The right kind of snow...

Northsider

Northsider

Modelling the Northern half of the Isle of Man
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In my youth I read an article in Railway Modeller about someone who built a snowplough for his garden railway, and then described clearing the line of snow. So last November I made a snowplough from brass sheet for my pdf Models Ruston diesel. But the snow was wet and packed too hard. But this latest snow is powdery, so with an early finish today...
Snowplough.jpg

All clear.jpg
 
Yep. I had a 2-6-2 double headed by a Bo-Bo diesel, and still got wheelspin :eek::eek:
 
"Right (Correct) type of snow"...egads, please, someone...tell me that "Mother Nature" and my friends the Storm Gods (I know them by their first names, Higgy, Moe, and Grunt) have started producing snow in 1:24 scale. I do know that there are many, many scales being used in this Large Scale part of the Model Railway hobby, but 1:24 scale snow would be just about correct for most of us.
The boys haven't told me of this new product, and "Mother" is off on a holiday in Tasmania.
Fr.Fred
 
What's wrong with a 12" : 1ft brush ;)
 
The fine, light flurries of earlier, are now becoming more persistent, and less-light.

Please form an orderly queue with 12" / 1' brooms! :eek::rolleyes::nod::nod:
 
Sean McGill said:
Traction tires and weight help with wheel spin..:devil:
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I don't use traction tyres, but both locos are battery powered and pretty heavy, that was 10 powered axles sitting under a ton of batteries, but not much progress.
 
Unless you are a skier or similarly demented, there is no "right" kind of snow. Snow is a necessary evil, good for insulating perennial plants over winter and for not much else. Grump grump, and bah!
 
Nice picture, especially the second.

All snow is good snow......just need more locos and a good heavy plow.
I have run up to 6 stainz and other 0-4-0 s (these seem to have more oompf per size than my large diesels and steam artics).

As for that in between temp, where snow melts on the track when the wheels roll over, then freezes, i have not found a solution.
 
Chris Vernell said:
Unless you are a skier or similarly demented, there is no "right" kind of snow. Snow is a necessary evil, good for insulating perennial plants over winter and for not much else. Grump grump, and bah!
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Agreed. Snow is like Christmas, great fun for kids but otherwise a PITA.
Bah humbug.
 
Chris Vernell said:
Unless you are a skier or similarly demented, there is no "right" kind of snow. Snow is a necessary evil, good for insulating perennial plants over winter and for not much else. Grump grump, and bah!
Click to expand...
Famously, British Rail issued a press release many years ago which blamed the suspension of rail services on 'the wrong kind of snow', which has become a shorthand for corporate uselessness. This was the 'right kind' because it could be cleared.
 
Northsider said:
Famously, British Rail issued a press release many years ago which blamed the suspension of rail services on 'the wrong kind of snow', which has become a shorthand for corporate uselessness. This was the 'right kind' because it could be cleared.
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Yes, I knew the origin story ;); that, and "leaves on the line".
 
Northsider said:
Famously, British Rail issued a press release many years ago which blamed the suspension of rail services on 'the wrong kind of snow', which has become a shorthand for corporate uselessness. This was the 'right kind' because it could be cleared.
Click to expand...
It wasn't a press release but a radio interview with a very senior and well respected operations director on BR who was asked why there were so many problems with the snow that was falling at that time. He stated that snow in this country is usually quite wet but the snow falling then was lighter and more powdery. It coincided with the introduction of push-pull trains running at 100mph+ where for half of the time the loco was at the back of the train pushing - the fine snow was whipped up by the train ahead and got sucked into the locos' innards. 25,000 volts and melting snow don't mix well and some major flashovers occurred, meaning that the trains had to be taken out of service to be repaired.

With more understanding of the problem, in recent years motors and other electrical gear have had enhanced snow protection, but you can't totally enclose them all the time as airflow is needed for cooling - motors get hot. A remedy is to run at reduced speed when the loco is pushing when snow is on the ground, or to always have the loco at the front (more difficult as terminal stations no longer have the facility to allow a loco to 'run round' its train.

The 'wrong type of snow' tag was invented by the media as the railways are an easy target. Problems over the past few days have been caused by ice rather than snow - just try running your track-powered G scale trains when there is ice on the rail as a result of a thaw and re-freeze, it doesn't work as ice doesn't conduct electricity although water does. Third rail electric powered trains have the same problem.

I speak from many years experience of trying to keep (real) trains running, including during the rare snow events in this country. Thankfully I no longer have receive the 'it's snowing, Guv' calls in the middle of the night but I have considerable sympathy for those that are out there trying to do their best when the elements conspire against them.

M
 
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