What is it?

[NW Mailing List]

Abram,

You’re the man! I had been closely observing railroads in Virginia since the 1950s and have never seen anything like this. And most of the places I watch are in the mountainous areas where significant snowfall does occur most winters. I could not figure out the purpose of the bulldozer-like treads  which apparently are lowered into a position on the crossties just  outside the rails. This  machine must create blizzard conditions of legendary proportions, as you suggest.

   Ray

Sent from my iPad

On Jun 8, 2019, at 8:44 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org<mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>> wrote:


Raymondo -


My guess is that it is a snow blower for cleaning out switches, albeit a somewhat small one.

Y usual

One railroad where I worked for 20+ years used small jet aircraft engines tied down on flat cars, and angled downward, to do the same thing in the northern climes (like Buffalo.)  I saw those things work back in the 1980s at Enola.  They were very effective at blowing snow and ice, and also spikes, ballast, pieces of scrap iron and anything else which could be turne into a projectile.  In frigid bweather, the "snow jet" would have to come back and thaw out the switch again.


-- abramo,

washed-up railroader...

    ... now advocating for the Green New Turnip

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