Pan Am snow fighting equipment

Is the orange cable on the rear of MWS 80 an MU cable? It would be pretty cool to have the whole crew in the plow...driving the loco by wire.

Video by "dcarpine28" of the plow extra in Brunswick this afternoon: http://youtu.be/VzqRQr8tQPQ?t=45s

Photo by Sean DuBois of the plow extra in Auburn today: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3370916

bunky wrote:Engine pilots bottom out on the Hillsboro.

And about a 100 other spots, usually switch frogs.

MEC407 wrote:Video by "dcarpine28" of the plow extra in Brunswick this afternoon: http://youtu.be/VzqRQr8tQPQ?t=45s

Photo by Sean DuBois of the plow extra in Auburn today: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3370916

Absolutely classic "MEC" action. Really nice catches both of them.

The MU cable doesn't control the engine, but provides power for the lights.

Using the plow moves the snow farther than an engine plow pilot. The pilot must be 3" above the rail, per Fed. regs. Flanging out below the rails is most important. When the snow is over the rails, it is hard to control the train. It gets on the wheel treads, and reduces the friction of the brakes. The trick is to warm the brakes up well before the hill. Sometimes that doesn't even help. I never had one get away, but I had nearly full service on to control the train. A friend said that he couldn't hold a heavy train coming down through Westminster. He had District 3 line him up through Fitchburg.

My train was heavy, but also had lots of salt cars. They have some new aluminum ones, but most are old cars. The salt is so corrosive that they use cars on them last legs. Most brake poorly even in good weather.

gokeefe wrote:
Photo by Sean DuBois of the plow extra in Auburn today: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3370916

Thanks, it was a great day to get some pictures. There are rumblings of another storm that could potentially be big like this past weekends. Who knows, maybe we will see the plow extra back out next week.

Video by "MEC252" of a plow extra on the Bucksport Branch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IVttxGU0Is

tappermonk wrote:

gokeefe wrote:
Photo by Sean DuBois of the plow extra in Auburn today: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3370916

Thanks, it was a great day to get some pictures. There are rumblings of another storm that could potentially be big like this past weekends. Who knows, maybe we will see the plow extra back out next week.

Southern NE has a 50% chance of light snow for tomorrow night, I don't think it will amount to anything.

Excellent video of our friends to the north, NBSR with their Jordan spreader in action after this last storm. Note how they raise the plow just prior to the grade crossing and after the drift. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ObLNudx ... Wg&index=1

MEC252s video you catch the flanger lifting before the crossing.

There are some Russell Plows that have that lift feature, rather than having the flanger like the MEC plows, or maybe they have both. The Plow on the SLR is able to raise and lower.

MEC407 wrote:Video by "dcarpine28" of the plow extra in Brunswick this afternoon: http://youtu.be/VzqRQr8tQPQ?t=45s

Moron needs to back the hell away from the tracks when taking video.

Had a report that a plow train was at Leeds at 12:30ish today, 2 units, 2 plows. Maintainer was there, 2, maybe 3 guys.

Follow up report said they were going to "head west soon." No Form D given and radio went quiet.

Does anyone know what snow fighting equipment Pan Am has on its roster at the moment, and where it is located? Would also be curious to know what steps they are taking to prepare for the blizzard that is forecast to hit starting on Monday evening?

At various locations in Maine:

5 or 6 MEC single track snow plows
1 MEC Jordan Spreader


At East Deerfield:

2 B&M double track snow plows
1 B&M single track snow plow

MEC407 wrote:At various locations in Maine:
5 or 6 MEC single track snow plows
1 MEC Jordan Spreader

At East Deerfield:
2 B&M double track snow plows
1 B&M single track snow plow

Thanks! Look forward to seeing this equipment in operation this week.