Working strictly from memory, since I first read this (in Trains or Railroad) a half-century or more ago.
Scenario: Grande passenger train, 4-8-4 power, running eastbound (downgrade) from Tennessee Pass at night in a ground blizzard, temperature 'way below zero.
At an acute-angle grade crossing, the ice in the flangeways (which must have been as hard as armor plate) lifted the flanges, derailed the locomotive parallel to the road centerline and on the road. The engineer didn’t realize that he was no longer on the rails until a signal failed to appear. At that point he had run about a mile down the ruts of the hard-frozen dirt road.
No injuries, no damage to the equipment - but I’ll bet getting that train back on the rails was a bear.
I suspect this may be an ‘urban legend’ sort of thing. If so, it has a ‘punch line’, too.
That starts with the engineer being ‘called on the carpet’ shortly thereafter to explain to the Trainmaster or Superintendent how that extraordinary event happened. Of course, the engineer explained about the ‘ground blizzard’ and how the zero visibility, etc. prevented him from realizing what had gone wrong and what had happened instead, etc. I’ll leave it to somepne else to pick up the story from there, as the ending is a little different . . . [:-^]
One can argue all one wants, but, CNR kept a pair of GM A units for years just for plow service, and used them in freight service the rest of the time.
At least 25 years ago there was a photo in ‘Trains’ showing a CNR end-cab GM yard locomotive in the snow with it’s reflector headlight peering in the front window of a bungalow.
What had apparently happened is that the locomotive had derailed at sand, ice and gravel-filled flangeways at the nearby level crossing, slewed to one side, then followed the sloped road down and across onto the lawn, stopping just short of the house.
I can say that 3ft snow has not stopped me not from a start or at 45mph. it is fun to watch that snow fly when plowing thru it and looking back al you see is white. the better question would be how much snow does it take to keep you from stopping?
From now on, a telephoto lens Trains, December 1988 page 30
a wedge plow flinging snow farther than anticipated
( “BEAUMONT, RALPH”, CPR, FRONTISPIECE, PLOW, SNOW, TRN )
The ‘star’ of this story and photos from 1979 was UP 168, a borrowed GP9 with a large pilot plow on its front/ short end, with a pair of N&W GP38-2’s. The short version is -
After explaining their plight they were surprised by the response. “Well boys”, the RFE said, “You’ve got too many engines. With multiple units under those conditions, one of them is bound to unload due to wheelslip. When that happens you’re just dragging dead weight and the other engines will start to slip too. Your only hope is to go with just the 168.”
The rest of the story is pretty good, and not too long - I recommend it.
An inch of blowing snow and the right temperature will freeze switches and tie up a yard something fierce. Even switch heaters only go so far. Besides, below -30 or so the propane won’t vaporize without a vaporizer in the line.
I believe geography, climate, preparedness, and experience are all factors in addition to equpment and operations. Where there is very little snowfall a flake or two can send auto and rail traffic into all kinds of spins and standstills; where snow is a daily occurance from October to April, they know what to do in advance so that even several inches or more than a foot of snow will only slow things down and not bring all to a halt. Plows and pilot plows help keep lines open and not stop a train. Tracks that go untrfficed for long periods of time vs density of snowfall might stop but definitely slow a train or train service while a track that sees more frequent traffic vs density of snowfall will have fewer delays and stopages. Switches which are frozen or snowed in can prevent movement thus switch heaters and or trackmen with brooms and shovels are needed to keep things rolling. Lots of answers to your question but basically in boils down to where you’re railroading and how prepared and knowledgeble you are.
After getting at least 18 inches of snow in the snowstorm 2 weeks ago, while switching in the yard at the plant, 1-1/2 empty hoppers went on the ground due to deep snow.
So I’m guessing you were pushing the hoppers so they were at the front of the train without the little mini-plow that’s in front of the engine… it’s just amazing that snow could compact so much that it would lift a railcar… even an empty hopper still weighs many tons!
I just finished re-re-reading Robert D. Turner’s “Steam on the Kettle Valley” today. Some great snowplow pictures in it! Of note was that they always had a section crew with them. If a wedge plow got stopped, it would back off and the crew would shovel snow in front of it to provide a ‘cushion’ for the next attempt. When a rotary got to a snowshed, or tunnel, the section hands would have to dig out the plug it left before it could pass through. Not much fun, up on the Coquihalla, or elsewhere, in those winters! We get “wind slabs”, up here in Montana, due to the fierce winds. No fun, even for the recreational snow shoveler! No fun to ski on, either. “They’ll bite you!”.
Dateline: BNSF High Line, Shelberia, MT – we got up to +64.2 degrees F. today! It is now +29, and falling! Snow predicted. Our DSs, in Ft. Worth, TX operate our switch heaters. If no train crew notifies them of the changes in the weather, they have to rely on the ‘Defect Detectors’ to tell them what is going on, temp-wise. True, the switch heaters are supposed to turn on, if enabled, by the presence of precipitation. If someone doesn’t check them, the game is lost. That ain’t nice.
