How was snow removed from remote turntable pits in 1959.
Simple.Roundhouse laborers would use shovels in most cases…
If it got really bad, I’m sure someone would figure out how to get a bucket crane in position.
Actually, if it was a REALLY big snow storm, the turntable operator just moved the lever from “33” to “78” and it cleared out the pit in no time flat. [(-D] All seriousness aside, it would have been as Larry described.
Tom
After the snow was removed from the pit was it loaded into gons and hauled to some remote spot and shoveled out? Just out of curiosity, how do they clear out a pit in 2010 with high priced labor?
Well, step one is not having a turntable anymore. For the few places where one still is in service, it’s likly still shovels, but there maybe a ramp for a push-me snowblower
I HATE snow on the track! [:(!][:(!]
I would try to get hold of one of those jet engined snow blowers, sit it on one end of the table, turn the outlet round and go for a ride. After a bit you should be able to make 78rpm. [:-,][(-D]
Just a guess, but didn’t the roundhouse usually have a live steam hose from the boilerhouse, and would it make sense to melt it with that…like I said, just a guess. There was almost always a drain in the pit, so melted snow would be no problem.
There is currently an operational turntable in the BNSF yard in Tacoma WA, but we usually get little if any snow. This winter may be an exception.
Paul
Dayton and Mad River RR
No, that could be trouble. Though you have drainage in a pit I would suspect that if you used steam to melt the snow the resulting water would not drain fast enough and freeze into ice, damaging the pit.
If there was enough snow to actually hinder table operation (it would take a LOT of snow or a poor table) in '59 it would be a couple guys with out much seniority, in 2010, it would take a couple guys (again with low seni.) and a forklift to lower a snowblower in there, and another (with even lower seniority) to shovel out around the rail.
Years ago in a regional NMRA convention one presenter pointed out that In really heavy snow country (Michigan’s U.P., or mountainous areas for example), there were a few covered turntables - kinda like the famous Atlas HO turntable…at least on some smaller railroads (perhaps logging railroads?). I seem to recall a John Armstrong track plan which included a turntable with a cone-shaped roof built up around it for turning helper engines in a mountain mainline. I assume this was based (to some extent) on a real prototype??
Relying on (probably faulty) memory here - didn’t SP have a covered turntable (roofed over) on Donner Pass? I know they had miles and miles of snowsheds.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with concrete slide sheds)
Chuck is correct the SP had a covered turntable at Norden (Donner Summit) and at . I don’t know when they were removed. The one at was replaced by a balloon track (return loop). There is also a balloon track west of Emigrant Gap. These two balloon tracks make it easier to turn snow trains rather than turntables or wyes.
Have fun, Rob