains mag with the rotary edition, there is a short part of an article on a snowblower-type plow used recently.

[Dutchrailnut]

Conrail(CSX) uses Beilhack (now AEbi Smidt Germany snow blowers.

 the frame is a turntable so unit is bi-directional

 

http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/8/6/6/6866.1178456400.jpg

Manufacturers link:

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.aebi-schmidt.de/&ei=SwEzTa3ZOsHcgQebleivCw&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CB4Q7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3DBeilhack%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox%26prmd%3Divns

[bkpigs]

Dutchrailnut

Conrail(CSX) uses Beilhack (now AEbi Smidt Germany snow blowers.

 the frame is a turntable so unit is bi-directional

 

http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/8/6/6/6866.1178456400.jpg

Now that is neat!!!!

[carnej1]

There's the William Bros Co. Sno-Flyr Rotaries that BNSF and Red River & Western own:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=270811

Sort of like a driveway snow blower with the impeller blades mounted vertically....

There are also several companies that build highway and runway snowblowers that offer rail mounted units:

http://www.grouperpmtech.com/rpm_rail_metro_equipment.html

These of course, are smaller than the monster Leslie designed rotaries....

[Modelcar]

bkpigs

Dutchrailnut:

Conrail(CSX) uses Beilhack (now AEbi Smidt Germany snow blowers.

 the frame is a turntable so unit is bi-directional

 

http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/8/6/6/6866.1178456400.jpg

 

Now that is neat!!!!

Now that is a unit that really means business in a real world way.  Never have seen a blower, of any kind designed with the rotary "cutters" as this is.  Looks like that design would really be efficiient.  Cutters to cut in to the snow "wall".....horizonal rotating blades to further grind it up and get it towards the wheel that blows it up and out the stack which ever way it's pointed.

Am I understanding correctly that whole platform it's mounted on is rotatable to allow it to reverse directions in such a manner....if so, that's wild.

[Dutchrailnut]

Correct you see the turntable (like a crane under the crew ladder.

entire crew unit and engie swings around  only thing not turning is wheels and frame.

[carnej1]

Modelcar

bkpigs:

Dutchrailnut:

Conrail(CSX) uses Beilhack (now AEbi Smidt Germany snow blowers.

 the frame is a turntable so unit is bi-directional

 

http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/8/6/6/6866.1178456400.jpg

 

Now that is neat!!!!

 

Now that is a unit that really means business in a real world way.  Never have seen a blower, of any kind designed with the rotary "cutters" as this is.  Looks like that design would really be efficiient.  Cutters to cut in to the snow "wall".....horizonal rotating blades to further grind it up and get it towards the wheel that blows it up and out the stack which ever way it's pointed.

Am I understanding correctly that whole platform it's mounted on is rotatable to allow it to reverse directions in such a manner....if so, that's wild.

Here's their website:

http://www.aebi-schmidt.de/en/64/84/272

The biggest unit they make (specs on that page) can move up to 22,000 metric (bigger than a US ton) tons per hour..I wonder how that compares to a Leslie?

 

[DMUinCT]

Metro North (Commuter) Railroad,( NY, CT)

[switch7frg]

    Quentin; that is quite a neat piece of  equipment  for snow removing. I could see the original snow remover tucked smartly on the  crew ladder .  Interesting.

                                                                   Cannonball

[Modelcar]

switch7frg

    Quentin; that is quite a neat piece of  equipment  for snow removing. I could see the original snow remover tucked smartly on the  crew ladder .  Interesting.

                                                                   Cannonball

Cannonball..........You are so correct, that manual operated snow remover is there just in case the brand new {probably untried}, one, can't handle it and needs help.....

[Modelcar]

With so many comments relating to railroad snow rotaries that seems to be of their demise....I keep wondering why it seems they were an absolute necessity in the past, but not in current times.

Haven't heard of anything new being built to replace them in that work, yet, we all know it snows now just as much as it did 80 years ago.

The listings and comments here, seem to show, there are new designs out there....This is the first I've seen anything about the "new" stuff.

[tree68]

I suspect a large part of the answer to that question lies in the size of the equipment today vs years past. 

Another factor is the sheer mileage of track - which, as I recall, is less than it was before.

Put those two together and you may find that the higher traffic density, using bigger equipment (locomotives) may be enough to keep clear lines that would have needed either push plows or rotaries before.

I'm sure we've all seen pictures of men digging a plow out.

Of course, there are always those storms that overwhelm the routine methods of snow removal, forcing the use of the extraordinary.

[Modelcar]

Yes, I agree....the motive power and the physical size of that power certainly could be part of it.....But we still have to cross the Rockies, and even parts of the eastern mtns.

And perhaps it is much less necessary to bring out the rotaries.  But since I had not heard of any "new" equipment being built....I simply wondered if they expected the "old units" to last forever.

Glad to see there is such, as new designs....and good looking ones too as for what seems to be smart designs.