that second one looks super efficient

jcraig

global warming is a big scheme to get people to not buy oil....wait im getting off topic. cool trains

enchantedgoose

theres no such thing as global warming

livinzlife

Nothing beats good ole' global warming

ConorRyan

Thats a LOT of snow. If I were in the front of the train when it got stuck id freak out...

Charging_Mooses

Cooool. Railroad stuff fascinates me. My dad is a train engineer, so I've been able to get pretty close to some of it, but we don't have snowplows like these around here.

fpn1010

Nothing works better for moving snow than a (huge) shovel, until you get tired and can't do it anymore.

Monty

I'm a big fan of these machines and have been around and in them etc. etc. The best fun is with the "Rotaries", as seen with #'s 1 and 2 for instance. To extract the tasty bits about them: 1) Takes several engines to move them 2) used to be powered by steam, now, they are just hooked to a prime-mover (engine) from a loco and driven electrically..end of the season they take the prime mover out and stick back in service after an inspection 3) they are heavy enough that it takes 3 engines to push them and (best part)...4) It is powerful enough to chop up frozen dead deer/elk/people up and shoot the chunks 50 feet off the line.

What a noise...a grinding, howling gale of noise.

Kerchunk kerchunk, much as ya want.

loslosbaby

What no pics of the Turbine Snowplow at East 180 Street Bronx station. Ive never ssen it action but it must be preety cool.

Justapspfan

Cold here, and I have a sore throat too.

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

@loslosbaby:
+1 road warrior reference

godwhacker

@loslosbaby:

most excellent quote at the end!

If it's all the same to you... I'll drive that tanker.

elsketcho

Can't they just electrify the tracks like the defroster in your rear-view window?

dcdttu

@dcdttu: No, as it will cause problems with the signal system. Also, when's the last time your electric defroster melted more than 1/4" of ice/snow?

Switches at junctions usually are heated by propane, to keep the points (the moving parts) from freezing in place. And many transit properties with outdoor runs that use a third-rail electrical pickup have heaters on the power rail (which is independant of the signal system).

Hanke

Whoa. I've never seen anything like that plow. That's unbelievable. It's like seeing Superman in real life...and then seeing Superman get his ass handed to him by SuperDUPERman.

Tysto

@Hanke: Thanks for making a very detailed clarification on my small bit of humor. ;-)

dcdttu

Smells like someone needs to do a Comparison Test on these.

bobx3

at 0:41 in the second one, sounds like someone is loading a shotgun to put it out of its misery.

Geisrud

@enchantedgoose: correct, the earth is an amazing thing, it will work itself out. It is also much more powerful than us, and will destroy us all when it feels necessary, therefore global warming is just something for al gore to masturbate to

livinzlife

But...will it blend?

pizzatime

That first video is actually the first of 5. It took something like 7-8 locomotives to get them all free. After that they got excavators to clear the line :D
computer nerd + railroad fan = OMFWFT Wh00(t) Wh00(t)

Oroka