Cumbres and Toltec Rotary steam powered snowplow gets to work 2020 Part 1.
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 5 окт 2024
- It's been over twenty long years. But now the rotary snow plow comes back to life to do what it was built to do. Clear snow and a lot of it. The nearly 100 year old rotary was brought back to life earlier this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad.
With the exception of a fall stalls, everything went well. No mechanical problems were encountered along the way. On this day the train traveled from Chama, New Mexico to the Colorado state line. Tomorrow the train would travel up to the top of Cumbres Pass (in part 2 of my video). Filmed on February 29th, 2020.
My husband was the operator of one of the last rotary snow plows used in the Blue Mountains of Northeastern, Oregon. That was in the 1950s.
The horn sound!!! When I was a kid growing up there was 3 sets of railroad tracks I could hear from my house. Once or twice a year they would run one of those old trains down the track, I was here that horn and drop whatever I was doing and run to the front of my house as fast as I could to see that old train going flying by. History is what makes life so great! P.S it probably been close to 30 years since I heard that horn!!! Nice job guys👍
There should be 560 thumbs up. Man,is that cool. Double headed steam locomotives pushing a steam powered rotary snow plow in 2020. Life is good for railfan's. Thank you Tom.
1:87/ HO Scale Steel Mill Modeling. ......couldn’t have said it better. I feel very fortunate to see this even if it’s not in person.
@@alcopower5710 Agreed. We are very fortunate to see this type of rail action in 2020. Always wondered what the mechanical workings of a rotary was. Tom did a great job finding out for us all. Great advertising for this railroad. Makes one want to make travel plans.
You are welcome.
It amazes me how when she struggles and is at her slowest,she sounds like men breathing really heavy. If you didn't know better,you'd think it was a giant walking up a mountain.
@@giuseppe397 Whats really amazing is both locomotive engineers working the controls at the same time in unison. That is teamwork. I imagine it takes years of working together to achieve this. Does sound like two old guys breathing though.
Old masters have gone! But the legacy continuous through these old monster machines. Keep it up for generations to see and admire.
Hats off to the "Old Timers" who imagined and did things that we can again marvel; Hats off to those who volunteer and work tirelessly to keep our History alive and for those who document and share so we all may see..........
These Look Like Furness Railway Engines
Does anyone have any actual footage of the west end of Englewood yard in Houston, Texas from the early 2000's
Z
I feel the same way. Hopefully we will never lose videos and history like this one.
YES when men were men and acted like it. These guys act fearless. Love it.
I think my husband died & went to heaven. He loves this. Thank you again.
You are welcome.
The whistles sound beautiful, even the shrill one. Must be the snowblower. Don't think the engines had that type of whistle. Love it!!
Yes the rotary whistle is different from the other locomotives so there is no confusion.
Wow! So much work to even getting the train going. My hat off to all workers! God bless them.
So much respect for these folks who bring our history back to life! Regards from a retired, Civil War reenactor. :)
What side do you fight for asking respectfully. Love u either way. I like learning the reasons why for that war so many more then most people think
Think about the old 440's wood burners they used and the rail cars so epic I wish that class wasn't lost commercially. At least these boys keep it alive
Second time watching it and it is as great as the first time. I could watch this video over and over again. I probably will. Thanks for sharing. Great job!! ❤️
Thank you.
Amazing setup, so great someone have put all the effort needed to saved and maintain this old equipment. Back in the day when they didn't need 15, unstable, costly electronic sensors and 5 computers to tell them that the snowplow had stopped turning, they just used their eyes... 'hey, looks like it have stopped, lets back up!'
They locomotive operator at the rear couldn't see anything, that's why the boss on the plow head watches for obstructions and crossings and uses whistle signals and each power unit repeats to relay and acknowledge.
@@DF5776 that and now they proably uses radios also to communticae with each other
@@DF5776 Most of the rotaries that have been converted to electric traction-motor power to the wheel have a control stand in the cab of the rotary so the locos can be controlled from there. The unit behind the rotary has the traction motors disconnected and the power cables run to the traction motors attached to the wheel shaft.
I hope they keep on preserving these classic trains and cars from rusting up by the snow. This is truly awesome and amazing to see ..
All that wheel slipping was fascinating! That Steam snowplow means business !
Realmente ese tren realizó una hazaña. Trepar hasta la cumbre de la montaña sin quedarse atascado y los trabajadores y maquinistas tan perseverantes. Tienen toda mi admiración. Excelente video. Saludos desde Argentina.
I love steam equipment. I ride steam when I can! I helped to rebuild and recertify 1914 Huber Steam tractor and boiler. it was finished just days before its 100th birthday.The engineers and fabricators and the operators have my admiration! Thank you for showcasing this.
Tom! What wonderful videography! I enjoyed this beyond belief. I found my heart racing during the wheel slip episodes and saying "Come on girl! You can do it! YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO FAST BUT YOU HAVE TO KEEP MOVING!" This? Right here? Is magic to me......I know that when I sleep tonight I will dream of being an engineer or other member of the team that made this old lady dance again!
Thank you. That was very exciting for me as well as I had never seen a rotary and watching this was a life long dream come true.
"I think I can I think I can..." Of course you can, Darling(s)! There is something about the SOUNDS of steam engines, isn't there?
Even standing next to these in a yard in the middle of summer is quite terrifying
Was amazed at the amount of work these men put in to get this marvelous machine ready to work. Thanks so much for this wonderful video.
Many thanks! The work of people who know how to keep their history is impressive!!
Love to see Cumbres and Toltec rotary snow clearing. Wish i was there...
That was brilliant thank you. A young loco engineer/driver would become an expert in regulator control in about 90 minutes on a job like that. We have lots of steam heritage railways here in the UK, but nothing quite like this. An hour of my time well spent
I think not on one run. See how the snow isn't sticking to the trees? That tells me it's pretty darn cold out. A warmer day would yield different traction parameters I think? When I live in Labrador for 4 years, I heard that Eskimos had over 100 names for all the different ice/snow characteristics, our local Indians had many as well. Also, as the coal tonnage goes down, I'd imagine it would slip even more, but I'm just a fan, like you,, not an engineer.
@@garychandler4296 These are tender locomotives, with the coal and water riding on a separate wagon behind the locomotives. The tractive effort would not change significantly between empty and full in this design, although as the engines use their supplies the train would get lighter and be easier to push.
Its a different story with tank engines where the mass of fuel and water contributes to traction.
this is gorgeous. props to those guys for even getting that old rotary snow plow to work again
Rotary snow blowers are still in use around the rockies.
@@DonLafontaine62
.
I enjoyed riding on this train one summer. We were followed by a small "hand car" to put out the fires set by the locomotive. A wonderful trip!
The small car is called a "speeder" and is powered by a small gasoline or diesel engine.
While diesel may be more efficient, it does not replace the beautiful sounds that steam locomotives make, and the beauty of these machines as well. I so love seeing these big, old, beautiful beasts on the rails! And a steam rotary snow blower is glorious as well! And daaaaamn that amazing wale of steam whistles makes me goose bump!
A truly wonderful look at vast machinery of years gone by which restored and maintained by today's volunteers still operate in this diesel age to good effect. I have been cab riding thru Switzerland and Austria beautiful scenery , but sheer vastness of USA landscape is in a class of its own. Thank you for sharing this video with us all, mind you what the Extinction Rebellion crowd would say about emissions I shuuder to think.
11:58 - 12:27: This actually made me choke up a little bit. Just seeing the engines continuing on into the distance as that beautiful whistle echoes through the mountains - words can't describe it. Just incredible.
What magnificent machines these are. I know it's unrealistic, but I very badly wish there was an actual running, fully useful daily passenger steam train still in use today.
Wow Winter, Steam and Colorado........ bout as good as it gets.......... those mechanics must be doing a great job!! TY
Its a very soothing sound isnt it, the sound of steam engines. Wonderful, thanks for sharing.
My congratulations to the people who got another piece of history working again. They always amaze me how some much needed elbow grease and research can bring these mechanical wonders of the past back to life. Also acknowledgement to the locomotive crews who worked through this, you could hear those locos were working hard.
14:53 Something so soothing and haunting about that train whistle
Paradise for steam buffs! Plenty of steam smoke etc slowly moving along. A lot of people would have no idea of how much power is in steam, a lot of torque!!!!
WOW! This is an amazing video. So nice to see all this old equipment still working. It's a glimpse into the past and what it was like to live in the age of steam power. Thanks for sharing this great video!!
You are welcome.
This video is a memory for me in 1957 my dad worked on the DR&G the crew got stuck on the pass the cumbres Toltec.
The deep snow and a snowflake trap the train crew on the top of the pass, a week before my dad just got married to my mom, they had to use the Rotary, to get them out I've got pictures of the whole thing and my dad standing on the coal, they had to get messages to all the wives that they were okay the slide hadn't taken the train out they were just stuck, they had to call the National Guard and drop supplies to the crew, so they can eat, I was born the next year😊
my grandfather was an engineer on the DNR G, my dad was a fireman, this video means so much to me because it shows me how they did this but this is so🥰., and back then they didn't take tourist to Silverton it was to take stock and supplies it was a working train not like it is today, my dad loved this train. My dad lost and I do to Korea and they had to take my dad off the train because of the loss of one eye he was going to be trained to be an engineer and it didn't happen broke his💔
Yes those winters snows were brutal. I have read many stories of even the rotary's along with many steam engines getting stuck and snowed in. Some people were stuck on those trains for over 3 weeks. Some people became desperate and tried to walk back to town and never made it. Just trying to film some of these scenes I was waist deep in snow. Hard to walk just 50 feet. Your dad may have not been a engineer but he did experience working for the D&RGW which is some nice bragging rights!
What fabulous video of the rotary snowplow in action. My wife and I rode the train from Antonito to Cumbre. It was a great trip and the scenery is terrific. If you are a rail buff the steam locomotives are vintage.
Late January 1978 my wife and I were on leave and we boarded a train in Romania with a rotary in lead. 6 hours into the trip heading to Bulgaria we picked up 2 very impressive engines. I asked a British couple what that was about and they told me there was a 7 mile canyon just before the Bulgarian border that was filled with snow. 7 miles took us 5 hours and in spots the snow was about 3' above our sleeper car. What a trip we had. Our trip to Greece was great but we opted to fly back to London, lol. By the way, they served some of the finest food I have ever eaten.
A treat for eyes and ears this.
It seems if the clearing of snow gets easier when the snow is deeper, maybe the snow doesn't pack as tight at the bottom lip of the rotary when it was under a deeper cover and not so much subject to thaw and frost like the surface of the snow.
And now quickly to part 2!
Yes I think the lighter snow melts in the day and ices over at night. The deeper snow is just powder.
Романтично,звук паровоза ,красивый лес,много дыма.мне очень понравилось. Благодарю .
That must have been a most-rewarding, albeit cold, winter day in the mountains!
Thank you for the film!
Yes it was fun.
The old workhorses of this industry which defined America still going strong! 🇺🇸🚂🇺🇸
I absolutely love it, old iron and still getting it done. Thanks for sharing!
I could smell those old engines and remember the burning eyes from stray coal motes just watching this video.
Thanks for the memories and the Railway Engineers.
Feel like I'm going back in time somewhat looking at the older style trains
Yes they did a good job with the train.
The ingenuity of man - even somewhere for the crew to eat and sleep. They don't make them like that anymore. Fabulous restoration.
Great grandad's boiler blew on his train in New Hampshire. I think in the fortys. Stay safe out there and thanks for letting us see what it was like.
Wow what a fantastic video. These trains and rotary are amazing. I love steam trains. Tom you do a fantastic job taping videos. Thank you for sharing.
You are welcome.
The whistle combo at 14:54 is fantastic!
That is how the crew talked to each other
Notice the rotary whistle is shriller than the loco's whistles so it is not mistaken.
Years ago, I rode this historic railroad. Fun stuff.
Breathing like a living thing. I love that sound!
Ya man she talks to ya
A running wolf came to my mind. A beautiful, powerful beast.
@@dorothyford6616 More like a stubborn bison -)))
The first steam train...What a beauty! The 484!!!
Love steam engines! In Huron Erie
Co Ohio!!!!!!!!!!! Woke me up every night😊
I'm fascinated with these rotary snow plow train's.THE "OY" IS MY FAVORITE ONE TO WATCH ‼️ PLEASE COME BACK WITH SOME NEW VIDEOS FOR (2021&2022). I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THEM ‼️♥️❤️💙🎄⛄☃️🌲.
Some great footage of a historic setup. Beautiful scenery. I especially liked the section beginning at 1:03:16 just before the end. That winding section of continuous footage is spectacular!
Thanks for sharing this!
You are welcome.
My favorite part too
I worked on C&T RR in 1970 . I fired the first locomotive the first night we got it . I was one of the mechanics that got things running after years of sitting .
You should go back for a visit.
Amazing footage. I definitely did not realize that even a rotary plow did not make getting through snow easy.
Yeah even with modern equipment the speeds haven't changed, and clearing up after snow storms is even worse, turtle crawl at best.
I cant imagine a sight and sound more beautiful.Such strenght,such force,such power,such inginuity and such history !!
I love the sound of double-headers, as the exhausts get in and out of synch, or one engine slips. Syncopated steam.
And whistle signals blown and acknowledged. Two shorts, go forward; three, go back; one, stop.
Must be the best video of trains removing snow this year.
I remember seeing footage of the OY in action back in the '90's with three K's pushing it through snowbanks almost a deep as the rotary was tall. It's great to see this marvelous piece of history running again!
I have never seen a rotary in action before. This was very exciting for me.
@@travelingtom923, I've yet to see a rotary in action, period, let alone a steam powered one. However, going on an OY excursion is on my bucket list
Been watching gen. Manifest trans for 74 years on pretty much a daily basis , worked on C&NW,and the Milwaukee Road,it never stops being a thrill and this video was EPIC ! Thank you for posting
You are welcome. I have been watching trains since I was a little boy but never seen a rotary in action until this happened.
I love the echo of the train whistles in a vast forest.
Different types of whistles are cool certain whistles I prefer
@@philtallant2338
Steam whistles have a distinctive sound that is not duplicated in the air horns on diesel engines. The Corps of Engineers used to operate a steam-powered, stern wheel snag boat, the WT Preston, on Puget Sound and surrounding waters; it led the boat parade on the opening day of yachting season through the Montlake Cut of the Lake Washington Ship Canal each year. When I worked for the COE they used to let a select number of Corps employees of the Seattle District. To ride along on the Preston for the parade. It was a real thrill to hear her steam whistle go off that must have been heard for a long distance away. Since the WT Preston was retired some years ago, she can only be seen as a high and dry static display at Anacortes, WA.
I totally agree. If you noticed they are also in a valley, which adds a nice element to the sound. The microphone on the camera did an outstanding job of capturing the unique sounds in this video; so much so, that the sounds are true to life, making it easy to imagine yourself there.
When I first heard it I thought it was an elk call
First time I ever heard a whistle like that of the steam snow blower. I guess it is distinctive for a reason. Wonder how much snow has been blown. Thank you for this film.
Absolutely mesmerizing, fascinating and heartwarming to see. The beauty, both mechanical and natural, are well captured here. THANK YOU.
Nicely done -- thumbs up for your great video, and kudos to the Cumbres & Toltec for operating the rotary steam plow.
What fantastic machine to put snow out that far!
Great video.
I have seen this rotary at work before, on a video a few years ago.
I am very pleased to see that it is still being used for the purpose for which it was designed.
England had the "V" ploughs, this would have been an awesome sight to see especially up in the "wilds" of Cumbria heading up to Scotland!
Pity we don't get that much snow here in Australia,- not where the trains go, anyway.
I remember hearing about when they use one of those v plows and run through a station. Every window was broken
We were present there along with a bus load of railfans and traffic control. This film is testament to the professionalism of everyone watching, your frame never shows the railfan crowd! A great quality record of the railroad's mighty ability.
I'm absolutely astonished with amazement. This is blumming fantastic. Thanks for the footage.
I'll be darned if this isn't one of the most fantastic and beautiful railroading sequences I've seen in my short career. Lovely video!
Thank you.
It's the GOSPEL on rails !
@@travelingtom923 9
0
@@travelingtom923 ฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟฟ
I can't tell you how many times my husband and I have watched this video. We love it and your videos. Thank you Tom for filming and put this all together and for sharing. Merry Christmas!!!!!
Thank you Valerie. Will be heading out for a trip tomorrow towards Chicago. Will be bringing back lots of train videos.
I like the scene at the start where the two locomotives slowly puffed past the derelict one, it was as if they were solemnly paying there respects to a dearly departed friend.
Engine 492 isn't dead. It is taking a long nap, awaiting a turn in the restoration shops. Currently it is marked on the roster as stored, and we might see it come alive again in the future as other equipment wears out and needs to be let rest for repairs.
Well done, Tom. Fantastic video. 'Atta boys' to all involved in getting those rigs out.
Great job clearing the line. Very cool invention vs. the plow.
Beautiful trains on winter wonderland, one of my favorite Rotary steam trains, wow! time to shovel that snow!..... thanks for sharing this winter video....
Incredible piece of Engineering. A credit to those that keep it Working
Very beautiful countryside. Great video, thanks for posting!
Every few hours of the day just outside by the foot of the mountain,an Amtrak trains plows across my kitchen window.It adds flavor and greater enjoyment to my morning cup of coffee.But not all my lady friends seems to agree......🤣😁
Thanks for the great ride! Feels like I’m right there!👍✌️😊🙏🏼🚂🚂🚂
You are welcome.
That old girl just doesn't have enough horsepower to compete with the newer models of snow blowers. In her day though she was the only show in town.
This is one of the greatest C&TS videos ive seen in a while. Even though ive never seen OY operate, this creates a sense of nostalgia to the old rotary footage i used to watch when i was younger. This is one for the ages - Great job!
Thank you. I was very happy we had nice weather with minimal wind. Turned out to be a excellent day for this event.
5/30/21, I too have always loved steam locomotives. My wife of seventy years and I took our Grandson when he was 15yr. to see " ole 40", steam locomotive in Wyoming and later to Ford Museum in Detroit to see "Big Boy", too bad. too many steam locomotives were cut up or sold to China. After WWII all of our street cars/inter-city railway systems were replaced, no thanks to the "big three" automakers who wanted them replaced with city buses. Europe restored their city railways. Thus they don't have down town automatic gridlock like we do ; thanks, Gen. George Marshall's plan in restoring Europe! Have a Blessed Memorial Day and thank Military Veterans. "Been there and done that". We served with Honor and would do it again!An old Veteran, God Bless USA!
As a loader operator, it makes me really nervous seeing those legs in all those pinch points... That's a lot of trust in the operator, and a lot of faith in some really old hydraulic hoses... Stay safe everyone!
Thanks you....Not many times one gets to see old...History still working...EXCELLENT...!
Both vascinating and relaxing to watch. I live in serious snow country so our RRs are bermed up 5 ft and (diesel) locomotives can simply plow as they go. Thanks for this vid.
a
I would love to this train. Soo refreshing to think back when we where so innocent and not so many sad things in this world. Love this video. Thanks
It's a beautiful train ride. Fall colors are the best time for a visit.
You know that in Yiddish, "oy" is short for "oy, vey iz mir", which translates to "oh, woe is me". It's purely coincidental that the C&T's snowplow is designated "OY", but considering when it is used, the irony in its designation is obvious. Congratulations to the Cumbres and Toltec for keeping this noble relic in operation!
Exceptional, nothing in the world like Rocky Mountain scenery and American narrow gauge locomotives climbing the steep icy rails with skill, sand and steam power.
a video tour of the rotary explaining how everything works and all the different parts to a machine like that would be pretty cool.
How marvelous to see this. Those that run the railways here in Britain would have a nervous breakdown at the thought of snow clearing. They have previously declared that we have the wrong kind of snow, so the trains cannot get any grip on the tracks !!
Just give BO JO and his bum chums a shovel. In fact give a shovel to all politicians. Railways would be cleared in time.
I seem to recall pictures of British trains running through snow in the Nineteenth Century. Must have been the old fashioned kind of snow.
Check out an amazing film made by the British government called Snow, about the arctic blizzard winter of 1962-3, back in the age of steam, and the efforts of British Rail to get things going again. Amazingly, they gave the soundtrack of this 15--minute documentary to the founder of electronic music in the UK, Daphne Oram, (also founder of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop) to do a remix, it's wild surf style guitar with electronic effects and speeds up faster and faster as things get moving again.
@@richardlanchester249 Thanks Richard. I actually have a copy of that film which has for me a special memory. In January 1963 at 16 years old I traveled (By train) from Scotland to Sharpness and the Gloucester Docks. Where I spent three months at the camp of the Merchant Navy training ship 'Vindicatrix'. That was a hard winter with plenty of snow to clear every day on the camp !!
Thank you...great video! Love the scenery...and of course the train whistle and horn...the best.
Îmi place să le urmăresc, îmi plac pufaiturile lor. Îmi amintește de copilărie, la începutul anilor...70....mai mergeam la bunica cu așa tren, aveam9 ani.
Man I've actually seen some cabooses still working back when I was kid.
When I was a kid I seen them all the time now you never see one.
My father designed and repeatedly revised the system that replaced them in his 42 years worked for the railroad. The EOT is now the caboose. Made a very good jab at PTC too, but was tired of internal politics and retired.
We used to hop the train to get around. After a while they stopped manning the cabooses, so we felt like big shots riding in our own private rail car.
Thanks to a great effort and production to make this happen. Too bad the original designers and engineers of this machine are not here to see. The last 12 minutes were fantastic and well worth the wait.
Yes they built them to last back then!
Good to see old equipment still in use.
What an awesome site to behold a steam engine and OY this old and still running. Great job on video thanks for standing in the cold to film it for us. Guess I’ll never see a site as this in person. You guys are so blessed to work on this RR.👍👍👍👍🌟🌟🌟
Don’t think I’ve ever saved a video to my best list this fast......thank you so much for sharing
You are welcome.
That is one badass snowblower
Very nice video that brought back memories of when I and my dad rode the snow plow train back in the early 1970's were they would stop for us photographers to get out in front the plow. I was covered more than once with snow while shooting stills and Super 8 movies. This is wonderful coverage and thank you for putting your work on line!
Hate to see if they had real snow to go through!
But what a beautiful sight to see, the awsome power of steam.
Thanks for your video, Tom! There's some cosmic action in there.
As all we 'illustrators' know, you can do only one of two things on the photo line. You can shoot or you can watch but not both. We concentrate on the best design and timing we can while the action unfolds in front of us. Doing such, we miss out on the details of the action.
We still people need videographers like you. You give us the chance to see what we 'missed.' I love watching thick snow 'boiling' in the wheel and cowling. What a sight.
Thanks for letting me catch up on what was really happening.
My stills will appear in the next Narrow Gauge World magazine at the end of this month.
What a beautiful video, watching the steam locomotives at work is an awesome experience, I was surprised to see so much wheelslip and even more to see that the sanders didn't help much...