Large Scale Central

First Snow / Night Plowing

Model Photography
#1

We got our first snow Saturday into Saturday night. I was busy with my niece riding the Santa Express and Northern Lights Limited trains at the Railroad Museum of New England in Thomaston, CT in Al Poeroy’s caboose. It would have been better to take these pictures last night while the snow was fresh hand still falling, but better late than never.

First; what I was doing while it snowed Saturday…

It was a full day to say the least. We got home at 10PM after a long, slow trip over a snow covered highway. Cold and wet from stomping around in the snow for pictures I didn’t have the energy left to get pictures around my railroad until late today. About 6PM the plow train arrived at Wall Station and the guys dug out the platform…

Passing Pine Summit and the old Engine House in the background…

I began having battery problems and dinner was ready so the plow run was annulled after these few shots.

#2

Stick your batteries in your arm pits to warm them up. Well, that’s what they told us to do for our camera batteries in Antarctica.(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#3

Thanks John, but It wasn’t that cold. A battery I thought was full was not and the back-up that had issues it the past crapped out. Backup #2 got the job done and the train back into the shop. When I got in I discovered one loco had a ceased truck so that plus the 6 LED headlight on the plow was causing quick battery consumption.

#4

I’m glad you got it figured out. It wasn’t that cold either, mostly a balmy 32F(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif).

#5

32 is about 40 degrees too cold.

#6

Eric Mueller said:

32 is about 40 degrees too cold.

I’m starting to think that way too Eric (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-sealed.gif)With the sell-off of all my heavy diesels this year I was going to give up on winter ops, but decided to see how well the 45 Tonners would do. They actually did better than expected and would have been great if I had taken the time Friday evening to clear off the track. Had several major derailments due to hidden debris on the track. I did the actual plowing in daylight, then ran the night plow for clean-up and photos.

#7

Eric Mueller said:

32 is about 40 degrees too cold.

Smart man!!..(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#8

85 here today in San Diego, just right… no snow though…

Greg

#9

Greg Elmassian said:

85 here today in San Diego, just right… no snow though…

Greg

So I heard. We had a bunch of relatives from SD here over the weekend. I told’em I ordered the snow just for them. The 2 little girls loved it…;)(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#10

Sounds like fun! Jon, smart man. Ken, sounds like you had fun. Al, is the cab heated, but not to the point you could fry bacon on the dash? Headed back to the frozen north on Thursday, wouldn’t bother me to miss the snow, but I have lots of great memories in and with snow.

#11

It’s even cold here in my part of northern Florida. Was 36ºF last night. Got up to 55ºF today so I ran a couple of trains.

#12

Al has a coal stove in the Caboose. That stove alone is a long story, but it is the correct one for his caboose. It works great, but they intentionally kept the caboose a bit cool as it was the holding area for those dressed in costumes. Up in the cupola it is a bit drafty; especially when Maggie had the window open with her head and camera out for most of the night trip (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#13

Wow, that was some Saturday Jon! Thanks for those pics.