I like to model MOW oddball stuff. I have recently been communicating with Plowman and he has some really neat plows in his fleet. I am curious to see what others have that is scratch built or kitbashed in their MOW equipment. Here are a few of mine. Many are Roundhouse 3 in 1 kits which are sort of half scratch built. The shortened Russell snow plow is a Walthers kit based on a picture I found on the net. All are still works in progress. Pardon the dust on some!
Let’s see what you got!
Dave
Dave you have some sweet MOW cars!!! That CP shorty is VERY nice, and I’m going to have to get one of those flanger kits!!!
Anyway, Here are some pics of what I have and some of what I dont have anymore but are appropriate for this post. I love looking at others MOW stuff, the best part about MOW equip is that most roads used older cars or made homebuilt things, so it really brodens the scope of what you can do when it comes to customizing. There is no “this is how its supposed to look” in MOW equip!!!
Okay… Here goes…
This is an old Athern rubber band drive rotary that started it all out for me collecting snowfighting equip. It was on my way to the springfield Mass train show many many years ago when I was a kid. I have had this car unchanged for over 25 years!!!
!(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/Trackburger2/Train Pictures/DSCN6652.jpg)
This is one of an old Brittish Hornby Triang Plow. It is OO scale, but if you change out the trucks they make great HO candidates. These ones are getting hard to find and sually the wings are broken. This one is minty mint!! Not going to touch this one!
!(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/Trackburger2/Train Pictures/DSCN6651.jpg)
Here are 2 that I got from a fellow railroader / plow enthusiest, they are the pride of my fleet. The CN plow is from a triang plow, heavily customized, and the other is another athern rotary which is also heavily customized to be a self propelled diesel…side shot not produced to protect his personal railway name. 
!(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/Trackburger2/Train Pictures/DSCN6648.jpg)
!(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/Trackburger2/Train Pictures/DSCN6650.jpg)
This is a work in progress that I currently workin
Very Nice Work Guys!!!
Someday I would like to make a nice Plow that DME/ICE uses. I freelanced one using an ore car that I covered & repositioned the front truck, It looks neat but not prototypical.
MOW has been one of my favorites, and I have quite a few, too many to show individually. Here are some group shots:
Bob, that double ended plow on the lower photo is really neat looking.
This is my big hook 250 ton crane and crane tender in my freelanced Bunker Hill and Eastern colors. Athearn blue box undecorated with Champ decals and added details like floodlights
I have some more, I may have to dig them out of a box and photograph them.
Found a few more images in my Photobucket account of some MOW equipment:
Bob, Those shovels are Awesome!!!
Are those shovels kits? Where did you find them?
The first (smaller) Marion shovel is a Rio Grande Models kit, I believe they are still available.
The second Bucyrus shovel started out as an MDC/Roundhouse “3 in 1” kit. These "kits’ came with some parts from their line, and lots of instructions to fabricate much of it yourself. Most of the models posted first in this thread come from the same line. I’ve made them all too.
My completed model was OK until I discovered photos of the real Bucyrus shovels. My model took a tumble off the shelf and came apart, did not break. So I took this occasion to rebuild it more like the prototype, using photos as guides. New body, added details on bucket and boom, etc. Boom swivels and raises, all doors and vents operate, and the rear deck folds up into the body.
I started digging through all of my pictures only to discover I’ve never done much photography of all of my kit-smashed MOW equipment. Here’s some I do have.
Below: A trestle rebuild underway using my custom painted MOW equipment:
Below: I didn’t build nor letter this unique crane tender, but I did add the wheel load and the track cleaner underneath:
Below: A re-worked Rivorossi plow gets checked for damage. The round hole is for a temporary coupler so I can tow the car both ways.
Nice stuff, The pic of your crane tender did not show up.
Railphotog:
Those are some really neat models. The cranes are very well done.
I am curious about the double ended plow. What are its origins? I suspect it might be brass.
Dave
Nope, it was scratchbuilt:
Here is my freelanced plow, based on an ore car. (I’m sorry if you have seen this before…) The front truck is moved forward, a cover added & a few attempts at hot (heated) styrene molding sheet resulted in the basis of a unique plow shape. In these pictures it is shown with loco’s that are almost done or mid-way before completion & weathering. (the loco’s are not ‘all’ finished in these shots)… This Plow was one of my first serious scratchbuilding & freelancing projects, I still admire it… Thanks!
PS: I would really like to find ‘data’ on the real DM&E/IC&E plows that resembles a ‘ButterCup’ style car, to model one in the prototype someday.
PSS: She really ‘rides the rails’ if I put in 33" wheel’d trucks, pictured are 36" wheel’d trucks.
Bob B,
You inspire!
Great work, & Awesome collection!!!
Some more unusual MOW equipment:
This pile driver is an etched brass kit by Sheepscot Scale models.
The tracklaying machine was scratchbuilt using plans and supporting gussets and such that were “bonus” parts in the pile driver kit.
Bob!
Scratchbuilt is the best and yours is supurb! I am not normally a ‘rivet counter’ but 1500 individual rivets is impressive.
Do you know if this plow had a special purpose other then not requiring a means of turning it? I could see it being useful on a wye if there was a run around track close by. Actually I guess it required a run around wherever it was to be used in reverse.
I have often wondered what it would be like to ride in a snow plow at speed. The crew must have been bounced around pretty good! The last issue of Canadian History has a picture on the inside last page of a Russell plow bursting through the snow at a road crossing. According to the caption people would gather from several miles around to see the plows at work.
Cool model!
Thanks
Dave
Chad: That DME ore car plow is Great!!! Thats what I like to see, the cars that are completely ordinary that you wouldnt find on another layout anywhere!!! I think you did a great job on it. What is your method for hot molding the styrene, it sounds like it may help me out with some of my projects, To use a sheet thin enough to bend to the curves I want sometimes makes the part to fragile, yet the right thickness is near impossible to manipulate to the radius’ I need. Do you soak it in hot water, bend it and let it cool, dip in cold water??? I had thought about heating it but wasnt sure what would be the best way.
Bob, That track laying car is very impresive, I have never seen anything like that before. You gotta give it to the guys from way back in the day who came up with these ideas for making such a laborous job easier! (not you Bob, your a young buck!
The details that go into your models are just amazing, everytime I see one I think it should be in a museum!!! You never fail to impress!
Bob:
Even more cool models!
The track laying machine is truly unique.
Dave
PlowGuy & other Folks…
Well, in an amature-ish way, I used a Propane torch… Yeah a torch & styrene (& I light a cigarette with my paint thinner, Yup…)
No, Really!? What I did, was to make cardboard patterns. Then selected brass tubing to form the radaii from. I marked the cardboard in the “square” angles of the ‘desired’ (I meant ‘Desired’) shape of the finished unit. Once I was satisfied with that, I transferred that to styrene, & over cut a couple blanks. The right or ‘engineer’ side was a one time hit, worked out perfectly! The left side however, kept slipping or drew heat where not intended, & on the third try, was somewhat accomodating… I rolled it over brass tubing to get the nice roll draft, it was active as it was not just a simple bend over, I needed to wash out the ends. Once the centerline was measured & trimmed. the basic plow shape was intact. I then assembled, braced it, & squared it to the carbody. At that point it oddly looked like a figure ‘8’ hourglass nightgown… Then, I remembered my Dad had one of those carpenters laser levels… Hmmm… Perfect for laying out the sides, so I did, & then trimmed them to specifications. That is pretty much the long & short of it.
Say, I really appreciate the kind comments, even if it is a fictional unit, Thanks guys!!! I appreciate it!!!