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WW&F Snow blower? has been converted from the pre-July 2008 WW&F Discussion Forum.
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C130Engineer wrote:After seeing the videos and pics of the "plow extra", I was digging around on the net and found a photo of a German snow blower (I believe narrow gauge) and I have been thinking about the design. I wanted to know if anyone would object if I drew up some plans for a "home built" snow blower?
Also, what is the speed limit of the WW&F?
Rob 
Mike Fox replied:Having no official capacity, I would say draw away. But, no more than we plow the tracks, a blower would sit around more than it is use. The V-plow we have was designed by one of our core members and works extremely well usually. And this past weekends experience just gave us another reason to appreciate the way things had to be done in the past.
Mike
Steve Zuppa replied:Rob,
If you really want to design something useful, draw us some plans for a mower deck with an articulated arn that can reach 33' so we don't have to cut the grass along the right of way with string trimmers. Grass cutting has become the bane of our existence. It only gets cut once a year, usually in July. We're always short handed and it's a hot, tiring, miserable job. Fred,Dwight and Leon (among others) would, I'm sure, be eternally grateful if they never saw another string trimmer.
Steve
_________________
"Keep to the code!"
Capt. Jack Sparrow
Dave Buczkowski replied:Rob;
I wholeheartedly echo Steve's sentiments! The only job that's almost as bad is tamping. I question my sanity that I take a day off from work during Fred's work week, drive 2 1/2 hours to Maine and spend the day eating bugs and hearing the trimmer buzz in my ear. Others, of course, question my sanity anyway. And if you can draw a 2 foot gauge tamper while you're at it....
Dave
Wayne Laepple replied:Somebody needs to visit the state/federal surplus depot in Maine. My friends at the Pennsylvania Railway Museum at Arden have gotten all sorts of goodies, including a front-end loader, several forklifts and a backhoe, not to mention shop machinery and office equipment. Who knows -- there might be a side-mount flail mower on a tractor as used by the highway department to mow embankments. These machines, as well as everything else at the depot, are available to non-profits at very low cost.
C130Engineer replied:I was thinking of making a non-self propelled unit with a cab, and engine/tranny (PTO) and have the snow blower as an attachment, as well as a mower attachment and a weed sprayer, so it would be used year round. I'm working on it. BTW, what is the 33ft thing? Is it 33' left and right or 33' centered on the ROW?
Rob
Stephen Hussar replied:Cool! The width of the right of way is 66 ft.
Dave Buczkowski replied:Rob,
Or, more precisely in terms of the original layout, 4 rods wide (to use an old surveying term). 66 feet is the converted measurement. I like your idea of a non-self propelled machine usable year round.
Dave
C130Engineer replied:
Just a rough drawing so far.
Rob
ekmissal replied:I saw this on unclehenrys.com. Search for "Snow plow\ bolwer needs an eng. $1000 Winterport, ME". This is just what we need. Now, how do we shrink it?
Erik
C130Engineer replied:"needs engine". Hmmmmmm, Blown 502 big block anyone? (insert evil laugh here).
Rob
Bill Reidy replied:Two Ties wrote:
If you really want to design something useful, draw us some plans for a mower deck with an articulated arn that can reach 33' so we don't have to cut the grass along the right of way with string trimmers.
Would this fit the bill? -- http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?2008021012520624766.jpg
It might take a little work regauging.
Bill
Mike Fox replied:Wow. Could even open up the right of way beyond the track. Might be a little heavy for the 60# rail. Will Have to relay the main line 
Mike
Stephen Hussar replied:Hmmm, could be suspended below a Sikorsky Skycrane...any volunteers to operate the brush cutter in-flight? 
Bill Reidy replied:We could just fly the Sikorsky upside down to cut the brush. And the tail rotor could trim the edge of the ballast.
Any volunteers with a pilot's license?
Bill
jockellis replied:Dear C130 Engineer: I think the speeds must be a secret because I've asked several times and no one has ever said anything. Maybe, on advice of their lawyer? Did you know that the speed record for a 1/8th scale steam locomotive on 7 1/2 inch track is over 60 mph? Surely that fool wasn't sober!
Jock Ellis
Joe Fox replied:Speeds all depend. With a passenger train, the average speed is 10mph. Some times we may go about 15mph, 20 at the tops, but I doubt it. I timed most of the trips between Sheepscot and Albees crossing, and divide 60 by the time, which is usually 8 minutes, and came up with a speed of around 10mph.
Joe
James Patten replied:FYI the timetables call for a 10 minute trip between Sheepscot and Alna Center (and vice versa). It is 1.6 miles between the two stations.
Mike Fox replied:In reference to speed, if you are plowing, the faster you go the farther the snow flies......but so do you when trouble arises. As for snow blowing, a controlled slow speed works best so you don't plug the blower.
Mike
Josh Botting replied:Mike,
Have you mounted a flanger on your snow blower yet?
Mike Fox replied:Nope. Hoping I won't need it next year. If it comes down to it, I can mount something in a hurry.
Josh Botting replied:Mike,
I think at this rate you may need to snow blow for work weekend......
Mike Fox replied:I hope not. I think our biggest problem will be MUD. Accept where the snow still is of course. 
Stephen Hussar replied:I understand that you're "buried" over there in western Maine! Doesn't seem like there's really all that much on the ground in Alna...
Mike Fox replied:If the track was around here, Joe would be up to a little more than his waist. The roof of the section house would have a good 3 feet on it, but that is all you would see of it becaust the snow banks are so high. This is a winter of old when it would shut the narrow gauge down for days at a time.
Josh Botting replied:7-12" tonight forcast for the area....
If all the snow hand't melted, or been washed away by rain it would be much deeper here 
Stewart Rhine replied:Hey Steve, Thanks for the shot... nice photo! It's the first time I've seen the new ladder on the water tank.
Joe Fox replied:Wow, what a great shot Steve. You sure know how to get the most out of one location. The ladder does look great. I must say, I am glad that most of our snow has melted, because Dad said that as of right now, we have had about 105.5" of snow so far this year. Right now, it must be a little over three feet deep. However, it is wierd to go from being in an area of three feet of snow, to the museum that only has three inches of snow. Maybe me and Dad can try and ship some of our snow towards the museum. LOL.
Joe
Stephen Hussar replied:Thanks, guys. Joe, thanks for indulging me -- I'm not sure if you had planned on sweeping out every switch in the yard!
Joe Fox replied:I panned on it. Not like there was that much snow any ways. I didn't plan on doing the south switch, until Jason said we could clean out the yard tracks, so I told Brad we might as well get the run around cleaned off as well.
Joe
