What is this car?

Hi, it is a Jordan Spreader.  It is a piece of snow fighting equipment.  I has other uses but snow is its primary and most common mission.  

Melvin P posted:

Hi, it is a Jordan Spreader.  It is a piece of snow fighting equipment.  I has other uses but snow is its primary and most common mission.  

Actually its primary use was for track & gradient work beside the track. Those large "wings" and blades, were used for profiling the embankments of RR right of ways. Secondary use was for snow movement.

Thanks,

I wondered about those wings.  Is something like this still in use today or do we have a better approach?  Sorry for my ignorance of MOW items.

Now that I know what to google:

https://www.american-rails.com/jordan-spreaders.html

Here is a 2013 video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgXMMcH1gCU 

hokie71 posted:

Thanks,

I wondered about those wings.  Is something like this still in use today or do we have a better approach?  Sorry for my ignorance of MOW items.

Definitely still in use today, especially on the former Southern Pacific mountainous Donner Pass line (now Union Pacific RR). They have specially modified/strengthened Jordan Spreaders for removal of that very heavy wet snow on the western side of the mountains. Sometimes when the snow simply gets too deep for them to keep up, they use the rotary snow plow to clear one of the double tracks, then use the spreader to move the snow towards the cleared track, and snow-blow it again. 

Hot Water posted:

Melvin P posted:

Hi, it is a Jordan Spreader.  It is a piece of snow fighting equipment.  I has other uses but snow is its primary and most common mission.  

Actually its primary use was for track & gradient work beside the track. Those large "wings" and blades, were used for profiling the embankments of RR right of ways. Secondary use was for snow movement.

I suppose it depends on where one lives.  In my area they were mostly used for snow.  But you are correct on the use you have stated.  Happy RRing.

paperboys posted:

Winston-Salem, North Carolina gets 44 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 39 inches of rain per year. Winston-Salem averages 6 inches of snow per year. The US average is 26 inches of snow per year.

Nice information, but,,,,,,,,,,,,,,how does that relate to the original poster's question, and the general topic of this thread?

paperboys posted:

Winston-Salem, North Carolina gets 44 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 39 inches of rain per year. Winston-Salem averages 6 inches of snow per year. The US average is 26 inches of snow per year.

I originally am from Buffalo NY, we know snow. Winston-Salem gets nothing compared to what I am used to.

Hot Water posted:

paperboys posted:

Winston-Salem, North Carolina gets 44 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 39 inches of rain per year. Winston-Salem averages 6 inches of snow per year. The US average is 26 inches of snow per year.

Nice information, but,,,,,,,,,,,,,,how does that relate to the original poster's question, and the general topic of this thread?

Well if your RR doesn't have proper drainage, you better have a jordan for the job!

Jordans at work:

And yes, it makes an effective snow plow:

Rusty

Quite the machine, I think we got 39 inches of rain today.

Huron Central still has there's in use. They discontinued the steam power portion but push it with a Diesel and use compressed air for movement. They clear two tracks in the yard at a time with it. 

MM&A also had one. 

There are alot of them around. Knox and Kane had one getting cut up when I was there after the big fire.