Saw this earlier today.
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An impressive operation and sight. The drone work is also impressive, but I guess there wasn't much snow. They're only using the spreaders. No rotaries.
Great coverage, which has already been on the Weather Channel, and other main TV outlets. However, lets remember that all that equipment, and some of the operators, are all former Southern Pacific. The SP long, long ago, (150 years) perfected the movement/removal of that seriously wet & heavy "Sierra Concrete" snow. Rarely do they have to use the rotary snow plows, since those specially modified Jordan Spreaders along with modern flangers, pretty much keep the Pass open. Also note that the diesel units being used are normally aspirated, i.e. roots blown, GP38-2 units, which perform much better at the changing altitudes and varying throttle settings, over higher HP turbocharged units.
Southern Pacific created a publicity film in the ‘40s, “This is My Railroad” with scenes like that. Available on DVD and in parts on youtube.
Pete
They should know how: they've been doing it for 150 years.
Thank you for sharing that video, Bob! Impressive!
I have to laugh. Snow falls like this in Donner on a regular basis. I'm sure that the hard-working folks that clear the right of way occasionally mutter about the effort required, but they take it all in stride.
What amazes me is that non-RR folks seem to enjoy complaining about the snow, if you believe the national news, especially those driving on the nearby interstate.
Don't they know that this very snow fills the aquifers, creeks and rivers when it melts in the spring, and prevents drought in the valleys in the summer time?
Bring on the snow.
Mike
Great stuff there.
Thanks for posting!
Note that they cleared both tracks more or less at once. Efficiency! The one shot late in the video shows the second dozer set running maybe 1/8 of a mile behind the first, but on the other track. BTW, how many of these specially modified Jordan spreaders does UP have? I know of 2, both of which were in the video. Or are they using unmodified Jordan spreaders on the other end of the set?
Chris
LVHR
Are the spreaders MU'd to the locomotives so the operator controls everything, or are there separate crews in the locos and spreaders?
Tom
Around 1952, there was a passenger train trapped in the snow near Donner Pass for several days before they could clear the tracks. They didn't have enough food for the passengers so they had to air drop supplies.
Cool video! I've never seen a spreader with side plows at work before.
@John in California posted:Around 1952, there was a passenger train trapped in the snow near Donner Pass for several days before they could clear the tracks. They didn't have enough food for the passengers so they had to air drop supplies.
Good to hear there wasn't a repeat of history...
