Unconfirmed report on train orders with video not accesable by this poster has Rotarys on Donner clearing path with dozers following to push rotary walls away from track so flangers can work after future snow.
Not unconfirmed! A little searching on railpictures.net reveals the rotary in action yesterday:
http://www.railpictures.net/photo/608116/
Quite an ordeal just to get there - avoiding incompetent drivers, going through chain controls, and hoping your camera works in the cold.
Links to my Google Maps ---> Sunset Route overview, SoCal metro, Yuma sub, Gila sub, SR east of Tucson, BNSF Northern Transcon and Southern Transcon *** Why you should support Ukraine! ***
I heard that a flanger outfit got stuck in the snow. Sounds like they were running them between trains.
Jeff
The picture indicates the rotary is removing snow from the high side of a hill. It may be there is concern that the hill's snow will push the snow banks fouling the inside track ? May be more time consuming and expensive to use dozers to move that snow ?
Looks like 3 locomotives behind that rotary ? If so - even if 1 is just to power the rotary - that could be ~10 HP/ gross ton !
- PDN.
Paul_D_North_JrLooks like 3 locomotives behind that rotary ? If so - even if 1 is just to power the rotary - that could be ~10 HP/ gross ton ! - PDN.
When you need power, you need power - there is no substitute
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Plow, snail, SD70ACe, SD70ACe, snail, plow
"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)
A few more pictures from railpictures.net:
http://www.railpictures.net/photo/608145/
http://www.railpictures.net/photo/608146/
http://www.railpictures.net/photo/608159/
I presume, that there are two 'crews' with the use of these rotary plows. One is a normal T&E crew to operate the road locomotives. The other would be the crew necessary to operate the rotarys. The big question becomes - does the road locomotive engineer operate from the cab of the rotary or from the cab of one of the road locomotives? If the crews operate and stay on 'their own' equipment they must be in constant communications with each other.
ericspPlow, snail, SD70ACe, SD70ACe, snail, plow
So "snail" = the B-unit that's dedicated to powering the plow - but why is it called that ?
Paul_D_North_Jr So "snail" = the B-unit that's dedicated to powering the plow - but why is it called that ? - PDN.
Or less ? My understanding is that it's just a prime mover (engine) to power the electric motors on the rotary (formerly traction motors), with no ability to move itself, which a slug can do (with a power feed).
News Wire: Union Pacific’s Feather River Canyon route still closed
Snows on Donner Pass trigger rotary plows into service
Brian Schmidt, Editor, Classic Trains magazine
Those B's are they are is just the prime mover and their generator anymore. All they do is provide power to run the rotaries and their wings on them. UP and BNSF converted theirs all from steam to eletric power in the mid 90's. The former SP ones can make the Donner Cement and that stuff could very well be used as it. The stuff is not a normal 10-15% water in it try 40% water that stuff is basically a heartattck waiting to happen when you have to move it.
Shadow the Cats owner The former SP ones can make the Donner Cement and that stuff could very well be used as it. The stuff is not a normal 10-15% water in it try 40% water that stuff is basically a heartattck waiting to happen when you have to move it.
The former SP ones can make the Donner Cement and that stuff could very well be used as it. The stuff is not a normal 10-15% water in it try 40% water that stuff is basically a heartattck waiting to happen when you have to move it.
Dakguy201I think your point is that it is a very wet snow, but I should point out that snow is 100% water in any case.
Actually, no.
While it is true that the snow is all water, the structure of the snow isn't solid. When it is, we call it ice...
Light, fluffy snow can be a much as 90% air by volume. In fact, the rule of thumb is that 10" of snow is equivalent to 1" of rain.
The term the weather service uses is "water content." Snow with a water content at 40% is pretty wet stuff.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
tree68 Dakguy201 Actually, no. While it is true that the snow is all water, the structure of the snow isn't solid. When it is, we call it ice... Light, fluffy snow can be a much as 90% air by volume. In fact, the rule of thumb is that 10" of snow is equivalent to 1" of rain. The term the weather service uses is "water content." Snow with a water content at 40% is pretty wet stuff.
Dakguy201
And when the snow plow has cleared your road and left a 2-3 foot high ridge - digging it out by hand is problematical.
BaltACDAnd when the snow plow has cleared your road and left a 2-3 foot high ridge - digging it out by hand is problematical.
The stuff that slides off my roof and onto my driveway is like cement - which is the same problem as exists with avalanches.
tree68 BaltACD The stuff that slides off my roof and onto my driveway is like cement - which is the same problem as exists with avalanches.
BaltACD
At least it is sliding off the roof - not collapsing it!
BaltACDAt least it is sliding off the roof - not collapsing it!
Precisely. I'm of the opinion that the collapse of our old banquet hall (essentially a pole barn, finished inside) was due to our having recently repainted the roof with a paint that had some "tooth." Thus it didn't shed that heavy snow...
tree68 BaltACD Precisely. I'm of the opinion that the collapse of our old banquet hall (essentially a pole barn, finished inside) was due to our having recently repainted the roof with a paint that had some "tooth." Thus it didn't shed that heavy snow...
In the back to back blizzards that were experienced locally in early 2010, the local fire department had the roof of it's banquet hall collapse and catch the building on fire. The banquet hall was attched to the fire house proper, but the fire house was saved. A new banquet hall was subsequetly built and bingo games then resumed.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.