I appreciated your video. It is one of the very few vids of a true live steam [not sparkie] plowing snow. Before I try to plow I usually leave the loco outside for a couple of hours to cool down the wheels. With the water in your loco, that just wouldn't work. The warm wheels just melt snow and slip on the icey rails. This was a great effort. Thanks for sharing.
Large-scale BigBoys are typically $3600 (More than TWICE what this engine cost), & require 10-foot RADIUS (20-foot DIAMETER curves)- this railroad's widest curves are 12.5 foot diameter (80" radius); the sharpest are 48" radius (8-foot diameter) - NO WAY a Bigboy would BEGIN to make it around curves like that. Biggest issue here was not so much snow depth as icy rails - I needed scale working sanders! ;)
oh well at least you could buy a diesel like burlington santa fe or a south pacific. there perfect for transporting heavy cargo and plowing snow off. ;)
To many hobbies and not enough time.You are suppost to be working dx when its snowing on the model RR. I have a G guage layout in my backyard and a room full of ham stuff too. Nice video,first time I have seen snow removal. It doesnt snow here in Central CA.
The Shay isn't superheated - only boiler-related problem I've had is the boiler water feed check valve getting stuck open occaisionally (had to remove it & clean it). I've also replaced the piston O-rings & retimed it for inside admission for better performance in the forward direction.; this engine has a LOT of run time on it! ;)
I've had better luck with it in the past; rail was especially slippery when I tried it this time, plus snow was "crusty" with freezing rain on top. Needed a working "scale sander"! ;) By the way, this is TOP speed for this loco (& yes, speed DOES help).
Don't quite think a propane torch would work well, with plastic ties on the track (a few already melted from scalding water ejected from this engine when it first starts), plus part of the line runs over (& in a few spots, THROUGH) our hedges! ;)
get a propane torch and mount it on a flat bed and melt the snow off.... I come from florida, so i know nothing about snow, but at least you would be playing with fire, which is what live steam is all about!!!
THAT IS my plan for this year, GG! :) This was the first year I had the full mainline completed; that plus the icy nature of this storm both formed a "crust" on the snow, & made the rails abnormally slippery to boot!
The Aristo plow works well, GG, as long as I have enough power behind it (DIDN'T in this case!). Check out my other snow plowing video with the 2 Bachmann locos - that was somewhat more succesful! ;)
Yes, I agree! :) (I'm considering building an electrically-powered one!). Trying to plow ice-coated snow UP a 3% grade (without working sanders!) is a bit of an exercise in frustration! ;D Tom
nice, can you pump water into the boiler when the fires lit?
durangoandsilverton 2 years ago
Yes, there's a check valve between the hand pump output line & the boiler; lets water be pumped into the boiler, but keeps the steam from escaping.
WA1LBK 2 years ago
thanks for that really good job.
mog5858 3 years ago
great vid
modeltrainsloft 3 years ago
I believe more than one shay is needed, lol...but great vid!!!
steved0689 3 years ago
I appreciated your video. It is one of the very few vids of a true live steam [not sparkie] plowing snow. Before I try to plow I usually leave the loco outside for a couple of hours to cool down the wheels. With the water in your loco, that just wouldn't work. The warm wheels just melt snow and slip on the icey rails. This was a great effort. Thanks for sharing.
JC
pimanjc 4 years ago
It was better if you used a bigboy for the job.that way you can save time than going back and foward with that train to plow the snow off ;)
lamoboy 4 years ago
Large-scale BigBoys are typically $3600 (More than TWICE what this engine cost), & require 10-foot RADIUS (20-foot DIAMETER curves)- this railroad's widest curves are 12.5 foot diameter (80" radius); the sharpest are 48" radius (8-foot diameter) - NO WAY a Bigboy would BEGIN to make it around curves like that. Biggest issue here was not so much snow depth as icy rails - I needed scale working sanders! ;)
WA1LBK 4 years ago
oh well at least you could buy a diesel like burlington santa fe or a south pacific. there perfect for transporting heavy cargo and plowing snow off. ;)
lamoboy 4 years ago
i use a SD-45 to plow the snow off my rails just bought it and it works like a dream, i bought it and a aristocraft snow plow.
1sp4wnk1ll4fun 4 years ago
To many hobbies and not enough time.You are suppost to be working dx when its snowing on the model RR. I have a G guage layout in my backyard and a room full of ham stuff too. Nice video,first time I have seen snow removal. It doesnt snow here in Central CA.
tnx,
W6NKJ
1arrya 4 years ago
Do you ever have problems with a leaking superheater? I have the Accucraft S12 0-6-0 and I've had to replace the superheater twice.
Indyguard20 4 years ago
The Shay isn't superheated - only boiler-related problem I've had is the boiler water feed check valve getting stuck open occaisionally (had to remove it & clean it). I've also replaced the piston O-rings & retimed it for inside admission for better performance in the forward direction.; this engine has a LOT of run time on it! ;)
WA1LBK 4 years ago
wow that is awesome, real snow on a real scale railroad, ill bet your brakeman was plenty pissed, hope his thermos was full of coffee that day!
sausageslaps 5 years ago
Definitely the little engine that could.
h1aa 5 years ago
Im quite supprised that a geared locomotive still struggles when snow plowing, maybe speed is the key?
23lovattdaniel 5 years ago
I've had better luck with it in the past; rail was especially slippery when I tried it this time, plus snow was "crusty" with freezing rain on top. Needed a working "scale sander"! ;) By the way, this is TOP speed for this loco (& yes, speed DOES help).
WA1LBK 5 years ago
Don't quite think a propane torch would work well, with plastic ties on the track (a few already melted from scalding water ejected from this engine when it first starts), plus part of the line runs over (& in a few spots, THROUGH) our hedges! ;)
WA1LBK 5 years ago
get a propane torch and mount it on a flat bed and melt the snow off.... I come from florida, so i know nothing about snow, but at least you would be playing with fire, which is what live steam is all about!!!
dgmarklin 5 years ago
THAT IS my plan for this year, GG! :) This was the first year I had the full mainline completed; that plus the icy nature of this storm both formed a "crust" on the snow, & made the rails abnormally slippery to boot!
WA1LBK 5 years ago
you can borrow my russel once I built it ;)
GuilfordGuy 5 years ago
The Aristo plow works well, GG, as long as I have enough power behind it (DIDN'T in this case!). Check out my other snow plowing video with the 2 Bachmann locos - that was somewhat more succesful! ;)
WA1LBK 5 years ago
why not plow down the 3% ;)
GuilfordGuy 5 years ago
Would it be possible to either buy or build a Jordon Spreader also?
adfgfds 5 years ago
Yes, I agree! :) (I'm considering building an electrically-powered one!). Trying to plow ice-coated snow UP a 3% grade (without working sanders!) is a bit of an exercise in frustration! ;D Tom
WA1LBK 5 years ago
You need a Steam Powered Rotary ;-)
adfgfds 5 years ago