Winter on the Railroad

5 artifacts in this set

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Winter brought challenges to northern railroads. Massive snowdrifts could close tracks. Blocked freight trains cost money, while stranded passenger trains might cost lives. Railroads fought back with everything from large plows to brute manpower.

Winter brought challenges to northern railroads. Massive snowdrifts could close tracks. Blocked freight trains cost money, while stranded passenger trains might cost lives. Railroads fought back with everything from large plows to brute manpower.

Detailed Description

Canadian Pacific Snowplow, 1923

Railroad snowplow

This plow was one of 36 built by Canadian Pacific Railway's Angus Shops in Montreal between 1920 and 1929. It is a 20-ton, wedge-type plow made for use on a single track. Built without a self-contained power source, the snowplow was pushed by one or two locomotives. Although they are seldom seen in action, snowplows are necessary to keep trains moving in harsh winter weather.

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Snow Plow in Hagerman Pass, Colorado, circa 1895

Photographic print

Rotary snowplows were a railroad's most sophisticated offense against winter. The massive machines cleared drifted snow from the track. An on-board steam engine powered two sets of fan blades. The first set dug into the snow, while the second threw the snow off to the side. Rotary plows were not self-propelled, so a separate locomotive pushed from behind.

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Hoosac Tunnel & Wilmington Railroad Snowplow, Locomotive and Childs Tavern Postcard, 1898-1901

Postcard

The 25-mile Hoosac Tunnel & Wilmington Railroad connected Wilmington, in southwest Vermont, with the Hoosac Tunnel, in northwest Massachusetts. The 4.75-mile Hoosac Tunnel, completed in 1875, linked New England with New York and the Midwest beyond. The HT&W operated from 1886 until its abandonment in 1971. Childs Tavern, a popular Wilmington resort hotel, opened in 1903.

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"Snowed in Galop," 1872

Sheet music

For a railroad, being "snowed in" was more than an inconvenience. When snow blocked the track, trains didn't run and money was lost. If a passenger train got stuck in a blizzard, the situation could turn deadly. Ideally, the track could be cleared with a large plow pushed by a locomotive. In some cases, though, shoveling was the only option.

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Union Pacific Railroad Stereograph View, "Digging Out a Train from a Snow Drift," circa 1875

Stereograph

For a railroad, heavy snowdrifts were more than mere inconveniences. When snow blocked the track, trains didn't run and money was lost. If a passenger train got stuck in a blizzard, the situation could turn deadly. Ideally, the track could be cleared with a large plow pushed by a locomotive. In some cases, though, hand shoveling was the only option.

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