track snow clearing?

[worldrailboy]

I'm sure they didn't always depend on the locomotives' small plows all the times especially up north so that begs the question of what I could have thought about buying for this task. specific to during the 1950-1980s perhaps but hopefully not a very expensive brass rotary kit hehe

thanks :-)  (now where is my real shovel for this silly climate over here?!!)

[DanMacK]

Wedge plows seem to be a standard for the smaller lines.  Something like THIS may be appropriate.

[ease]

Check this out...

I picked one up off ebay a while ago.... great novelty piece

http://www.newhallstation.com/store/product_info.php/products_id/432

[disturbman]

Then the easiest would be to get one of the recently rereleased MicroAce snowplow:

- DD14: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10137233a/20/1
- DD53: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10112628

[cteno4]

Then the easiest would be to get one of the recently rereleased MicroAce snowplow:

- DD14: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10137233a/20/1
- DD53: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10112628

Both of those are lovely plows. very nice articulation.

kawai also had a couple of plows dan's post that are long oos. hopefully will be rerun at some point here, very economical plow set (at times not cheap!)

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10095288
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10095287
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10014071
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10014056

world craft had that one as a kit, but oos now

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10139110

btw here is a beauty of a rotary plow. not cheap these days (both sets A0320 and A0327 were like $240 for the pair when they came out). here is one set:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MicroAce-A0320-Steam-Locomotive-Type-D51-398-w-KI-604-Yellow-Stripe-Kimaroki-/400263759148?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item5d3194452c#ht_513wt_1116

http://www.newhallstation.com/images-lib/microace_n_scale/MA-A0320/
http://www.newhallstation.com/images-lib/microace_n_scale/MA-A0327/

hard to find these days! the uber cool thing is the rotary plow is powered and spins!

cheers

[worldrailboy]

I've wondered about these kawai ones too so thanks. funny thing is that functionally they aren't that different from the canadian versions that were once commonplace, heres an example below,
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7hyjFyCYYwI/SYUI9ZBbniI/AAAAAAAAIDs/JlTTf5tXvxM/s800/DSCF0616signature.jpg

and if anyone outside north america's wondering the large 'shelf' on top was pretty much to divert the snow more or less completely away from the cupola, they pretty much didn't even have any sort of windshield wipers at all on these windows anyway!

I think the world craft kit is a bit on the expensive side for me as a simple work wagon

as for the rotary yeah that would had been fun but I think I'll be prune and go with a single inexpensive plow for now as mentioned above ;-)

[cteno4]

The powered rotary is total awesome sauce but very expensive these days.

Tichy makes a resin russel plow

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GENNESSEE-WYOMING-N-Scale-Custom-RUSSEL-PLOW-MW-1-/140553912822?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item20b9aa81f6#ht_657wt_689

Keep an eye on ebay the Kawai come up now and then

Cheers

Jeff

[rpierce000]

I have always liked the Tomix DE10 with with the dual ends and the MicroAce http://www.bttrains.com/microace-a8163-dd14-305-315-snowplow-engines/

They call it the "Red Lobster" and run it back to back with a rotary on each end. As a diesel unit it has no concerns with getting electric power and the rotary REALLY throws.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/qiaXyfapUGM" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/qiaXyfapUGM</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/DK5GXYqYeZs" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/DK5GXYqYeZs</a>

I would not want get caught in the output stream!

[cteno4]

the other blower available these days is the dd53-2. its not a rotary, but the blender type on driveway snow plows (i know there must be a technical term for this type!

cheers

jeff

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10112628

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/4GheTcT0Di4" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/4GheTcT0Di4</a>

[marknewton]

I've wondered about these kawai ones too so thanks. funny thing is that functionally they aren't that different from the canadian versions that were once commonplace...

The Japanese wedge ploughs are a local development of the US-made Russell ploughs, of which a number were exported to Japan early in the 20th century. I believe that the generic name for Japanese ploughs is still "Russell". Looking at the photo you linked, I suspect this too is a Russell plough, or a close copy.

Cheers,

Mark.

[cteno4]

Mark

Do you know if there is a technical term for the kind of plow/blower I posted below? It's not a rotary, but like a home snow blower format.

Thanks

Jeff

[marknewton]

Jeff, I honestly have no idea.  I'd call it an auger plough, but that's only my take on it. I wonder if they aren't a modern development of the old Bros snow throwers?

(I've never seen a home snow blower, not much call for them in my part of the world!  )

All the best,

Mark.

[Mr Frosty]

I believe our friends across the big pond are quite keen on snow blowers and like to try and outdo the neighbours with their ability to shift snow.

Or else they just like tinkering in their garages. 

[cteno4]

Mark,

thanks, just wondered if there was a rail term of them. i do think they are the modern version from trucks that use them.

maybe you know there is a term i have heard before for the window "spinning wheels" (rotating circular windows to keep water/snow off) on plow and ship windows. my father was a ship captain and also remembers there was another term but he cant remember it either so thinking it might have come from rr use.

yes in pars of the us snow blowers are a 'better than the jones' item! dc its kind of silly to have them but once every 5 years when you get 3' at once you want one, but know it will sit in the garage for 5 years and not start the next time you need it! my snow blower is me puffing as i use the shovel...

friends up in the north though cant live w/o them now! not fun moving 3-4' of snow off 50' of driveway... its a pain here to move a foot off our 80' of driveway by hand!

jeff

[marknewton]

Mark, thanks, just wondered if there was a rail term of them. i do think they are the modern version from trucks that use them.

No worries Jeff. No doubt there's a specific term for these types of ploughs, but I reckon you'd need to ask a railwayman from a cold climate to get the right answer. 

maybe you know there is a term i have heard before for the window "spinning wheels" (rotating circular windows to keep water/snow off) on plow and ship windows. my father was a ship captain and also remembers there was another term but he cant remember it either so thinking it might have come from rr use.

I know them as "clear view screens", the ones I've seen were fitted to the wonderful hydrofoil ferries we used to have here in Sydney. From memory they were made by a company called Speich.

All the best,

Mark.

[cteno4]

mark,

thanks mucho. figure there has to be a term for it!

"clear view screen" sounds very australian! the term like that i have hear a lot is the "spinning wheel" but there was an older sea fairing term i have heard. oh well!

cheers

jeff

[keitaro]

jeff i think you maybe be interested? http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10095287 didn't want to open a new topic for these but i'm thinking about it but i have no planned snow areas. Looks cool though

[cteno4]

Keitaro,

thanks very much, was wondering when they were going to do the re-release, they had it up then took it away a while back.

actually i have  a pair from the original release, but i think a few others on this thread wanted ones. the price is certainly decent.

hey you can just stick them in a small siding in your yard as a mow area equipment storage for the winter!

ive never really been into doing snow scenes myself as they look very hard to do well and potential of getting snow in everything! always figured i will just have a mow storage yard. maybe one being broken down some or worked on in the yard as well.

cheers

jeff

[cteno4]

one of the set of two is up on ebay, taint cheap though as this is what i spent for both pairs together a few years back when they came out!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400281816456&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123#ht_530wt_760

still way less than newhall. this one is fun with the spinning impeller!

jeff

[cteno4]

ohh one up for a reasonable price!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350554760915&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123#ht_674wt_1398

jeff