Rotaries, Avalanche on the Mountain

One of the railroad’s most important tools for battling the snows during unusually heavy Winter seasons just got re-enlisted. The Rotary Snow Plow, has been referred to as “The Hero” for over 100 years, but has been dormant in the rail yard since 1998 waiting to be summoned for duty. March 24th, 2011 was one of the worst series of Winter storms Mother Nature dealt in decades and the Rotary Snow Plow was called to save the mountain and the crew of a Flanger unit caught in a large avalanche. This is a first-hand look behind the scenes of how man and machine worked together to save the mountain pass.
br>BA Productions spent 5 days on the mountain capturing some of the most epic and historic footage of these two beasts at work. Ride with the crew as they attack the West slope of the Sierra – throwing snow 100′ from the tracks! Witness the bone chilling echoes of the steam whistle and the F-7 locomotive B-unit power ricocheting off mountains and canyons. See the inner workings of the Rotary components like traction motors, drive shafts and gears turning. Hear stories from the crews. This is a rare opportunity to see extensive footage of the nostalgic beasts at work before they were completely overhauled and changed forever.