# What was this used for?



## matt785115 (Feb 13, 2012)

Hey all, I went to the Southern Railway Museum yesterday and found this on one of their outside rails. It has not been restored and the one guy there didnt know anything about this one. It was parked with the other MOW cars so I am guessing it was used for some kind of track repair?


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## matt785115 (Feb 13, 2012)

*here are the pics*

sorry figuring out the pics


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## sawgunner (Mar 3, 2012)

that is a variant of a Jordan Spreader. they are used for clearing snow from the line as well as ditching operations, ballast spreading, and general clearing of the lines. the ones you most commonly see have a front blade on them in the shape of a shallow V. looks as though that one was only a ditching model


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## matt785115 (Feb 13, 2012)

what time frame? it looks like its seen better days, but it also could have had bad owners,lol


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

matt785115 said:


> sorry figuring out the pics



Cool the pictures are fine.:thumbsup:
I stole them from you....OK?
Thanks for posting them.



sawgunner said:


> that is a variant of a Jordan Spreader. they are used for clearing snow from the line as well as ditching operations, ballast spreading, and general clearing of the lines. the ones you most commonly see have a front blade on them in the shape of a shallow V. looks as though that one was only a ditching model


Yeah I see them everyday.....common?
I never saw one of those anywhere.:thumbsup:

What year you think that is Steve?
Looks old?


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## sawgunner (Mar 3, 2012)

They have been around since the early 1900's. they are still made and used today. ones from the 50's on up have cabs on them but still need a loco to push them along much like the Russell Snowplow.

that one with how crudely it is operated looks to be one of the early ones probably around the 1920's era


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## alman (Oct 22, 2012)

sawgunner said:


> They have been around since the early 1900's. they are still made and used today. ones from the 50's on up have cabs on them but still need a loco to push them along much like the Russell Snowplow.
> 
> that one with how crudely it is operated looks to be one of the early ones probably around the 1920's era





I would love to see one in operation. Old or new.


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## matt785115 (Feb 13, 2012)

yeah that's ok , big ed. thank you guys for the info. that's is interesting stuff. i love learning and finding new things in this hobby. always something new!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

sawgunner said:


> They have been around since the early 1900's. they are still made and used today. ones from the 50's on up have cabs on them but still need a loco to push them along much like the Russell Snowplow.
> 
> that one with how crudely it is operated looks to be one of the early ones probably around the 1920's era


I will have to do a little research on them, I never saw any around anywhere.



matt785115 said:


> yeah that's ok , big ed. thank you guys for the info. that's is interesting stuff. i love learning and finding new things in this hobby. always something new!


Thanks......they really should paint that piece of history!
Fire engine red would look good.:thumbsup:


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## sawgunner (Mar 3, 2012)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rvl7MHrrx9E


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Several have been offered in brass over the years, only one plastic one, by Walther's...


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Here's one that tackled too much snow!


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## matt785115 (Feb 13, 2012)

Those are great video's guys, thank you so much


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## alman (Oct 22, 2012)

matt785115 said:


> Those are great video's guys, thank you so much



I agree , great videos.

One car at the crossing sure cut it fine.

Is the rocking motion of the plow intentional ?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I think the rocking is just the influence of the heavy snow. I liked the one where he got stuck!  There was another video made later where they had the six locomotives on it pulling it out of the snowbank.

Time to bring the rotary plow in for that job!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Well, without the plow on the front and the side plows also without the cab, it doesn't look anything like the ones the others posted here.
Shays maybe, because of the upright beams.
This ones quite older too, I guess.


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## joed2323 (Oct 17, 2010)

That second video gunrunner posted, is just amazing! Thats a incredible amount of snow to try and move with just a train! Well 3 locos to be exact!

I have no experience with how fast one should go pushing snow, and i would have thought in order for that train to even of had a chance to get through that huge snow drift, it should have been traveling alot faster with more momentum to push through that drift if at all possible! Would the locos derail easier if it was moving to fast???


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I'm guessing hitting the snow bank at a high rate of speed could start breaking things, starting with the plow. A large snowbank is pretty solid, that can be verified by the fact that it took six locomotives to pull that one out of the bank!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

joed2323 said:


> That second video gunrunner posted, is just amazing! Thats a incredible amount of snow to try and move with just a train! Well 3 locos to be exact!
> 
> I have no experience with how fast one should go pushing snow, and i would have thought in order for that train to even of had a chance to get through that huge snow drift, it should have been traveling alot faster with more momentum to push through that drift if at all possible! Would the locos derail easier if it was moving to fast???




Yes they would. That one was moving too slow, even the guys shooting the video said that. With that snow pile I think they needed more power and speed. A lot more that drift has to be a least 20" high.:laugh:

That is an old video, there is another on the net where one just buried itself. They have another how they got it out.


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## Gansett (Apr 8, 2011)

joed2323 said:


> I have no experience with how fast one should go pushing snow,


Having pushed a fair amount of snow in my pickem up trucks I can say this, you go fast enough to not get bogged down. But hitting a drift of heavy wet snow at speed is almost the same as hitting a cement wall. Or a curb stop that's firmly anchored
Either will tear up your plow and bend the frame in your truck.DAMHIKT


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

My point exactly, you hit a large snowbank of wet snow, and unless you're driving something VERY robust, it'll break something. There's a balance there, and it really depends on the composition of the snow. The light fluffy stuff you can hit as fast as you like. The wet brick-like stuff you need to use more caution.


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

The one in your pictures is much older than the one in the video. Yours is powered by steam to raise and lower the blades and may well have been built in the late 1800's from the looks of it. Actually it looks in pretty good condition except for a paint job. probably still would run if you knew about steamy things. Pete


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