BNSF Rotary Snowplow In Action!
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- čas přidán 16. 01. 2024
- Hello everyone. Today, we take a slight break from the model railroading as I document probably what will be a once in a lifetime event for myself. Due to heavy snowfall in Nebraska, BNSF activated two rotary snowplows. Both the Lincoln, Nebraska and Alliance Nebraska rotaries were activated to clear snow from various subdivisions in Nebraska.
Join us as we brave the sub zero temperatures to witness one of these ancient machines in action!
That was way cool! I remember years ago, my uncle (an engineer) took us to a side track of a manufacturer and started up an engine and allowed us kids to experience running a real train engine up and down that siding for a couple hours. (Careful not to pass a signal point that would have alerted someone of activity on the main line) It was something I will never forget! Years before that my Grandpa worked at UP Shops in Omaha and rewound electric motors. My other uncle worked for BNSF as a maintainer replacing sections of track as needed.
I respect a person that incorporates both my love of trains and Donald Fagan lol
Well I definitely enjoy 70s music since it was the decade in which I was born. I still say it’s some of the best music ever written! Steely Dan rarely wrote anything that I didn’t like. 😊
Excellent video and beautiful stills. Thank You for the opportunity to see this plow in action.
Thank you very much for the kind words and thank you very much for watching! 😊
As a big 56 year old kid I loved your video. Thanks for braving the cold to make it happen! Your kids look like they had a super great time. Brian
Thank you so very much for watching, and while it was tremendously cold, it was definitely worth being able to capture that footage! ☺
I lived across from the elevator in David City! The sheet metal building was my dad's construction business! I watched many trains there. A Burlington Northern crew presented me with my first trainset as I got to know them by name. I even got to ride in the locomotive during switching. Lots of memories!
So glad I found your channel. Brings back memories from the 1970's of my days as an extra-man working trains and bad orders in the repair yard with the STL. Terminal RR. Helped finance my college tuition. Stay safe. 😀
LOVE the Beavis and Butthead shirt!
😂 Thanks a lot! I didn’t actually mean to wear it for making the video, but it obviously became a pretty good hit! 😁
This was a great video. As a child I'd sneak down to the local freight yard to watch the trains. Eventually I followed a set of tracks that led to the roundhouse and it was like heaven. They still had a few steam engines but were well into converting over to diesel. I thoroughly enjoyed finding your channel. And the music was like icing on a cake
Thank you very much Rick for your kind words, and your support to the channel! Even though I was born in the 70s, I still did the same thing by walking up to the Burlington Northern yard and Galesburg, Illinois, where I grew up. There were many good experiences of people who took me under their wings, and encouraged me, but I did get runoff a few times, lol!
Your comment sounds like you were with me in the early 50s in Prescott AZ.
@@daveneumann8106 Perhaps we were hanging out together in a former life! 😂
@@warbonds could very well be
Brilliant video and photos. I think we saw this plow some years ago in Lincoln. I think it had a cables F unit to power it back then.
It did in fact did have a covered wagon B unit at one time as power, but that locomotive is sitting out of service in Kansas City and will more than likely never run again.
@@warbonds thanks. I meant cabless. Spellchecker had other ideas. We were on a road trip in 2012. We flew into Lincoln via Chicago from the UK. Then, North Platte (Railfest), Alliance, PRB, Cheyanne, Denver, Topeka, Kansas City and back home. It was brilliant. My last trip to the US (CA) was 2018 and I can’t wait for the next time.
My father was the primary electrician on the Santa Fe rotary snow plow for multiple decades. It set in Topeka's engine shop yard for everyone to see, for decades.
I bet that was a cool sight to see. That was probably back at a time when people were more friendly. I went to Topeka about 2 1/2 years ago, and they weren’t quite so friendly around the shops.
HI NILES
I WAS AN MACHINIST IN ARGENTINE AND WORKED ON THE BLOWER, MYSELF!
Love the T shirt. Thanks for the awesome video love the snow plows/blowers
Thank you very much and thanks for watching! ☺
Loved every minute of the video and still shots and am especially grateful for the info on how that beast works. Love your channel!!!
Thank you so very much for your encouragement and kind words! Even though it’s not modeling like I normally do, I’m glad that I could be able to share some educational information. ☺
Greetings from Norway. Our big rotaries Are retired many years ago so it was Nice to see this one. Now we mostly use Beilhack blowers with large capacity on the Bergen Line ( 1200m over sealevel)Last weekend we had a massive snowfall that stopped all trafic. A large Gm diesel with large frontplough together with snowblowers fixed it. Minus 20 celsius. Brrrrr. 😊
That’s definitely cold because that’s about how cold it was when we were out there witnessing this machine but it was worth it! 😊
Impressive machine. Every time I see one I think of the James Bond movie where the skier doesn’t make the jump when he is chasing Bond.
Good stuff man! The people who operate these plows have gotta have one heck of a high stress job. Their need pay attention to their surroundings and yet being partially blinded by snow. The way the operator turned off the plume and slowed right down for the kids by the tracks was great. Thank you, it's a difficult job. And, by the way, Great Tunes!!! Garth
Fantastic work eric. Nothing better than the real thing. A lot of people don't know how heavy snow is removed from the tracks. 👍👍
Thank you very much for the kind words! I never thought I would get a chance to see a rotary in action in real life, and being that I had a friend who was actually a part of the operation, I too was educated on how the rotary actually works! ☺
Saw pictures of one of those working its magic in David City this week! So cool!
Thank you so very much for watching and all of your kind words! Your story is especially touching about the training crew getting you your first train set. I never got a train set, but I remember getting a T-shirt from a Santa Fe engineer back in Galesburg, Illinois when I was a young teenager. I thought that was pure gold, so I can imagine how you felt getting that train set! ☺
Yes! You and your children have had an adventure you will never forget I worked for Santa Fe in New Mexico and Arizona where we had snow, and quite a bit at times, but never had to call for a rotary.
That’s awesome that you worked for the Santa Fe! I really admired the Santa Fe as a kid, and still have admiration for the Santa Fe! I always thought that I would work for the Santa Fe when I got it age, but I ended up working for the CNW/UP.
This was definitely a special time for me, because I never thought I would live to see the day that a rotary snowplow would be in use in my neck of the woods! ☺
An excellent video! I especially liked the evening/night shots, AND the fact that you included the names of the towns near where the plow train was working.
Thank you very much for your kind words and encouragement! I’m truly glad you enjoyed the production. 😊
Eric, first time I came across your channel. AWESOME video!! I loved it. The Rotary shots were really cool and the music was even perfect. Finally, it is a GREAT thing to see a Dad and his children enjoying so much together. Keep doing what you are doing!
Well, first of all, let me give you a very warm welcome to the channel. I’m certainly glad you’re here! I appreciate the wonderful and kind words, and yes, it was a great time to make memories with my kids that I hope they will always remember! 😊
Wow, I remember that VHS cassette of "Love Those Trains" took a lot of wear when I was a kid. If I recall correctly, they showed a spreader bend it's hydraulics and it had to be cut with a torch, then rotary to the rescue.
Exactly! I remember that show being Friday night entertainment after a week of school. I definitely watched it over and over!
That was the first time that I remember seeing a rotary snowplow in action, so to get the 2024 to be able to see one in actual operation was one of those things off of my bucket list before I pass away
I remember that VHS tape I had it as well, I'm 41 and still love those trains lol. The old Monon railroad and yard is right behind my house here in Bloomington Indiana. It's now a park. The only train tracks are several miles away and the Indiana RR only comes through once or maybe twice a day. I can always hear it when it's coming through though
Very Interesting Video and Glad your Kids got to Experience it. 👍🙏
Good job and you brought the kids, the way it's suppose to be done
It was definitely great to make memories with them! 😊
The rotary is clearly casting to the left so I have an idea, let's stand to the left. Brilliant Clark! Oh, let's have our kids stand close to the tracks so that when the rotary blade shoots out a rock or the blade breaks it will take them out. Good news is they will never know what hit them and small coffins are cheaper than full sized ones.
Awesome video Eric! I got nailed about as bad as you did from a fast grain train on the UP and I was done for the day. Good to see you were able to keep going. 😊
We continued to brave it. 😊
Cannot believe they brought a rotary out for that little bit of snow
There were areas where the drifts were higher, but by the time it got to those areas, it was too dark to shoot, and I was already back home. Either way, I won’t complain for having had the opportunity to witness this machine in action.
I’m totally digging your channel I recently found it. I haven’t finished the video but I will after this on your combine flatcar build I live in rice country here in Northern California. We have a lot of combines and I totally love the Beavis and Butthead shirt I’m a huge fan. Thanks for sharing and I look forward to more of your channel. BNSF snowplow is sweet. 👍👊
Really neat! Thanks for sharing your video! I'd never seen such a thing! 👍
I’m really glad that I had the opportunity to capture it, and even happier that I was able to share it in an educational way! Thank you very much for your encouragement!
Wow, Love the Steely Dan Sir. Nice pictures.
Thank you so very much for the kind words! I’m truly glad you enjoyed the show! 😊
Very nice video, those rotary snowplows are an awesome piece of equipment. I'm sure the kids will always remember this time spent with dad.
Thank you very much! It definitely had a positive affect on them
What good, clean, cold, fun!
Cold is right! 😊
Great work thanks. Awesome music selection. I was a haustler at Chicago & Northwestern at Proviso yard until they found out I’m color blind.Oops. They made me a pipefitter at the diesel ramp. Fun place to work. Thanks again for your hard work.
Well
It’s nice to meet another fellow CNW employee. I hired out in November of 93 and worked the Illinois Division out of Proviso.
I’m sorry to hear about your color blindness but it’s get it the end of the world. I’ve known a few guys who have been reassigned in their employment because of colorblindness who have done just fine. 😊
@@warbonds That was all the way back in 1974
Loved the video. The plow is a great piece of equipment. Look like a homemade BNSF plow.
Thank you very much! The original machine was built by the CB&Q over 100 years ago but I’m thankful that the BNSF contracted it out to Relco in Albia, Iowa for rebuilding.
That was one awesome video, thanks very much.
Thank you for coming to the channel and your support! 😊
Great video!!!
Hi Risk Close up shots...!!! Fabulous Video..!! Love this kind of thing..!! Thank You from Oregon..!!
Beautiful video and photos. Well done. Most appreciative of your work.
Thank you very much John for the kind words and your interest in the channel! ☺
Loved this video. Glad you were able to share this great experience with your kids. I remember in my younger years when I used to hang out at an old B&M yard by the MBTA Commuter Rail yard in Cambridge by North Station. This was back in the late 80s. Those yards and those old equipment (many GP9s and really old coaches) are long gone now. Cleaned up and replaced with new high-rise condo buildings. We don't get to experience much freight trains in the greater Boston area. Only diesel power we see are commuter rail. Everything else is subway trains and Amtrak Acela and the likes. I used to even see Conrail trains back then.
Thank you for the kind words! Your memories remind me of places I have also seen over the years where the properties have gone from railroad owned to condos and arenas.
Great pictures and videos! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you very much for the kind words and your interest in the channel! ☺
Thank you! Great video!
Thank you very much for the kind words and encouragement! ☺
Awesome vid bro, loved the explanation of the operation. Thanks for the upload.
Love your taste of music you included....💝
I wondered if the heavy-duty equipment would be used back there. An absolutely enjoyable video! I have watched other videos shot between Seward and David City of rotaries working two specific cuts that were completely filled with the same type of snow. I never found those cuts on my trips up NE Hwy 15 headed north or south.
I do recall seeing a rotary setting in the Rock Island yard at Fairbury decades ago.
Anyway, I thank you and your kids for the enjoyable video.
Please take care and stay safe back there.
Thank you very very much for your kind words! Initially, I had no plans to go up to the Bellwood sub, but the second rotary that was working out west didn’t materialize what I was hoping to see. I just figured since this plow was much closer to home and my friend was working on it, it was the better choice. Though there were other areas that would have been great to capture it, the roads to get there or somewhat treacherous. We still had an absolute blast.
Thank you sharing this beautiful video on BNSF Railroad snowblower friend
Thank you so very much for the kind words, and I’m truly glad that you appreciated the footage! ☺
Your channel popped up on my feed and I just had to see the SNOWPLOW !
As for sanding and painting in the house if you have room far a box fan paint hood find yourself a dryer box cut it down to fit what you need and put a hep-a filter on back of the fan to make a paint hood !
Well, first of all, thank you so much for stopping by and checking out the channel! It’s great to have you here! As far as sanding in the house, if you look at some of the other projects that I showcase on the channel, I am sanding 5 to 7 foot pieces of equipment, which are way too big to try to put under an exhaust hood , so I have to work outside. 😊
great fun to hear kids in the background ........ it's all about the fun !
Thank you very much! It was so much fun to share this with them! We definitely made some great memories! ☺
Hi I just discovered your channel and I think am gonna be watching it a lot more great quality video , really shows how much care and effort you put in. Keep up the great work !:D
Thank you very much for the kind words, and welcome to my channel! I really try to keep things fun and record content in the best way I can. I truly appreciate your interest, and I will certainly bring as much as possible! 😀
Good video cool music Steely Dan in Chicago classic rock keep them coming
Thank you so much for the kind words! I’ll do my best to keep the content coming. 😊
What a wonderful voice !
Thank you so very much for the kind words! It’s not uncommon for me to walk into a store and have employees ask if I am a radio personality when I start talking, lol!
Great video Eric!
Thank you very much, Robert! I really appreciate it! I know that it’s easier said than done, but we really need to get together! I was just thinking about you the other day! 😁
Thanks for one of he most entertaining videos I've seen in a while. It was very professionally done and I envied those kids and the experience they will remember all their lives.
Dig the tune choice, and the pullover sweater. Great video.
Thank you so much for the kind words and encouragement! ☺
Nice music too. The Alaska Railroad has one of theirs parked south out of Anchorage ready to go to Whittier and / or Seward when they need it.
I’m sure that up in Alaska you truly need them, and I’m sure they get used way more than ours here in the Midwest!😁
Very Cool Video I loved it those big snow blowers are amazing thanks for the great close up footage that was superb my fren !
Really great content foamie! Enjoyed the video!
I truly appreciate you stopping by Tom and I hope you’re able to check out all that I’ve done on the channel! 😊
What an awesome vid! How fun for your kids! I subscribed because I'm a rail fan who had never seen a train snowplow. In New England they'd just shut down the trains until they could run through it. Also loved your kickass choice of music! Great job!
Thank you so very much for your kind words and encouragement! I have a friend who works for the CP out of Saratoga, New York. From everything he has told me, it is definitely a different style of railroading up there! ☺
this is fantastic friend!!!
Thank you very much Steve! I’m truly glad that you as a professional, appreciate the work of mere amateur. 😁
Awesome video and choice in music. I just picked up a BNSF Athearn HO scale rotary plow, I also run a GP38 with it. Fun to watch them blades whip the snow.
Thank you so very much for your kind words and encouragement! That’s awesome that you picked up a plow, and after experiencing two days with this one, there might be a possibility down the road for me to build one as well in 1 inch scale! 😁
Great show
Thank you so very much for your kind words and support of the channel! ☺
Another great video. Awesome content. Thank you for the shout out.
My pleasure Gary! It’s the very least I could do since you have supported me from day one as well! 😁
Awesome footage Eric! These old snowthrowers are one of my favorite pieces of railroad related snow removal equipment!
Thank you very much Eric for the kind words and your interest in the channel! It was definitely the experience of a lifetime!! ☺
@@warbonds Sure thing! Thanks for sharing! 👍
Great video Eric! Love that shot in David city
Thank you very much! I’m so glad I decided to go that direction instead of going out west. It was great to get some extremely rare footage in David city!
Like the shot with the grain elevator!
Thank you very much Kevin! It was really quite the weekend for both my kids and I! ☺
Yahoo, a recent rotary video. Thanks 😊
Awesome video! Came across your channel tonight and I'm glad I did! I've always been impressed with rotories as well, although here in eastern New York State, we only see plows on the rails. Gotta go to the Buffalo area to see the major snow! Thanks again!
Thank you very much for coming across my channel! I almost hired out with Buffalo and Pittsburgh back in the late 90s, but somehow Buffalo didn’t seem too appealing. Well with the horror stories of snow storms, I now know why! 🤣
Your tshirt earned my sub!
Thank you very much! I appreciate the kind words and your support of the channel! 😁
Nice video sir!
With a voice like yours you could have also had a great career in radio and television announcing. Great “Pipes….!”
You are too kind! 😊 I did some radio in college but I’ve always had this voice. I suppose with my exposure on CZcams that I could possibly be discovered! 😁
Man, you are REALLY good at this.
Thank you very much for your kind words. It’s really become fun to have the opportunity to connect with people through sharing content though my videos! 😊
It's cool to see a good video of this unit in action.
Thank you so much for stopping in to watch! 😊
👍👍good episode. Looks like you took one for the team. 😁 thanks
I certainly did! 😂
Excellent choice of tunes.
Thank you very much for your great taste in music as well! 😁
Using wife's phone today not her opinions Oh this for sure is a once in a lifetime experience to see a rotary in actual service I get excited watching old videos of the steam days along with videos from now but to see in person and with family it cant get better I know you have some great memories to tell the grandkids I am going to have to find a way to get there in the future to willingly go before a storm hits it will be worth it thanks for sharing this and the idea that I can get to see in person
Nicely done!
Thank you very much! 😊
I enjoy your kids having a blast with the thrown snow from the plow.
@@billmorrison3714 I know some people take exception to that, but nobody got hurt and they had fun and we created some lifelong memories. 😊
❤❤ thank you. ❤❤
And thank YOU very much for your encouragement and support of the channel ☺
Love, love, love the night video
Fantastic video and what an awesome capture. Enjoyed watching and have a wonderful rest of your evening. Love the shirt by the way also.(Steve)
I put the shirt on just because it was a long sleeve shirt, but I forgot to change it before getting on camera. Oh well, it makes for interesting talk, lol!
Thank you very much for the kind words and encouragement. While it’s not modeling, it is something different than just regular railfanning. ☺
Your very welcome and its always cool to get out and get some different things once and awhile. Have a nice rest of your Thursday.(Steve)@@warbonds
They’ve got 3 engines pushing that thing, that’s a lot of power
great video
Thank you very much for stopping in. 😊
Great radio voice!
Sweet video and great pictures
Thank you very much for your kind words and encouragement!
Your welcome
That was great,,really nice looking machine,,,,enjoyed watching the plow working,,stay warm and safe,,🇺🇸😍
Thank you so very much for your kind words and your interest in the channel. Being that our temperatures have risen into the 30s, that’s like a heat wave for us right now, lol! I hope you also stay safe and warm! ☺
Very nice.
Thank you very much! 😊
Totaly awesome
Thank you so much for your kind words! ☺
Of all the railroads out there today, I just love the BNSF colors ! Plus, I live near Phoenix and see lots of train action. Great video !!
Thank you very much for the kind words! I actually miss the days where BN and ATSF were still separate railroads but at least they still exist to some extent. 😊
first time finding that channel .... what an awesome voice!!!
that was a very cool explanation about how it operated. I thought i knew how it worked and learned i didnt haha.
Well, don’t feel bad, because as I mentioned, in the video, it was my friend who gave me the explanation as to how he had to operate it. I knew that the GP 28 was there as a power source, but I didn’t realize how to guys had to operate it in tandem. I appreciate your encouragement because this is what I try to do on this channel is to educate people on just little things that they may not have known. ☺
that was awesome
Thank you very much for the kind words! 😊
That seems a little dangerous standing that close; those snowplows could pick up a rock and hurl it out with great velocity. 😮
Intelligent suggestion for every one to heed.
At the road crossing about 13:30 is the place where the rotary plow would be likely to hurl debris left by a highway plow deposited at the track
No greater spot than when a vehicle at a railroad crossing meets a relative large irregularity in the roadway surface to cause rocks and gravel mixed with the snow to find a way to slip under the roadway plow and wait in hiding until the rotary comes along to give the rascally trash a ride on the "big ferris wheel.
That thing is awesome, great video!!! Sub's up! -Ken
Very cool
Thank you very much for the kind words and for watching. ☺
Great video. I can see you make one of these.
Thank you very much for the kind words, and yes, don’t think the thought has crossed my mind, lol!
@@warbonds I can see as someone else operating it while the engineer operates the train, like you said in the video.
your video looks cool as hell on my 55inch samsung 4k tv thanks so much.
Oh wow! I made the big screen! 😂Thank you very much for watching, and I’m glad I could provide some wholesome entertainment for you! 😁
what camera setup are you using. please video at 1440p if you can too thanks again.
What an outstanding voice
Thank you so very much for your very kind and compassionate words! 😊
That is impressive that's a lot of horsepower pushing a snow blower!
The best part is you and your family are having a great time!
Always better to have too much than not enough. 😊
Love the shirt sir
Thank you very much! 😁
Magnificent catches of the trains coming by and pass, i like it 5 stars.
Thumbs up.
Keep up the great work, my friend, i subbed your channel, Greetings from Portugal to the USA.
Thank you so much for the kind words, and welcome to the channel! 😊
@@warbonds it was my pleasure.
@@warbonds in Portugal, we have diesel-electric locomotives doing service too, so enjoy watching here.
Great music choice
Thank you for the kind words and your appreciation of my video. ☺
Heh heh. That video was cool, heh heh heh. You showed a rotary, heh heh.
Very cool that you took the kids to see such an amazing piece of equipment in action. As you can tell, I liked your choice of shirts as well. Thanks for sharing with all of us.
Not that there was anything give obscene about the shirt, but I totally forgot I had it on before I got on the camera, lol!
I appreciate your kind words and support of the channel! It was definitely a great couple days and I’m still glowing over the fact that I not only got to see this beast, but I got to share it with the kiddos! 😁
@@warbonds - Absolutely nothing wrong with the shirt. You're just sharing more of your personality with the world. I will admit that I'm a little envious of you right now.
@@CheeseheadMedia I really appreciate your kind words, and to be honest, one of the reasons that I started doing this stuff on the channel is because I wanted to share my experiences with others. That also comes on the heels of Kalmbach blowing me off. However, if others can live vicariously through me, I’m so happy to be able to share, and personally connect with everybody who watches, and takes the time to reach out. However, I will say that I am truly blessed! ☺
New subscriber, enjoyed your video and very much enjoy your speaking voice.
Thank you very much for your kind words and appreciation of the channel! I certainly appreciate your subscription to the channel, and I hope you continue to enjoy the content! ☺
@@warbonds my family all worked for BN….BNSF for many years till retirement out of North Dakota. I have so many great memories. Please be safe out there and hope you’re getting your well deserved rest.
@@jamesfrommanitoba.1992 it’s definitely beautiful country up there, but also excruciatingly cold in the winter time! 🤣
I’m definitely getting rest and enjoying life these days. However, some of my colleagues aren’t so lucky, but I will definitely take the advantages that having high seniority gives me. ☺