Snow ploughs

[Taunton]

Out of interest, does anyone know whether a steam loco has ever been used for snow clearing duties (fitted plough/propelling a plough) on the UK main line since the end of main line steam?

West Somerset did it (and not for the first time) in 1978.

http://www.wsr.org.uk/snow1978.htm

You're going to say that Lydeard to Minehead is not a main line ...

 

[ainsworth74]

So, any pictures of snow ploughs in action in the current weather?

 

[stu77]

How does the driver on the class 66s see past that Huge plough ? And i mean the one on the west coast not east.

 

[ac6000cw]

How does the driver on the class 66s see past that Huge plough ? And i mean the one on the west coast not east.

If you mean NR 'Independent Snow Ploughs' like the one in the picture on the NR web page - https://www.networkrail.co.uk/runni...t-machines-vehicles/seasonal-track-treatment/ - they are narrow enough at cab window level to see past the plough blade. When it's ploughing through a drift though there is probably too much snow around to see anything - that's why it's a job for experienced crews who know exactly where they are in the darkness...

 

[stu77]

If you mean NR 'Independent Snow Ploughs' like the one in the picture on the NR web page - https://www.networkrail.co.uk/runni...t-machines-vehicles/seasonal-track-treatment/ - they are narrow enough at cab window level to see past the plough blade. When it's ploughing through a drift though there is probably too much snow around to see anything - that's why it's a job for experienced crews who know exactly where they are in the darkness...

Cheers I could not work it out from the network rail Scotland pic on twitter.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

If you mean NR 'Independent Snow Ploughs' like the one in the picture on the NR web page - https://www.networkrail.co.uk/runni...t-machines-vehicles/seasonal-track-treatment/ - they are narrow enough at cab window level to see past the plough blade. When it's ploughing through a drift though there is probably too much snow around to see anything - that's why it's a job for experienced crews who know exactly where they are in the darkness...

Traditionally , a line being ploughed was under a possession , so there would in theory and practice be nothing else around (obviously) so a run from point A to B , would be free of any other trains and a clear understanding of where signals were that had to be obeyed was inherent. The staff chosen to do it (and still to this day I am sure) , would be extremely experienced and highly route competent.

A good friend took a plough down a line (the plough incidentally was rushed down from Ayr) - "somewhere in the south of England" - and succesfully did the job , though the very young second man who accompanied them was so spooked he left the service.

 

[ac6000cw]

Traditionally , a line being ploughed was under a possession , so there would in theory and practice be nothing else around (obviously) so a run from point A to B , would be free of any other trains and a clear understanding of where signals were that had to be obeyed was inherent. The staff chosen to do it (and still to this day I am sure) , would be extremely experienced and highly route competent.

That's what I guessed was normal practice - thanks for the info.

In the classic US 'Battle for Donner Pass' snow-fighting video, at one point they are steadily ploughing away in the winter sunshine and then hit a drift that is a bit too much to handle, resulting in the Jordan Spreader (a large plough with variable angle 'wings') and the front bogie of the lead loco derailing and rolling the rail over. Re-railing that lot and then repairing the track in deep snow and sub-zero temperatures took a lot of hot coffee I suspect...it just illustrates that snow clearance doesn't always go to plan, even for the very experienced.

 

[Scotrail84]

 

[Cowley]

I remember reading about a pair of 37s on snowplough duties a fair few years ago having the multiple working cables torn off due to ice hitting them.
It’s never easy repairing things with freezing cold hands...

 

[Class83]

So there were independent ploughs on the WCML & Beilhacks on the ECML. How many other snowploughs/blowers were out today? Or is it mostly just 37s with mini ploughs?

 

[class303]

no a video but a few pics from Network Rail Scotland on twitter https://twitter.com/NetworkRailSCOT/status/969333427873992705

 

[tsr]

Ploughs dispatched from Tonbridge to Maidstone East!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Ploughs dispatched from Tonbridge to Maidstone East!

1987 all over again ......

 

[LAX54]

Just want to throw out a big thankyou to all the staff that kept AGA/DRS going over the past few days, not been an easy time, and yesterday well done to the staff that manned the DRS 37 (0I00 & 0M00) that cleared both the Clacton Line that had wind blown 6 foot drifts at Thorpe, cleared the Harwich Line too, then back to the Clacton Line, and also all the staff of which there were many on the DRS short hauled set that kept the Main Line clear Diss to Norwich, by running up and down between hauled sets, and one point after ploughing the line near Gissing, stopped and spent 90 mins or more behind the train digging out.

 

[Steptoe]

The Norwich to London line could probably used a snow plough yesterday but had to settle for two PW men with shovels!

http://www.edp24.co.uk/home/search?...omDate=&filterFromDate=&toDate=&filterToDate=

Edit: Apologies: post overlapped with swills

 

[jamesontheroad]

I understand from a fellow commuter between Norwich and Peterborough (I've not had to travel this week) that the snow plough in March sidings (which has been there at least a decade, by my guess) hasn't been touched all week. Could have been useful over the county border in Norfolk.

Edit, for those who don't know it, here it is on Streetview in June 2016, stabled and looking a little rusty, opposite March East signal box.

(PS... not quite a decade, as it's not there in the Streetview of the same location in May 2009)

 

[Ash Bridge]

I understand from a fellow commuter between Norwich and Peterborough (I've not had to travel this week) that the snow plough in March sidings (which has been there at least a decade, by my guess) hasn't been touched all week. Could have been useful over the county border in Norfolk.

Perhaps not fit to run though?

 

[tsr]

A DRS 37 and plough have now been sent from Stowmarket to assist the fire service, BTP and NR in rescuing passengers from a train involved in a serious dewirement between Downham Market and Littleport. The 37 may need to be used as the replacement transport...

 

[chorleyjeff]

Not snow clearing - but there was a case of bad salt contamination in / around 1996 on the WCML north of Weaver Junction - and a Black 5 (I think) was hired from Carnforth to help clear it using steam lances , powered by the loco of course....(salt came from a leaking freight train cargo) ........

Thought it was an 8f between Preston and Lancaster clearing salt as described. But it was a long time ago.

 

[DarloRich]

It has been/is completely mad out there.

i think every msp fitted loco in the country is in use including 50049 which twitter tells me has been out clearing the midland. Beilhacks have been out on the east coast, ISP on the west and i am fairly certain they will be needed on the western later on.

The issue may well be not having snow ploughs but having loco's and crews available to work them at this rate

 

[chorleyjeff]

It has been/is completely mad out there.

i think every msp fitted loco in the country is in use including 50049 which twitter tells me has been out clearing the midland. Beilhacks have been out on the east coast, ISP on the west and i am fairly certain they will be needed on the western later on.

The issue may well be not having snow ploughs but having loco's and crews available to work them at this rate

It is not all mayhem.
Just driven down from the Central Lakes to South Lancashire and saw hardly any snow. The motorways are completely cleared and traffic was light. Mind you the wind is bitter even though there is a slight thaw.
We must be very lucky here.

 

[MrB]

Good pictures of a snow plough in action on the Maidstone East line here - https://twitter.com/NetworkRailSE/status/969599989293961216

 

[ChiefPlanner]

1987 all over again ......

Makes me proud to have worked on the Southern.

 

[DarloRich]

Good pictures of a snow plough in action on the Maidstone East line here - https://twitter.com/NetworkRailSE/status/969599989293961216

Thats the snow and ice treatment train plough wagon. Thats only a small one

 

[a_c_skinner]

That looks a considerably easier and more cost effective solution than looking for locomotives with MSPs.

 

[TheEdge]

There was rumour the March plough was going to make its way to Anglia today, first to Sheringham then off down the East Suffolk. Not sure if thats happened or happening.

 

[TheEdge]

No, scrap that, the March plough is currently running a 7Z37 on its way to save Anglia.

 

[furnessvale]

No, scrap that, the March plough is currently running a 7Z37 on its way to save Anglia.

How many days since the snow began to fall? Even then, there had been a week of warnings that snow was on its way.

It's not rocket science, or expensive, to keep an unpowered independent snow plough fit for use.

What happened to the much publicised resilience review of a few years ago?

 

[jopsuk]

Scotrail have published a video (with commentary!) from a plow job on the WCML

 

[dk1]

No, scrap that, the March plough is currently running a 7Z37 on its way to save Anglia.

Just the one plough as the other is blocked in in March sidings. Will have to keep turning which is going to be a bit time consuming.