My Dad, Eldon Morgan hired out on the D&RGW in 1946, he was a fireman for 20 years. He then became an Engineer for the next 22 years. He retired in 1988 after 42 years of service. He enjoyed getting together with the train crews that ran the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad. Dad passed away November 2021 at the age of 96.
I really enjoyed meeting your parents when I shot the interviews with them. Yes, I know that your dad kept in touch with the Cumbres and Toltec crews all through the years. Thanks for your post!
This was a Premium Excellent presentation! I have seen rotary videos before, but none of them gave us the steam and other details this one did. Thank you so, so much! And good narration too.
Thanks for posting this, it was fun. Was just talking about snow removal with friends earlier in the week, can't wait to share this with them. Well done, nice production.
Oh, that was an epic operation in 1991! This may have been the last time they run a rotary out of Chama for reasons that don’t really have anything to do with a Railroad. Future operations of the rotary likely will be on the Antonito side.
Interesting/informative/entertaining. Excellent still -motion photography pictures 📷. Enabling viewers to better understand what the orator was describing. Special thanks to veteran R.R. Employees sharing personal information/experiences pertaining to their daily activities. Jimmy Rogers dubbed the " Singing Break Men " was a genuine break men. Till changing careers to a singing entertainer 🎸🎶 ( 1926 thru 1933 ) # 1 song " Break Man's Blues ". 😭. Enjoying this presentation from the comfort zone of my computer room. Along the "Space Coast 🚀 " of Florida 🐊🐊. Wishing viewers/R.R. Crew a safe/healthy/prosperous/( 2024 ) 🌈🎉😉.
12:14 Glad to see segment on how the OY Rotaty snow plow itself operates.❄️ Built in 1923, this machine is now over 100yrs old, and still a very useful/important piece of railroad equipment. Earl Knoob was describing OY in 1991 as a "Locomotive in a Box" with its own fireman, boiler, tender, 18:15 set of steam valve gear and cylinders that power the rotary blade in front. It appears that the OY has much of the drive mechanism that powers a regular steam locomotive, but it is built into the machine facing backwards... 18:29 with the cylinders toward the rear, and drive rod reaching forward to what would normally be the main drive wheels+axle. 18:41 Those drive wheels do not touch the rail, but have beveled gears cast into an inner surface 18:06 which directly turns a large gear 18:49 on the back side of the rotor impeller wheel. Since 21:15 the OY is not self propelled, it relies on the pusher engines behind it to move OY down the tracks and push it through the snow to be thrown out to the side. That part of the video is now over 30 years old... is Earl Knoob still around? He might be about 75 by now, but it would be good to capture more knowlege with a combined interview including Earl and the other people who now run the OY each year. I am sure there are 100 interesting facts about running the rotary plow that people would like to know... and it would be great to preserve this knowlege before it is lost or forgotten. Can you create a focus/feature video with more detail about the operation of OY steam plow from the operators perspective ? This focus video could cover: ○ prep work+firing OY early in morning ○ maint, greasing, setup, needed ○ gages, levers, valves, controls, etc. ○ how many people it takes, and what each job responsibility includes ○ communication between people on team, to keep everybody coordinated ○ knowlege needed for each person ○ limited visibility: what can each person actually see, while working plow? even working in the dark. ○ history of design+construction ○ maybe some diagrams or animation for rotary plow's working components and controls. ○ problems faced while running OY in the past, and how those were handled ○ considrations for running steam equipment in very cold conditions ○ ie: steam also needs to be piped back to tender+water tank to keep extra water from freezing, even hours before water enters boiler ○ how does OY get ice off cold steel rails, after snow is thrown aside? ○ what happens when OY plow gets stuck, or can't push through snow+ice? ○ how often does plow need to be run to keep rail line clear in harsh winter conditions? Daily? Weekly? A few hours before every train scheduled? ○ What happens if snow walls cave in Behind the plow train after it passes, and they have a hard time getting back home? Are the forced to just plow forward to reach place to turn around and plow back? ○ in olden days would they have two rotary plows, with one on back of train, so they could opetate in both directions? ○ Work needed at end of day to "put OY to bed" but ready to use next time ○ where is OY plow stored when not in use? ○ can a rotary plow help clear tunnel openings, since cant throw snow in tunnel? ○ what repairs, maint, overhaul has been needed to keep OY running over the years? ○ general interviews of the people who have worked with plow OY... for thoughts, memories, how did you get here, what else have you done, people who worked/helped in the past, etc ○ ways that towns relied on snow plows to keep supplies lines running in the past, when rail+steam was a lifeline. ○ describing how plow crew communicated with each other and pusher engines in days before radio. ○ You might find crews who have run other rail snow plows in addition to OY ○ what special work is needed to clear ice/snow from rail switches in track that need to move? ○ snow plow would need to clear snow from rail sidings, yards, and multi track sections where snow needs to be thrown specific direction or longer distances.
12:41 the snow plow is doing so much work it takes two firemen to shovel 5 tons of coal and tend to the boiler. It seems like the fire crew are in a seperate compartment from the man operating the rotary plow mechanism itself.
Do a analysis of the new Brightline LA to Vegas plans, please it looks like all new ROW following I-15 to San Bernardo area, with connections to Amtrak. 2:44
Yea, pusher loco did have lots of wheel slip.I wonder how much ice+snow the plow can remove from top surface of the steel rail ? At 16:45 Earl describes the "Flanger" built into Plow OY, to remove snow near the rails that the rotary in front may not get cleared away... but I wonder what else is done to clean the rail itself: ● is there a metal "scraper" for each rail that cleans off any layer of ice+snow that may be stuck to top surface of the rail, so pusher engine gets better traction? ● if so, how do they keep a scraper from catching at gap often found between each 30ft section of rail? ● Does plow OY have some other sort of "scrubber" built in to clean top surface of rail? ● could they even use a hot jet of steam to melt off snow+ice from rail as plow moves forward? Might that also explain how OY uses so much extra water for boiler, and even needs an extra water car behind coal tender? ● are there places in floor where plow crew can look down to watch/inspect condition of rail as it goes by, and watch for ice that would cause slippage for pusher locomotive? ● what special considerations does plow crew need for clearing ice/snow from moving parts of rail switches? ● does the weight of OY plow wheels on rail simply force most of the ice+snow off top of rail,without needing a special mechanism ?
@user-mr8ij8gi7c hi! I'm a docent at a railroad museum near the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, and have a deep love for the rotaries, so I'd like to answer your questions! Alright, so the flanger on this rotary plow is more of a wedge that's been angled downward to sorta scoop out some of the snow in the guage. It doesnt help much, but it does something. Now, you asked about a rail scraper, and then if they caught on rail joints. The answer is kind of complicated, but the short is no. Rotary plows had largely one job, which is to clear the base minimum path for travel through deeper snow and cut flange ruts into the snow and ice with their wheels. Usually a rotary is weighted significantly to decrease the risk of derail and increase the depth of those cuts. That weight also does a decent job of cleaning the railhead of snow, so you got that right. What you might be interested in is a designated flanger, which is capable of a lot more. A flanger has a wedge plow with rail slots cut into it that digs down between the guage and scoops the snow out. This is best done at speed, and modern flanger trains run around 30-40 mph. To clean the railhead off just that much more, they can also be equipped with brushes, or in the steam era, a steam heat jet.(check out the UP challenger they converted to that purpose, kinda neat). Other equipment includes spreaders, which push snow and ice even further away from the track, and switch burners, which pretty much are giant flame throwers to melt the ice around switches so they throw smoothly again. Those two aren't used as often, but are still important. If you have any more questions, I'd be happy to answer them!
**** UTTERLY DISGUSTING*** THE AMOUNT OF POLLUTION THAT IS THROWING OUT. THE OPERATOR HAS NO IDEA ABOUT FUEL AND AIR MIXTURE FOR REQUIRED EFFORT. Whats the point of preserving history if we neglect the future?
This is almost like a superhero movie to me. The Rotary OY, the #487, and the #484 are like an intrepid trio of superheroes who come out to clear the way for people to enjoy the C&TS. On Cumbres, the odds are stacked against them, and there are moments where you are on the edge of your seat, but the heroes always overcome.🦸
My Dad, Eldon Morgan hired out on the D&RGW in 1946, he was a fireman for 20 years. He then became an Engineer for the next 22 years. He retired in 1988 after 42 years of service. He enjoyed getting together with the train crews that ran the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad. Dad passed away November 2021 at the age of 96.
I really enjoyed meeting your parents when I shot the interviews with them.
Yes, I know that your dad kept in touch with the Cumbres and Toltec crews all through the years. Thanks for your post!
I remember see your dad on Rotary snowplow through the Rockies vhs all the time 📼
111111
@@RailwayProductionsyou should pin his comment up top. 💯🥹
I have all the Rotary OY DVD. I grew up watching the Rotary snowplow through the Rockies. It was good seeing her restored
This was a Premium Excellent presentation!
I have seen rotary videos before, but none of them gave us the steam and other details this one did. Thank you so, so much! And good narration too.
It's glad to see the Cumbres and Toltec keeping a rotary snow plow in operation.
Thanks for posting this, it was fun. Was just talking about snow removal with friends earlier in the week, can't wait to share this with them. Well done, nice production.
Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed it
I Also Love Rotary Snow Plow OY & Her Sister Rotary Snow Plow OM 😊 😊 😊 🚂🚂🚂 Thanks For The Compelement
Amoke inhilarion must be awful for the cre during the tunnel traversing😮.you gotta be able to holdyourr breath for a long time??????😮
I Love Rotary Snow Plow OY
Makes for wonderful still-motion photography scenery shots -!!!😉.
Agreed
This was all so very interesting! Thank you for creating the video and showing it here.
Awesome video Les!
Awesome Video Les!, I have a brother from Kentucky who likes Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad
You are correct
good job les
What an amazing sight!
I HATE the snow.... but I love this video. Thanks for making and sharing.
Being a photographer snow ❄ ⛄⛄ always enhances the scenery -!!! 😉.
Thank you very much.
Awesome video enjoyed watching 👍👍👍
Even though I’m Australian, I grew up watching your coverage of the 1991 operation of OY.
Glad to see the rotary is still in use.
Oh, that was an epic operation in 1991! This may have been the last time they run a rotary out of Chama for reasons that don’t really have anything to do with a Railroad.
Future operations of the rotary likely will be on the Antonito side.
Awesome video 🚂👍🚃
Interesting/informative/entertaining. Excellent still -motion photography pictures 📷. Enabling viewers to better understand what the orator was describing. Special thanks to veteran R.R. Employees sharing personal information/experiences pertaining to their daily activities. Jimmy Rogers dubbed the " Singing Break Men " was a genuine break men. Till changing careers to a singing entertainer 🎸🎶 ( 1926 thru 1933 ) # 1 song " Break Man's Blues ". 😭. Enjoying this presentation from the comfort zone of my computer room. Along the "Space Coast 🚀 " of Florida 🐊🐊. Wishing viewers/R.R. Crew a safe/healthy/prosperous/( 2024 ) 🌈🎉😉.
Really enjoyed!!
Thank you for the info on the sd60e I see these east of mechanicsville running both ways to Ayer mass and back west
train move away snow long last ever playing run I love to see this video.
12:14 Glad to see segment on how the OY Rotaty snow plow itself operates.❄️
Built in 1923, this machine is now over 100yrs old, and still a very useful/important piece of railroad equipment.
Earl Knoob was describing OY in 1991 as a "Locomotive in a Box" with its own fireman, boiler, tender, 18:15 set of steam valve gear and cylinders that power the rotary blade in front.
It appears that the OY has much of the drive mechanism that powers a regular steam locomotive, but it is built into the machine facing backwards... 18:29 with the cylinders toward the rear, and drive rod reaching forward to what would normally be the main drive wheels+axle. 18:41
Those drive wheels do not touch the rail, but have beveled gears cast into an inner surface 18:06 which directly turns a large gear 18:49 on the back side of the rotor impeller wheel.
Since 21:15 the OY is not self propelled, it relies on the pusher engines behind it to move OY down the tracks and push it through the snow to be thrown out to the side.
That part of the video is now over 30 years old... is Earl Knoob still around?
He might be about 75 by now, but it would be good to capture more knowlege with a combined interview including Earl and the other people who now run the OY each year.
I am sure there are 100 interesting facts about running the rotary plow that people would like to know... and it would be great to preserve this knowlege before it is lost or forgotten.
Can you create a focus/feature video with more detail about the operation of OY steam plow from the operators perspective ?
This focus video could cover:
○ prep work+firing OY early in morning
○ maint, greasing, setup, needed
○ gages, levers, valves, controls, etc.
○ how many people it takes, and what each job responsibility includes
○ communication between people on team, to keep everybody coordinated
○ knowlege needed for each person
○ limited visibility: what can each person actually see, while working plow? even working in the dark.
○ history of design+construction
○ maybe some diagrams or animation for rotary plow's working components and controls.
○ problems faced while running OY in the past, and how those were handled
○ considrations for running steam equipment in very cold conditions
○ ie: steam also needs to be piped back to tender+water tank to keep extra water from freezing, even hours before water enters boiler
○ how does OY get ice off cold steel rails, after snow is thrown aside?
○ what happens when OY plow gets stuck, or can't push through snow+ice?
○ how often does plow need to be run to keep rail line clear in harsh winter conditions? Daily? Weekly? A few hours before every train scheduled?
○ What happens if snow walls cave in Behind the plow train after it passes, and they have a hard time getting back home? Are the forced to just plow forward to reach place to turn around and plow back?
○ in olden days would they have two rotary plows, with one on back of train, so they could opetate in both directions?
○ Work needed at end of day to "put OY to bed" but ready to use next time
○ where is OY plow stored when not in use?
○ can a rotary plow help clear tunnel openings, since cant throw snow in tunnel?
○ what repairs, maint, overhaul has been needed to keep OY running over the years?
○ general interviews of the people who have worked with plow OY... for thoughts, memories, how did you get here, what else have you done, people who worked/helped in the past, etc
○ ways that towns relied on snow plows to keep supplies lines running in the past, when rail+steam was a lifeline.
○ describing how plow crew communicated with each other and pusher engines in days before radio.
○ You might find crews who have run other rail snow plows in addition to OY
○ what special work is needed to clear ice/snow from rail switches in track that need to move?
○ snow plow would need to clear snow from rail sidings, yards, and multi track sections where snow needs to be thrown specific direction or longer distances.
12:41 the snow plow is doing so much work it takes two firemen to shovel 5 tons of coal and tend to the boiler.
It seems like the fire crew are in a seperate compartment from the man operating the rotary plow mechanism itself.
I like video les 😊😊😊
I second the LONG motion by user-81j...
I think his idea would make a very interesting program.
Trains and snow blowers of yesteryear.
Great video. Don't get to see a rotary plow in PA.
Unfortunately not much need for a snow plow anywhere this year 😤
12:25 Earl Knoob
EPA left the chat
Do a analysis of the new Brightline LA to Vegas plans, please it looks like all new ROW following I-15 to San Bernardo area, with connections to Amtrak. 2:44
They shouldn't need a Rotary plow La to Vegas😊
@@BruceBergman A plow over Cajon Pass occasionally, but likely not a rotary...
The smoke must be overpowering for the passengerswhilst passing thro' the tunnel😮?
Windows closed.
@@annemaria5126 the carriages had doors at either end.sothere muat have been a xonsideravle draufghtas neither of the doorshad an si-tight seal
the route between Amamosa and Durango, long torn up?
🤔 here's an idea, let's Un-tore the line up.
Sounds like the lead loco was having lots of trouble maintaining traction.
Yea, pusher loco did have lots of wheel slip.I wonder how much ice+snow the plow can remove from top surface of the steel rail ?
At 16:45 Earl describes the "Flanger" built into Plow OY, to remove snow near the rails that the rotary in front may not get cleared away... but I wonder what else is done to clean the rail itself:
● is there a metal "scraper" for each rail that cleans off any layer of ice+snow that may be stuck to top surface of the rail, so pusher engine gets better traction?
● if so, how do they keep a scraper from catching at gap often found between each 30ft section of rail?
● Does plow OY have some other sort of "scrubber" built in to clean top surface of rail?
● could they even use a hot jet of steam to melt off snow+ice from rail as plow moves forward?
Might that also explain how OY uses so much extra water for boiler, and even needs an extra water car behind coal tender?
● are there places in floor where plow crew can look down to watch/inspect condition of rail as it goes by, and watch for ice that would cause slippage for pusher locomotive?
● what special considerations does plow crew need for clearing ice/snow from moving parts of rail switches?
● does the weight of OY plow wheels on rail simply force most of the ice+snow off top of rail,without needing a special mechanism ?
@user-mr8ij8gi7c hi! I'm a docent at a railroad museum near the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, and have a deep love for the rotaries, so I'd like to answer your questions!
Alright, so the flanger on this rotary plow is more of a wedge that's been angled downward to sorta scoop out some of the snow in the guage. It doesnt help much, but it does something. Now, you asked about a rail scraper, and then if they caught on rail joints. The answer is kind of complicated, but the short is no. Rotary plows had largely one job, which is to clear the base minimum path for travel through deeper snow and cut flange ruts into the snow and ice with their wheels. Usually a rotary is weighted significantly to decrease the risk of derail and increase the depth of those cuts. That weight also does a decent job of cleaning the railhead of snow, so you got that right. What you might be interested in is a designated flanger, which is capable of a lot more.
A flanger has a wedge plow with rail slots cut into it that digs down between the guage and scoops the snow out. This is best done at speed, and modern flanger trains run around 30-40 mph. To clean the railhead off just that much more, they can also be equipped with brushes, or in the steam era, a steam heat jet.(check out the UP challenger they converted to that purpose, kinda neat). Other equipment includes spreaders, which push snow and ice even further away from the track, and switch burners, which pretty much are giant flame throwers to melt the ice around switches so they throw smoothly again. Those two aren't used as often, but are still important. If you have any more questions, I'd be happy to answer them!
Smoke ring! 1:00:01
I could forsee a return to steam if WW3 goes nuclear and enough of us survive to begin rebuilding.
You folks are killing your equipment! There is lots of video out now, Save it for a very veryt special ocassion.
**** UTTERLY DISGUSTING*** THE AMOUNT OF POLLUTION THAT IS THROWING OUT.
THE OPERATOR HAS NO IDEA ABOUT FUEL AND AIR MIXTURE FOR REQUIRED EFFORT.
Whats the point of preserving history if we neglect the future?
I KNEW I'd find one of you here...
It takes a incredible amount of skill to make a clean fire on coal(it is possible but Very difficult) and most of the operators are noobs at it
@@bmolitor615a person who doesn't care about historical reenactment and only likes pleasing the EPA(that has done nothing because legally they can't)
@@up844productions8 ...OK?
Bro drives a Tesla and thinks it’s good for environment but does not understand history and these machines work.
This is almost like a superhero movie to me. The Rotary OY, the #487, and the #484 are like an intrepid trio of superheroes who come out to clear the way for people to enjoy the C&TS. On Cumbres, the odds are stacked against them, and there are moments where you are on the edge of your seat, but the heroes always overcome.🦸