Clearing Snow

I know that MNRR runs very frequently, thus preventing snow buildup, but does the RR own any track snow removal devices?

What would happen if a blizzard dumped a ton of snow on the area over a weekend night when trains were few? What do they do?

I can't answer specifics, but don't they call in extra crews and run diesel consists up and down the line?

extra crews may run diesels up and down the lines like you said, but they also own a few snow jets.

http://membrane.com/~elmer/rail/snow/misc/mnr1.jpg

Perhaps this would be overkill around here. (from Skagway, Alaska)
(click)

As long as you keep a few push puls shutteling back anbd forth the snow never gets higher than a foot or so, no problem for non-third rail trains.
MNCR has a few airr blowers to clean third rail now, but we have not had to much of a chance to try them out yet.
The Jet blowes are mainly to melt snow at interlockings and yard ladders so we can get trains out of the yard.

not exactly MNRR-related, but if you want to see an interesting video that handles a post-blizzard operation (including a section where the video's train is the first to run over the westbound track, thus giving the appearance of driving through a snowy path rather than on track), check out Railroad Video Production's NJT Boonton Line cab video.

How would running a diesel set clear the third rail? Is it from the P-32's shoe running along it, but not taking power?

correct on the p32acdm and even the FL-9's still have the rear shoes but no longer hooked up electricaly just for third rail snow crearing.

L'mont wrote

What would happen if a blizzard dumped a ton of snow on the area over a weekend night when trains were few? What do they do?

Well, that very event occurred when a rather monumental snow storm struck on a Saturday night and Sunday just last February, so I'm sure some crews can comment first hand on how it was handled

I'm not crew but I was ridding the trains that day. Delays and big porblems in the morning when most of the snow fell. There was very little traffic overnight so the snow just kept pilling on top of what was there. Not much of a problem by mid afternoon. Rode a train around 5 and it was actually early by 2 minutes.

Just an off topic aside, but the old time Railroaders would be turning in thier graves if on time was 5 min 59 seconds off the advertised.

Dont some schedules have padding built in to the time?


Moderator, please feel free to put this into a new topic if is apropriate.

some? hah.....EVERY final destination arrival time on MNRR, LIRR, and NJT schedules have an extra 5 minutes or so tacked on. It does NOT take 8 minutes to go from Brewster to Southeast, or 12 minutes from 10 Mile to Wassaic, or 25 from Hamburg to Pok, but that is how they are shown in the schedule.

This thread is about snow clearing - bring it back on topic. If YOU want to start another thread go ahead.

kevin

My curiosity was raised by the fact that there used to be such large snow clearing devices and now there are none. Why did they need those huge rail plows 80 years ago? They didn't get that much more snow.

How much snow is too much for a P32 to push through. What problems are avoided by snow removal?

Ive plowed Snowin blizzard of 96? with two P32's and no problem with a 2 to 3 foot layer.
80 years ago there was no global warming ??

There also switch heaters built into every interlocking. When it starts to snow, I will contact the signal maintainers to see if we need to turn on the heaters. Once the maintainer gives me the go-ahead, I then call the Power Supervisor who turns them on via remote. What I like to do in heavy snow storms is run trains on as straight rail as I possibly can without crossing over to many times at too many interlockings. This avoids switch failures which will cause delays. Once it stops snowing, the maintainers will go out to clean out the switch points and I will then throw each switch to make sure they are working properly and not fail.