Author Topic: Snow removal and other odd creatures  (Read 36666 times)

Duncan Mackiewicz

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Snow removal and other odd creatures
« on: January 24, 2011, 04:44:31 PM »
Mike, Great pics. That's a lot of snow. Looks like we could use a 2' rotary snowplow.

Stewart "Start" Rhine

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Re: January 2011 Work Planning
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2011, 03:54:03 PM »
Duncan, I like your idea, a 2-foot rotary would be cool.  The way this Winter is going we could use it.  Imagine the video: WW&F Rotary over Davis pass.  Move over C&TS.  I don't know if we've had too much snow (there's about 30" on the ground and more due tomorrow into Thursday) or that it's been too cold (temps have been -10 to -15 every morning for the last couple of weeks) but the weather may be taking it's toll.  I heard that there was a hungry polar bear on 218 yesterday ... he reportedly overturned a small car and consumed the occupants.

Eric Larsen

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Re: January 2011 Work Planning
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2011, 06:05:45 PM »
A poler bear in Maine!  They are not supposed to be here. Neither are......

Pete "Cosmo" Barrington

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Re: January 2011 Work Planning
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2011, 07:58:30 PM »
...umm,...

..a giant CATTYWAMPUS?
« Last Edit: January 25, 2011, 08:58:30 PM by Pete "Cosmo" Barrington »

Stewart "Start" Rhine

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Re: Snow removal and other odd creatures
« Reply #4 on: January 26, 2011, 12:12:51 PM »
OH NO!  The track foreman screams - (mouth moving but the words don't match) ... it's  CATZILLA.   Run for your lives!!!!
« Last Edit: January 26, 2011, 07:42:16 PM by Stewart Rhine »

Craig "Red" Heun

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Re: Snow removal and other odd creatures
« Reply #5 on: January 26, 2011, 03:47:06 PM »
should photoshop in a pic of #10 going toward it, and some plastic people, like a '60's Japanese movie

Pete "Cosmo" Barrington

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Re: Snow removal and other odd creatures
« Reply #6 on: January 27, 2011, 02:57:08 AM »
I'll work on that  ;)

Mike Fox

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Re: Snow removal and other odd creatures
« Reply #7 on: January 27, 2011, 07:36:54 AM »
I did have a 26" snowblower I used there a few years ago to clear the track. Does that count as a rotary?
Mike
Doing way too much to list...

John Kokas

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Re: Snow removal and other odd creatures
« Reply #8 on: January 27, 2011, 08:02:56 AM »
Actually, I was thinking of something like a commercial truck mount snowblower (60" or 72"), either shaft-drive or hydraulic.  modify the framing to either pin or couple to #52 with a pony wheelset underneath set to keep the bottom blade an inch above the rail with rubber sweeps for the railhead.  Thoughts?
Moxie Bootlegger

Ken Fleming

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Re: Snow removal and other odd creatures
« Reply #9 on: January 27, 2011, 08:25:42 AM »
Doesn't Maine Narrow Gauge have a wedge plow that we could "store" for them, until they settle on moving or not?  I have never been there, so I do not know its operational condition.  A few Winters of service would be nice, while waiting to build our own plow.  Great to see numbers 9 and 10 headed North with a wedge plow and the caboose (with a shovel crew for switches) behind.

Stewart "Start" Rhine

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Re: Snow removal and other odd creatures
« Reply #10 on: January 27, 2011, 08:31:32 AM »
A double headed "snow extra" with plow would be a great looking train.  Good photo ops and would work well clearing the line. 

James Patten

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Re: Snow removal and other odd creatures
« Reply #11 on: January 27, 2011, 10:06:05 AM »
MNG has a wedge plow as well as a flanger - but I don't think the flanging equipment is installed in the flanger.  While a wedge plow would be nice, I think a flanger is a must for us.  Train operations gets fairly hard when there's still a couple of inches of snow over the railhead, even if the rail itself is clear.

Stewart "Start" Rhine

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Re: Snow removal and other odd creatures
« Reply #12 on: January 27, 2011, 10:23:32 AM »
James,  Remember the old discussion about borrowing the flanger from Albion?  It would have to be completed as it's only a flatcar now.  The flanger could be trucked to Sheepscot for the job.  There's the cost of transportation, lumber and the flanger parts. Anyone remember what parts Carl has?  Of course an agreement would have to be reached with the AHS.  IIRC they didn't want to sell the flanger to the museum, maybe they would loan it. 

The flanger would go behind number 9 or 10 so the locomotive would need a pony plow if it wasn't pushing a full snow plow.  Probably need a crew of at least 6 depending on the motive power used.  It would make a nice Winter operation.

Duncan Mackiewicz

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Re: Snow removal and other odd creatures
« Reply #13 on: January 27, 2011, 03:09:20 PM »
James, might the flanger you mention be the B&SR flanger that was loaned to the Return the Rails group in Bridgton and is now on display with the other B&SR tank car along Rte 301 in Bridgton? While checking it out last year I noticed there is very little operating gear inside.

Wayne Laepple

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Re: Snow removal and other odd creatures
« Reply #14 on: January 27, 2011, 05:15:12 PM »
Are we talking here about clearing the line for a good reason or just for the fun of doing it? If it's being done to accommodate a charter or to do some necessary work out along the line, adding a flanger to the wedge plow currently on No. 52 would not be that difficult. Since the locomotive has air brakes, design a way to use an air cylinder to raise and lower a flanger blade mounted behind the plow blade.   

Nothing wrong with doing it for fun, in which case let's do it the old fashioned way, with a wedge plow, picks and shovels. Let's build a flanger based on the original design and have at it. A steam-powered flanger train should be a great money-maker for the WW&F.