Recently there was record snow storms and accumulation in the Sierra Nevada. Interstate 80 was closed for a couple of days. And yet, no word here or elsewhere that I've seen about Union Pacific's fight to keep Donner Pass open.
Did they call out the rotaries?
-D
Don't know!
Probably after PSR staffing they found out they have no one that knows how to operate or maintain the equipment.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Donner pass that's one mountain range that everyone respects in the winter. My hubby ran it regularly and he was scared of her in the winter. He said you could go from absolutely dry clear road to freaking blinding blizzard conditions in less than 10 miles. If the UP was stupid enough to get rid of the snow fighting gangs over that pass then they deserve to suffer the consequences for that action.
Rotaries are expensive to operate and don't provide a cleared route much past the ends of the ties. UP is more likely to be using the snow spreaders (rebuilt Jordan Spreaders) to clear a wider path.
UP has favored using dozers for much of the major snow clearing, along with the Jordan Spreaders and flangers.
If the rotaries get called out, the Sierra Cement is there in great quantity.
You can probably count the number of times the rotaries have been called out in the recent past on your hands, IIRC.
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...
Not this year.
Rotaries are labor intensive, they build snow up rather than out, and are operationally slow. The current Donner equipment mix is flangers, spreaders, and snowcats to groom the snow further off of the RoW.
UP's rotaries are as much about PR as snow removal, and with Vena in the house, I would not be shocked if those resources are reallocated.
spsffanRecently there was record snow storms and accumulation in the Sierra Nevada
It was enough snow to be a problem for the RR, especially with fewer employees out along the line. But I doubt the depth was more than other heavy winters.
The railroad never wants to bring out a rotary -- it never wants the situation to have gotten to the point where it needs a rotary. It wants to keep up with the falling snow with spreaders and bulldozers. (Next question: how many bulldozers are out there nowadays, compared to SP days?) The rotary digs a trench. Once you have those vertical snow walls next to the track, the eventual cleanup is a struggle.
Southern Pacific then Union Pacific stationed two roataries. one was at Roseville, CA in their big yard just east of Sacramento. The other was stationed at the Sparks, Nevada yard just east of Reno. That way they could run the rotaries either way to keep the Donner mountain pass open.
There's a question -- how many usable rotaries did SP have 40+ years ago? At least two in Roseville -- maybe three? Was there still one in Sparks? Maybe Eugene?
(Pretty sure there were three rotaries in Roseville, but maybe not all ready to go.)
caldreamerSouthern Pacific then Union Pacific stationed two roataries. one was at Roseville, CA in their big yard just east of Sacramento. The other was stationed at the Sparks, Nevada yard just east of Reno.
As far as I know, UP still maintains them one on each side of the mountains. It may be less urgent to open Donner now that UP has the former WP as an alternate.
Anyway, 12 feet of snow in one night on top of a lot already on the ground was reported a while back. And that Sierra Cement isn't light powdery stuff either.
spsffanAs far as I know, UP still maintains them one on each side of the mountains.
I was thinking that the two were kept together, bookending a couple of locomotives. This video would tend to confirm that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSe1izplce0
tree68 spsffan As far as I know, UP still maintains them one on each side of the mountains. I was thinking that the two were kept together, bookending a couple of locomotives. This video would tend to confirm that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSe1izplce0
spsffan As far as I know, UP still maintains them one on each side of the mountains.
I seem to recall an incident several years ago where one of the rotary's got to some point on the route and had issues that they could no longer go forward with the rotary and the their move backward was blocked by excessive snow.
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