Snow, What Snow?

Kelly Anderson · **Posted:** Fri Feb 14, 2014 9:58 am

You wouldn’t know it to look out the window this morning, but steam is being raised, the line is being plowed (using diesel power), and the Strasburg Rail Road will open the 2014 season this Saturday, Sunday and Monday with trains at 12:00, 1:00, & 2:00. #89 will be doing the honors.

dinwitty · **Joined:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:18 pm **Posts:** 2226

ahh its a temporary weathering paint job, it'll come off...

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Fri Feb 14, 2014 10:10 am

A whole new definition to "Polar Express" or "Snow Train"!!!

Howard P. · **Posted:** Fri Feb 14, 2014 10:46 am

I'm going to guess that the open cars will not be used this weekend.....

Howard P.

wilkinsd · **Posted:** Fri Feb 14, 2014 11:57 am

Howard P. wrote:

I'm going to guess that the open cars will not be used this weekend.....

Howard P.

Howard beat me to it. I was going to recomend reduced fare seating for the open air cars.

It's supposed to be 60 today and 64 tomorrow here in the Great Salt Lake City, but I'm not bragging.....

Ed Kapuscinski · **Posted:** Fri Feb 14, 2014 12:05 pm

Using a diesel for plowing? What is this world coming to?

lol

David H. Hamley · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2004 3:07 pm **Posts:** 705

The diesel for plowing is called "practicality."

Even the Bluebell Ry. in UK now rosters two diesels for the same reason. Steam has its place and we all love it, but there are times when using it for every last purpose doesn't make sense.

Kelly Anderson · **Posted:** Fri Feb 14, 2014 12:27 pm

Ed Kapuscinski wrote:

Using a diesel for plowing? What is this world coming to?

lol

My mistake, I've been informed that #475 is powering the plow train.

You'll have this in any large, well run organization...

Mark Jordan · **Joined:** Fri Nov 07, 2008 11:21 am **Posts:** 473

Quote:

The diesel for plowing is called "practicality."

Even the Bluebell Ry. in UK now rosters two diesels for the same reason. Steam has its place and we all love it, but there are times when using it for every last purpose doesn't make sense.

.....and when the diesel is kaput:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BdtEHcDZgg

Kelly Anderson · **Posted:** Fri Feb 14, 2014 1:46 pm

Kelly Anderson wrote:

My mistake, I've been informed that #475 is powering the plow train.

You'll have this in any large, well run organization...

Here's one from this morning. Photo by Steve Barrall.

Ed Kapuscinski · **Posted:** Fri Feb 14, 2014 5:17 pm

Brings a tear to my eye.

Mostly because I couldn't escape work for the day to see it myself!

dinwitty · **Joined:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:18 pm **Posts:** 2226

that is a classic shot...and a good engine to do it too, N&W 4-8-0's were the coal haulers and max out the weight on the drivers. We need an M2c restored...psst Gary Gray...

Gary Gray · **Posted:** Fri Feb 14, 2014 10:52 pm

dinwitty wrote:

that is a classic shot...and a good engine to do it too, N&W 4-8-0's were the coal haulers and max out the weight on the drivers. We need an M2c restored...psst Gary Gray...

Send your check for $2,000,000 and I'll get started as soon as it clears.....

Mgoldman · **Posted:** Fri Feb 14, 2014 11:07 pm

David H. Hamley wrote:

The diesel for plowing is called "practicality."

The steam engine for plowing is called "Strasburg Rail Road"!

Awesome!

Interesting image (great), must have been windy? The plume seems to be
blowing into the direction of travel.

Is there a standard practice when using steam engines and plows? In other
words, is it always (or more typical) that the engine pushes the plow in reverse
vs pushing forward smokebox facing the plow?

/Mitch

JimBoylan · **Posted:** Sat Feb 15, 2014 12:43 am

On this RR, since there are no turning facilities at the far end of the line, it might help to be able to use the locomotive's cowcatcher as a plow on the return trip. The steam engine might also be on a "shakedown" trip for the coming weekend passenger trains.

Snow, What Snow?

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