Are there any active rotary plows still in regular usage? I thought that they still used them on Donner Pass, is this correct? Does UP or BNSF use them at all anywhere?
I use one when the time is right … (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
I think BuNSniF has rotarys stationed in Whitefish, and Spokane. I know they have Snow Dozers stationed in Spokane, Pasco, Auburn, Vancouver, Easton, Wenatchee and Leavenworth. I think they might even have a rotary stored at the Vancouver shops.
If they have one in Spokane I don’t know where its hiding. They do or have had dozers.
I know the Union Pacific was down to just 1 of their big ones. Not sure how many of the former SP ones they still have.
Looking at the Roseville, CA yard area looks to be 3 rotary’s… 2 with B-units sitting just outside a 2 track shop by the turntable, and one rotary just poking it’s nose out of the building…
Further along easterly, there looks to be 2 snow spreaders…
Devon,
The UP kept one behind Costco (on East Sprague) for years. Then it disappeared.
I’ve only known them to use it once back in 1992 or 93. If the BNSF has one at Yardley, it’s hidden real well.
Andy Clarke said:
Looking at the Roseville, CA yard area looks to be 3 rotary’s… 2 with B-units sitting just outside a 2 track shop by the turntable, and one rotary just poking it’s nose out of the building…
Further along easterly, there looks to be 2 snow spreaders…
According to that documentary (Avalanche on the Mountain, which is a terrific 1 hr CD, btw) they run one on the front end and another on the rear when clearing Donner Pass, in case of a slide behind them. The third one is probably a back-up. I remember seeing 2 of them when I was out there.
Ken Brunt said:
Andy Clarke said:
Looking at the Roseville, CA yard area looks to be 3 rotary’s… 2 with B-units sitting just outside a 2 track shop by the turntable, and one rotary just poking it’s nose out of the building…
Further along easterly, there looks to be 2 snow spreaders…
According to that documentary (Avalanche on the Mountain, which is a terrific 1 hr CD, btw) they run one on the front end and another on the rear when clearing Donner Pass, in case of a slide behind them. The third one is probably a back-up. I remember seeing 2 of them when I was out there.
Yeah Ken, I spent 5 years (86-91) living in Dixon, Calif… Would run up to Roseville quite often and scope out the SP yard… The yard has changed since then but when I went there, there were always the snow
removal equipment parked and stored close to the Engine Maintenance buildings…
A couple of years ago, I saw a GN Heritage BNSF rotary at Appleyard in Wenatchee. It appeared as thought it had just left the shops. It was attached to an old FB unit for power. I had some photos of it, but can’t find them, now.
Steve Featherkile said:
A couple of years ago, I saw a GN Heritage BNSF rotary at Appleyard in Wenatchee. It appeared as thought it had just left the shops. It was attached to an old FB unit for power. I had some photos of it, but can’t find them, now.
I took this picture last year at the Colorado RR Museum in Golden CO. It’s not in service now but served until 1965.
" Rooster " said:
Steve Featherkile said:
A couple of years ago, I saw a GN Heritage BNSF rotary at Appleyard in Wenatchee. It appeared as thought it had just left the shops. It was attached to an old FB unit for power. I had some photos of it, but can’t find them, now.
They’re on my phone. I’ll show them to Devon, next time I see him.
Steve Featherkile said:
" Rooster " said:
Steve Featherkile said:
A couple of years ago, I saw a GN Heritage BNSF rotary at Appleyard in Wenatchee. It appeared as thought it had just left the shops. It was attached to an old FB unit for power. I had some photos of it, but can’t find them, now.
They’re on my phone. I’ll show them to Devon, next time I see him.
Oh, so we aint good enough for you to show us too? And here I thought you was my friend.
I live minutes from the Roseville, Davis Yard. The plows and snails are most definitely still onsite as Andy suggested I see them all the time. Originally SP had maybe ten plows spread between Roseville CA, Sparks, NV and Eugene and Klamath Falls, Oregon. I know three are in Roseville and one was given to the California State Railroad Museum and is stored in Sacramento, CA. I suspect the rest were scrapped.
Michael
Good question, Devon.
I ran across this list of rotaries. It was made in 1998, so many have been retired since then. But as of that date at least, the list shows status, storage location, owner, etc.; and has many links to a pic of the unit.