Snow Spreaders

[travelingengineer]

Have just read the fascinating article in the December 2010 issue of Trains magazine regarding "Where the rotaries roll on" (pp. 25-33).  Whilst this article focuses on the rotaries alone, only brief mentions are made of other snow removal equipment, especially "spreaders."  Can someone be so kind as to tell me what is a RR snow spreader: equipment description, how it works, under what conditions is it used, etc.?  Thanks very much in advance.

[henry6]

Google key word: Jordan Spreader

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

See Dick Dorn's article ''SPREAD OUT'' and photos on pp. 46 - 51 of the same issue, and the ''Not Pretty In Pink'' Railroad Reading essay and photo by Brooks A. Bentz on pp. 54-55. 

Before this, there were several well-illustrated articles in Trains by Dorn, Richard Steinheimer, Ted Benson, maybe some others, from time to time in the 1960's - 1980's. 

Next, search on-line for photos of ''Jordan spreader'' and 'spreader'', though I'd also include either ''rail'' and/ or ''train'' to avoid getting too many non-rail related and perhaps 'suggestive' results . . .  

- Paul North. 

[travelingengineer]

Thanks, Paul and "henry6" for steering me to answers to my aforeposted questions.  Guess I should have just continued on reading my December issue of Trains magazine, and I would have found much of the information.  (I usually read my magazines cover-to-cover front-to-back!)  Google posts also have given me additional details about spreaders, especially "Jordan Spreaders."  Quite versatile equipment, aren't they, with the ability to work ballast.

Thank you, gentlemen.

[timz]

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=56845

See the vertical hinge at the front, above the coupler? Each of the front wing-halves hinges thru 90 degrees to make a plow shoving the snow left or right. The brown wing that in the pic is folded back along the side of the spreader swings around a vertical hinge at the rear corner of the cab, and can swing out 45? 60? more? degrees to the side to plow a wide, shallow trench.

[tree68]

Jordan spreaders are versatile pieces of equipment.  Not only will they clear snow and trim ballast, they can also ditch (in softer soils, not in rock) and clear brush (saw one take down a 4-6" tree!) from along the ROW.

On the other hand, they are air operated and each piston has its own valve, not to mention some air operated locks.  That translates into a bunch of valves in the cab of the spreader. (Just count the pistons!)  None of this joystick stuff.

[Deggesty]

tree68

Jordan spreaders are versatile pieces of equipment.  Not only will they clear snow and trim ballast, they can also ditch (in softer soils, not in rock) and clear brush (saw one take down a 4-6" tree!) from along the ROW.

On the other hand, they are air operated and each piston has its own valve, not to mention some air operated locks.  That translates into a bunch of valves in the cab of the spreader. (Just count the pistons!)  None of this joystick stuff.

Yes, indeed. There was a good article about Jordan spreaders in Trains several years back. If I can, I will look for it tomorrow.

From what Larry said about the controls, you have to really know your valves to operate one properly (just as a sailor had to know his ropes).

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

The later/ more modern Jordan Spreaders are basically hydraulically-operated, which provides them with more 'strength' when needed - an incompressible fluid locked into a cylinder has a lot more resistance to 'push' than compressed air.

The bigger MOW ballast regulators start to resemble small spreaders, both in appearance and capability.  While they don't have near the 'reach' of the spreaders across a 2nd track or the capability of dealing with really deep snowdrifts, they are good for keeping single tracks clear of most snowfalls.  There are a few pictures by a member here at RP.net of one on the Donner Pass route within the last year, if I recall correctly. 

A 'hybrid' between the two is the 'Snow Dozer', which originated on the GN, I believe.  I understand that BNSF has the most of those - I don't know if any other railroads have adopted them, though.  Again, there are photos by other members here of those on RP.net within the last year or two.

If no one else does so, I'll try to remember - and make time - to find and post links to some of those photos here over the weekend.  Anyone else can feel free to do so first, though . . .

- Paul North. 

[tree68]

Clearing brush on the Mohawk, Adirondack & Northern (GVT):

[WMNB4THRTL]

The C&CV RR has a real neat post up of them using their Jordan spreader this summer to clear back the ROW.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

WMNB4THRTL

  The C&CV RR has a real neat post up of them using their Jordan spreader this summer to clear back the ROW.  

Link:  http://www.lrhs.com/jordan2010.htm 

Neat photos - love the Boy Scouts having the opportunity to see how its done "up close & personal".  How cool is that ! 

Thanks for the tip !

- Paul North.    

[Deggesty]

In his description of his product, does Mr. Jordan mention right-of-way-clearing as one of the uses? He should. Hmm, is it effective against kudzu?

Yesterday, I mentioned an article in Trains that was published some time back. As I recall, it was some time between 1965 and 1974; I looked in the annual indices of that period, and I found two mentions: p. 38 of the June, 1969, issue, and p. 50 of the September, 1969, issue. I did not have the time to dig these out to see if either one is the full-length article that I remember. Of course, if the article was published that far back, it may be time for a new article, considering advances in the manufacturing of the machine.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Link to a photo of a pair of UP's Jordan Spreaders back-to-back - awaiting snow duty - in the background:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=318221 

Link to one of Ryan Dadgari's photos showing a Ballast Regulator between snow duty runs:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=312841 

Links to photos of BNSF Snow Dozer - there are quite a few others on this site:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=333416 

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=215310&nseq=6 

And finally - not all of the heavy snow is out West.  Here's one of NS and a Jordan Spreader in Pennsylvania in February 2010:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=318253 

- Paul North.

 

 

[wickman]

interesting information.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Deggesty

In his description of his product, does Mr. Jordan mention right-of-way-clearing as one of the uses? He should. Hmm, is it effective against kudzu?

NOTHING is effective against kudzu!

[Deggesty]

CSSHEGEWISCH

Deggesty:

In his description of his product, does Mr. Jordan mention right-of-way-clearing as one of the uses? He should. Hmm, is it effective against kudzu?

 

NOTHING is effective against kudzu!

Paul, I was wondering who would respond with the truth about kudzu. I wonder if the Japanese would want it back.

[WSOR 3801]

A few shots of the Jordan at work, including interior shots.  WSOR Jordan.

[samfp1943]

Travelingengineer:

                         As previous posters have pretty well covered the versatility of the Jordan Spreaders, I felt compellde to sho a photo of one of my favorites:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=109856&nseq=24  Linked her is the KCS RR's Jordan Spreader, it is semi permanently coupled to its own power unit a former ICRR Gp-9 which is controled by the Spreader Operator when operating.

This link is to a couple of pages from RailPictures.Net which shows a number of different railroads Spreaders and how they have been adopted to different area applications:

http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?locomotive=Jordan Spreader

 

[samfp1943]

Just a short note:

       Johnny, I am surprised at you!  Being from the South you ought to be familiar with the multitude of benefits of the KUDZU Vine! 

     Kudzu may be ubiquitous in the South; but it has much value, starting as erosion control, it can be used in foods; from jelly to a substitute for turnip greens.  The tubers can be cooked like potatoes (or turnips,( a Yankee thing!)  and it even shows up as a cure for alcoholism  (Googler KUDZU) .  

 http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/p/115376/1322941.aspx#1322941  

 [This link was to a discussion of the Kudzu Vine from a couple of years back.]  

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Deggesty

  [smip] Yesterday, I mentioned an article in Trains that was published some time back. As I recall, it was some time between 1965 and 1974; I looked in the annual indices of that period, and I found two mentions: p. 38 of the June, 1969, issue, and p. 50 of the September, 1969, issue. I did not have the time to dig these out to see if either one is the full-length article that I remember. Of course, if the article was published that far back, it may be time for a new article, considering advances in the manufacturing of the machine. 

Thanks for those citations, Johnny.  Here's what they are:

"Mr. Jordan's Marvelous Multidexterous Machine", by Jerry A. Pinkepank, Trains, June 1969, Vol. 29, No. 8, pp. 38 - 42a [43 = 6 pages total].

Page 50, col. 1 of the Sept. 1969 issue are just a couple of letters to the Editor, one about the June issue being an 'All M/W Issue', and the other about the writer's experience with a Jordan Spreader in New Hampshire.

- Paul North.    

[Deggesty]

samfp1943

Just a short note:

       Johnny, I am surprised at you!  Being from the South you ought to be familiar with the multitude of benefits of the KUDZU Vine! 

     Kudzu may be ubiquitous in the South; but it has much value, starting as erosion control, it can be used in foods; from jelly to a substitute for turnip greens.  The tubers can be cooked like potatoes (or turnips,( a Yankee thing!)  and it even shows up as a cure for alcoholism  (Googler KUDZU) .  

 http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/p/115376/1322941.aspx#1322941  

 [This link was to a discussion of the Kudzu Vine from a couple of years back.]  

Sam, when I lived in the South (we moved out west thirty-six years ago), nothing good could be said for kudzu; it was reputed to be of no value in controlling erosion, and it was not valued as cattle feed. Apparently, since I came out here, much work (such as that which George Washington Carver did with peanuts) has been done with kudzu, and it has been found to have some value, after all. I put "kudzu" into my search engine, and came up with many entries, one of which (Wikipedia) mentioned good things about the pest--and also described how it can (with much labor) be exterminated.

Paul, thanks for validating my references to Jordan Spreaders; my memory was that the article appeared when I was still playing with the AT&N, before moving out here.

I am sure tht Mr. Jordan, unlike John Deere, would not really be averse to standing behind his spreader., though it might depend upon just what work his spreader was doing.