# Plowing snow on the Shawsheen Valley Railway



## rwjenkins (Jan 2, 2008)

This morning we had our first plowable snowfall since the completion of the SVR main loop in October. Seemed like a good excuse to fire up the K-27 and bring out the Aristo plow...


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Richard;

Even though it appeared to be a wet snow, the plow seemed to handle it well. Actually, the caboose was no slouch when backing.

Just curious, did you have to spray the plow blade with Pam? I have read that Pam helps the snow slide off the blade.

Best,
David Meashey


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## rwjenkins (Jan 2, 2008)

I hadn't heard about the Pam trick before, that's good to know! I was pretty surprised how easy it was to plow this snow. It was fairly wet and heavy, but it wasn't too deep and it was still very fresh, not compacted yet, so I imagine that made a big difference.


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## Bob in Mich (Mar 8, 2008)

*Richard,Great job,I really Enjoyed the video .We also had our first snow Last night,and it was wet.I have been trying to talk Accucraft into making a Steam rotary snow plow.I posted it a few Years back but there was not sufficient interest in it from fellow steamers on My Large Scale*


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## rexcadral (Jan 20, 2016)

Jealous. Pretty sure that K-27 could have bullied its way through that pack without a plow. That thing is a monster.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Very nice video. The K does a good job and the plume is beautiful. Thanks for posting.


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## Bob in Mich (Mar 8, 2008)

Check this out


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## Naptowneng (Jun 14, 2010)

Great video, I love plowing on garden railroads, I do mine whenever nature allows. Obvious complications are too wet, too heavy, too deep, and the worst, too cold, once ice coats the rails, that is it. Scale sanders are not available to the best of my knowledge, and not sure I would want them with the moving parts!
Enjoy winter

Jerry


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## Tomahawk & Western RR (Sep 22, 2015)

VERY NICE! i hope to be doing the same thing on my ROW soon.


i wondered about sanders before on live steam engines. real sand would obviously not work as the particles are too big.

on real engines, the have different types

steam sanders(steam blows the sand out
gravity fed sanders
compressed air sanders
bernie sanders


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## steamtom1 (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow, Richard! What a dynamite video. Job well done.


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

Great Video Richard, it reminds me of when I was a kid living in Lincoln Mass., but no garden railroad then.


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## Nick Jr (Jan 2, 2008)

Richard, can't wait for snow here in S jersey so i can put my Rotary to some serious use.


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## rwjenkins (Jan 2, 2008)

I would love to have a rotary, especially a steam-powered one, but I can see why there would be a limited market for such a thing. Guess I'll have to build my own one of these days!


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## Nick Jr (Jan 2, 2008)

Richard, steam powered would be the ULTIMATE in a rotary. This one unfortunately is battery powered, four X 1.3A gel cells, and I am making sure they are fully charged right now. LG


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## steamtom1 (Jan 2, 2008)

Jim Hadden demonstrated his steam powered rotary snowplow @ DH, back in ought three...


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## Tomahawk & Western RR (Sep 22, 2015)

neat! what was used for the roary blade?


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## Bob in Mich (Mar 8, 2008)

Nate Here is a Rotary SnowPlow: Enjoy


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## Nick Jr (Jan 2, 2008)

Nate, angled brass cut into triangles, silver soldered to a center point. I left more room between blades so as not to bog it down. I have a pic somewhere during a short test late last year, I'll try to find it. For anyone wanting to build one I was advised to use saw dust as a test, thanks Sean. LG


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## Chris Scott (Jan 2, 2008)

Some Rotary Snow Plow MLS history you might find interesting;

http://forums.mylargescale.com/29-beginner-s-forum/13095-charles-ro-rotary-snow-plow-does-do-job.html

http://forums.mylargescale.com/15-model-making/10220-rotary-snow-plow-build-4.html

http://forums.mylargescale.com/18-live-steam/17717-anyone-live-steam-rotary-snow-plow.html

Lima Locomotive Works: Rotary Snow Plows http://limalocomotiveworks.com/rotary_snow_plows.html


Back around 1999-2000 someone was offering a live steam rotary snow plow. He showed it and was taking orders at the 2000 NG Convention in Slat Lake City. $1000. He planned to make only 10 units. It was really beautiful. Last I heard he did not get 10 orders. I do not remember whether he cancelled the project for lack of orders or but to orders. Maybe someone remembers more, better yet owns one.


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## KeithRB (Sep 25, 2015)

Looks like a sandworm from Dune.


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## snowshoe (Jan 2, 2008)

Great video. We had snow monday morning and last night. I did manage to plow although had to use battery power. I don't have any live steam strong enough to tackle snow, or at least any that have RC.


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Really nice Richard! 
I admire your benchwork, seems cleanly and sturdily designed.


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