The heavy snow and wind that hit all along the East Coast last weekend dumped and drifted quite a bit of snow over the Candlewood Valley Scenic Railway. Railroad officials decided to wait for the sub-freezing temperatures to moderate before making an attempt at clearing the line. Observation by air revealed portions with little to no cover and others with cover deeper than CVSRy equipment could handle. Management decided that it was reasonable to attempt opening the line to Pine Summit today. Depending on how long the current thaw lasts, it may be possible to open more of the line at a later date.Here is an aerial view of Deep Cut and the entrance to the tunnel. The portal is totally obscured under drifts exceeding 50 feet in depth… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Plow_Extra_12-31-10_08-1200.jpg]
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] At Walk Crossing, crews used heavy equipment to clear the crossing and reveal a 40 foot drift covering the track… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Plow_Extra_12-31-10_07-1200.jpg]
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] Due to the depth of the snow, our most powerful engines were placed into Plow Extra service. NW SD-45 #1764 was called to shove the railroad’s vintage ATSF wedge plow followed by WM RS-3 #186. An equipment car and a caboose rounded out the Plow Extra. Here #1764 shoves the plow over West Escape` bridge which had completely thawed… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Plow_Extra_12-31-10_01-1200.jpg]
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] The engineer pushes the throttle to Notch 6 as the plow approaches the first snow cover… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Plow_Extra_12-31-10_02-1200.jpg]
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] Moments after encountering the first snow cover, disaster strikes. The plow wheels rode up over ice covered rail. Momentum of the train pushed the plow up and over the ice causing it to fall from the bridge and spill it’s ballast load… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Plow_Extra_12-31-10_03-1200.jpg]
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] Fortunately the plow did not go over the edge. We didn’t get any pictures of the wrecking crew recovering the plow and placing it back on the track. We were busy hanging out around a warm fire with the engine crew 
[url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Plow_Extra_12-31-10_05-1200.jpg]
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] Unfortunately all of the railroad’s rock piles are frozen solid, so an alternate source of plow ballast was needed to replace the unrecoverable stone… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Plow_Extra_12-31-10_04-1200.jpg]
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] Back on track and well warmed from the fire, Plow Extra makes easy work of clearing the track half way in to Coal Dump Curve where the train stalled in snow covering the top of the plow… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Plow_Extra_12-31-10_09-1200.jpg]
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] Numerous attempts were made before the plow was finally able to round the curve. Meanwhile, heavy equipment was used to dig toward the Indian Hill bridge where large tree branches needed to be cleared from the right-of-way… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Plow_Extra_12-31-10_06-1200.jpg]
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] Shoving up-grade, the Plow Extra begins to across Indian Hill bridge. Notice that the snow has completely filled the valley beneath the bridge… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Plow_Extra_12-31-10_10-1200.jpg]
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Plow_Extra_12-31-10_11-1200.jpg]
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] At Indian Hill Junction a little ‘extra’ help was needed… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Plow_Extra_12-31-10_12-1200.jpg]
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] The work gang in the caboose becomes a bit nervous as the plow cut depth exceeds the roof line… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Plow_Extra_12-31-10_13-1200.jpg]
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] Approaching Pine Summit, snow depth is all but unmanageable for the wedge plow… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Plow_Extra_12-31-10_14-1200.jpg]
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] At Pine Summit the crew radios back to the office that they can go no further… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Plow_Extra_12-31-10_15-1200.jpg]
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] Meanwhile, the crew’s track side warming fire has about burned out, but not before melting a nice patch in the sitting area… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Plow_Extra_12-31-10_16-1200.jpg]
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] And finally, a parting shot of clear track at Coal Dump Curve… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Plow_Extra_12-31-10_17-1200.jpg]
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