Large Scale Central

After the blizzard

General Discussion
#1

Freshly plowed just before the blizzard, the California and Nevada at Mehus Concemtrator is embargoed.

Laurel Yard, plowed yesterday with main and siding fully cleared, is snowed in and drifted heavily around the station.

The Manager of Ice Station Zebra is taking a smoke break on the lower platform, wondering who will need reefers iced today.

Malfunction Junction is fully encased, not even recognizable.

From the valley floor, looing up past Laurel Yard towards Bald Mountain and Pete’s Pit mine. Going to take some work to clear this line.

Dragged two old Shays out with the wedge, starting in on the process. And, the snowfall has started again.

#2

Nice pictures. Keep them coming. We got another 4 inches of snow today. Now the KMRR is burried under over a foot of snow. I cant even see the water tower anymore. The plow is burried (I forget were on the lyout I left it. Guess I can say the railroad is in a sate of emergency. I doubt I will see the layout until march.

#3

The crew from Pete’s Pit were able to clear the line from Laurel Yard across the trestle to White Rock, and halfway down the grade.

The crew from Headquarters has worked up grade, hopes are high a supply train will make it up to the station at Laurel Yard this evening.

Sled teams are set to get supplies to Malfunction, Glory, and the mining/logging district of High Point.

Lines are down, so we are not sure how well efforts from Mound House are progressing.

#4

Time for the CCR to purchase a rotary.

Dynamite wouldn’t even move snow on my CCRR! :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

#5

I believe that CCRy has a rorary, but it is not in use? If the crew could fet there we could help but it was no fun just going to the grandkids yesterday and I hear the Edmonds is one very large sheet of ice! And Seattle is snowed in. My wife went to work (the church) this AM, after get her car in to 4 wheel drive, me I’m standing inside and more or less warm.

A toal of about 10" pf smpw but the rain has not started. That will flood everything. but our Government will not figuar that out in this lift time!

Paul

#6

Ol Dan’l Webster, President of the WI&M has relented about the layoffs, realizing that good help is hard to get. What happened is that Mike, the Chief Engineer, hired on with the Great Northern, who isn’t snowed in. Mike is a Wobbly, so he probably won’t be missed by management, but at the same time, management didn’t want anyone else getting the idea of leaving for greener pastures.

The snow keeps coming down. The town is buried. At least Maggie’s Sporting House stays open, thanks to the tunneling skills of the miners down from Wallace.

#7

One day I hope to actually see this thing called snow. It certainly looks like FUN! I suppose it is one downside of living in a temperate climate. We do actually occasionally receive snow up in the nearby mountains (about an hours drive), but it rarely lasts on the ground more than a couple of hours.

#8

Four more inches after the last plow…crew heading out to try to re-open the line now.

#9

TOC, if this keeps up we will have all sorts of fun come the 1st!

#10

Here is what the Kittatinny Mt rr looks likes. After some heavy winds some of the snow blew from the water tower. As of yesterday it was burried

(http://i40.tinypic.com/2j6wld.jpg)

#11
Tim Brien said:
One day I hope to actually see this thing called snow. It certainly looks like FUN! I suppose it is one downside of living in a temperate climate. We do actually occasionally receive snow up in the nearby mountains (about an hours drive), but it rarely lasts on the ground more than a couple of hours.
Tim.

Be thankful we don’t have it here in OZ.
I grew up in it until I was eleven.
I hate snow, slush, ice and being cold.
Mercifully that part of history does not have to be repeated.

#12

Well, plows made it back to Laurel.
However, they gave up for now trying to get the Gorge line opened.
Plows made it DOWN to the start of the gorge, and UP to the lower entrance, but the snow it just too thick.
River Rock Pass, once again, has proven the salvation of the line.

An emergency Board meeting was convened, and the Gorge line was discussed.
With no objections, it has officially been re-named the Ames Cut.

While in a perfect world, it works just fine, throw anything out of the ordinary at it, and even with it’s better grade and set curvature, it becomes unusable.

The “Old Technology” of River Rock once again proved that “new and improved” is NOT always better.

Switches at Frost are dug out, passing track and station track at White Rock are cleared, right now crews are at dinner while the locomotives are being serviced, before going back on the hill to clear more tracks and finish the “wye” at Malfunction.

#13

Dave,

Your enthusiasm has me wanting to plow snow. None here, so far. But equipment is ready. :wink:

Warmth is a state of mind and you can’t have it unless you’ve been chilled.

#14
TonyWalsham said:
Be thankful we don't have it here in OZ. I grew up in it until I was eleven. I hate snow, slush, ice and being cold.
I hate giant spiders, pissed off large snakes, sand and being hot! So I'm thankful I don't have that here in PA....well unless I wander into the mountains in the warm season I may see one of those things......lol Dave, Wish I had plowable SNOW.....the crap we get anymore has sleet and freezing rain mixed in! Love the pictures so far...thank you!
#15

Winds died down tonight and I got to run my trains. Could be the last night for a little bit with the weather they say we are going to get. Freezing rain and sleet from 6 am to 6 pm off and on. I knew I should have put a heater in under the track. I will take snow over freezing rain any day but have to say I like the heat better then the cold.

#16

Shawn, the Tin Kitty Line may ne to be renamed the Frozen Kitty Line Brrrrr! Dave, maybe time to build one of these babies?

(http://www.venturea.com/rotary.jpg)

…or at least borrow one if any of your regulars has access to one :wink:

#17

You know why they numbered that rotary OY don’t you ?

(http://wasteam.railfan.net/snowplow/f18c.jpg)

#18

Because the tender was lettered “Vey” ?

#19

Why, Oh why, Jon, was it lettered OY?..:wink:

#20

I think Vic came close to what I had in mind :smiley: Something muttered by a crewman that had to deal with feet of snow and freezing temps :smiley: :smiley: