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Miscellaneous Snow Equipment


These are some of the more unusual and interesting pieces of snowfighting equipment.

[THUMBNAIL] Conrail SB1000, a modern snowblower, near Buffalo. This snowblower, the modern version of the rotary, was imported from Germany to fight lake-effect snow around Buffalo. It has dual snowblower units, which can throw snow to either side, and it can rotate 180 degrees on its chassis to plow in the other direction.
Photo: "racer"

[THUMBNAIL] A Conrail "snow jet" snowblower, during Altoona railfan days.
Photo: Jeff Lubchansky

[THUMBNAIL] A New York Central "snow jet". An early version of the CR device seen above.

[THUMBNAIL] Metro-North's jet powered snowblower at Poughkeepsie, NY, on 7 March 1998. This modern "jet plow" is nothing but a standard jet engine with its exhaust directed through a duct discharging over the rails. The heat of the jet exhaust no doubt helps in snow removal. This equipment must throw up an impressive cloud of snow when in operation.
Photo: Milo Tsukroff

[THUMBNAIL] The cab end of the Metro-North snowblower. The old Poughkeepsie "High Bridge" is visible in the background.
Photo: Milo Tsukroff

[THUMBNAIL] A side view of the Metro-North snowblower.
Photo: Milo Tsukroff

[THUMBNAIL] A closeup of the engine and exhaust duct on Metro-North's snowblower.
Photo: Milo Tsukroff

[THUMBNAIL] A closeup of the snowblower's jet engine, from inside the station.
Photo: Milo Tsukroff

[THUMBNAIL] Rio Grande flanger OC at the Colorado Railroad Museum. This little flanger clearly shows the blades used to clear snow from between the rails. Larger equipment such as Jordan spreaders may also be equipped for flanging.
Photo: Brian Fritz

[THUMBNAIL] Denver & Rio Grande Western 052, an old standard gauge flanger, at Alamosa, CO, 4 August 1987.
Photo: Evan Werkema

[THUMBNAIL] Rio Grande 062, another old standard gauge flanger, at Alamosa, CO, 4 August 1987.
Photo: Evan Werkema

[THUMBNAIL] Lehigh & Hudson River flanger #305. This is a typical (but rather old) flanger, essentially a caboose with flanger blades hung under it.
Photo: photographer unknown, courtesy of John Stewart

[THUMBNAIL] Southern Pacific MW319, a large, modern flanger, at Roseville, CA, 17 August 1996.
Photo: Evan Werkema

[THUMBNAIL] Rio Grande 489, on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic, Chama, NM. This compact little Mikado is wearing a snowplow pilot for winter duty.
Photo: Brian Fritz

[THUMBNAIL] Durango & Silverton 473 with a pilot plow.
Photo: Brian Fritz

[THUMBNAIL] A Union Pacific SD60M wearing a pile of snow. This unit has obviously met with a large amount of snow, and is still wearing much of it.
Photo: photographer unknown

[THUMBNAIL] Union Pacific 168 (GP9) plowing light snow at Moulton, Iowa, Feb. 1980
Photo: SEDD@aol.com

[THUMBNAIL] Another view of UP 168, this time near Bloomfield, Iowa, same date.
Photo: SEDD@aol.com

[THUMBNAIL] Kershaw snow broom at the Rocester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum. This device, built in 1969, was formerly used by Eastman Kodak Company.

[THUMBNAIL] Burlington Northern 972577, a rotary snowplow power unit, at Skykomish, WA, 27 July 1982. This power unit was converted from a F9B, originally Northern Pacific 7013C.
Photo: Evan Werkema

[THUMBNAIL] Southern Pacific 4817, a snow-duty GP38-2, at Stockton, CA, 28 May 1996. SP has a fleet of GP38-2s fitted for service in snow removal service in the Sierras. They have icicle breakers, plows, defrosters, special windows, etc.
Photo: Evan Werkema

[THUMBNAIL] A Canadian Pacific boxcar outfitted for icicle-breaking service.
Photo: Alan Radecki

[THUMBNAIL] Number 9, a snow-sweeper trolley from Washington DC, clearing snow. This trolley was built in 1898.
Photo: Louis Buchler, postcard courtesy of Larry Smith

[THUMBNAIL] Quebec Lighh & Power Co. #454 clearing snow at the Seashore Trolley Museum.
Photo: M. Dwight Winkley, courtesy of Robert Kelly

[THUMBNAIL] MBTA trolley-plow 5098 on Commonwealth Ave, Brighton.
Photo: Paul Leahy, courtesy of Robert Kelly

This feature created and maintained by Andrew Toppan.
Copyright © 1997, 1998, Andrew Toppan. All Rights Reserved.
All photographs are copyright by the photographer.

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