Hello All and Happy Christmas.
I have always wanted a rotary plow for my RR and have watched as others have built theirs and posted their results. Some have worked better then others. For a time now I have been sourcing parts for the rotary and I have found probably the most important piece a 5" metal vacuum fan blade. For a motor I have a cordless 12volt drill with a bum on switch. That can be fixed when it goes into a train. Question is will the 12volt be enough power for a rotary? It seems like a relatively simple setup. Afix the impeller with leading wingnut to a bolt then put it into the drill chuck and off we go. Of course the fabricating the housing would be a challenge but setting up the motor is #1. I believe it was Jerry Barnes who built that nice UP rotary and he used reduction gearing etc… Is that neccesary? If the drill motor won’t do it then what motor would?
Thanks . Todd
I use a 18v battery to drive the 12v drill motor I used. No reduction gearing, just a bolt to the fan blade and into the drill chuck.
Ron Senek suggested that battery, faster rotation, seems to do no harm to the old drill. I have a 4" plastic vacuum blade, the one suggested on Ray’s web site, Ron got two and sent me one. I had an old one from a portable vacuum cleaner, not sure the new is any better or not.
I have a DPDT switch on the back of my rotary, so I can turn it on/off/reverse. Nice to have a switch on the outside anyway. I have the 18v B&D battery sitting inside. Pix on my web site, scroll down to projects and you will see the basic build shots. Have to scroll thru a couple of projects to get to the rotary. Fun to build and run. Throws a little fun into another winter snowfall.
Jerry I must have confused one I saw with yours. I was thinking about using a USA trains work series boxcar for the basic car and remodeling the business end with the rotary and maybe putting shutters on it to extend the width. It seems that guys have head trouble with their chutes clogging up. Is a chute neccesary or will the snow just get tossed away? I will have to check out your build again.
My chute just sits on the top for looks, I take it off when I blow the snow. Be sure to turn it off before you clear it of any snow!
Todd
I started with track power,now Batt. 2 -12 volt Batt. hooked up to give me 24 volts!!! MORE POWER!
No shoot needed.
Here are a couple of links to my rotary.
http://www.largescalecentral.com/LSCForums/viewtopic.php?id=10423
http://www.largescalecentral.com/LSCForums/viewtopic.php?id=11719
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j_ObSJIeyM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbDL79akR78&list=UUsVatIqoETFwgDl9avX4Heg&index=4&feature=plcp
It’s not that hard!
Sean
Sean - what did you use for the impeller housing? I have one of those vacuum cleaner impellers and an old 12V drill hanging around waiting for this 
3"to 4" pvc coupling.
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/smcgill_pics/trainsnowblower001.jpg)
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/smcgill_pics/snowblower002.jpg)
Sean
Perfect - Thanks!
Jerry, what did you mount your rotary on? I am leaning towards building a metal floor. I think we are motivated once again for a rotary.
Yours was one nice build Jerry all those rivets really add to the visual realism. Sean your build really throws that snow, cool. While looking fro rotary videos I came across one that looked to be out of star wars, the guy had built a double side by side, that was neat.
I can see a problem with rotary plows in that along tighter curves the path cleared through the drifts might not be enough to allow a train to squeeze thru. Is this the case? I see that most impellers are of the 4" wide type, I think a 5" would be better. How about a metal over plastic blade which is better?
I might have to put aside other projects to get going on this one. Thanks for all the input.
Todd
Todd, hense the white scoop in front of the 4" impella! [imp]
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/smcgill_pics/snowblower002.jpg)
[/imp]
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/smcgill_pics/snowblower003.jpg)
Sean
I based my blower on a Aristo FA-1B frame, so it is powered. I’m not into NG, so wanted a mainline look. The clear blade looks like the one Ron Senek got for me and him, I put a wing nut on the front to help break up the snow, Jim Carter suggested that. That wide square housing seems pretty big, will it get through your bridges/tunnels?
No problem!
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/smcgill_pics/Coveredbridge001jpg-1-1.jpg)
I oversized on purpose! All my right of ways are as wide as a snow shovel, for those 30’ scale snow /ice storms Just get er done! Sean
Jerry I see you added a Reverse switch option have you done this to clear leaves, does this set up have a dual function?
Mark, The drill motors we used in our builds don’t spin fast enough to create much of a wind ot blow leaves. A different motor and a different fan blade might do it.
Maybe if I sharpened the blades I could try mulching those leaves?
the drill has gears though, that motor hooked directly to a fan would spin much faster for use as forward blower of leaves, it would lose strength to throw snow in winter i’d bet though vs the geared drill part?
Interesting these threads are being dug back up
Unlike the other threads though, this one isn’t about a defective part there are a couple leaf blower threads, I kinda lean towards something that looks prototypical and am leaning towards this tyoe of build.
It would appear that this type of car with a different fan style or cover might work for what i’m thinking. no need to make another thread about something already done.
Did’t know roosters set time limits on threads 
I too was surprised that this was dug up from Dec 2011.
It is nice to see threads that are positive and don’t deal with the hobby falling apart.
Mark I also like to build things that are somewhat protoypical. My original idea was to house the blower unit in a stock cattle car. When it is turned on the doors could be opened to allow even more air in. Of course one end would need to be cut away to allow the full blast of air to reach the track debris. Also on top I was goign to put a caboose cupola so the crew could keep an eye on what they were blowing. Feel free to run with this idea for your own build.
I might have come up with a fix for my problems.
Todd
I built this first
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/smcgill_pics/CopyofBMplow002.jpg)
Then I found this!
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/smcgill_pics/20090127213340372.jpg)
I guess great mine think alike! 
I didn’t add railing…nothing for the snow to stick too.