Snow in Rainier, Oregon, in December 1997

During the winter of 1997-1998, I believe it was in December, Rainier received a decent amount of snow. I went out in it to take some pictures, starting with home, of course.

This is the schoolyard of Rainier Elementary School, with Fox Creek now flowing freely after the removal of the culvert following the flood of 1996.

While I was walking around across Highway 30 from City Hall, a snow plow truck from the Oregon Department of Transportation happened to pass by, and I took pictures of it as it passed.

These snow plow pictures aren't all that exciting, but I think the walk to the school had dampened my enthusiasm. I think I had originally planned to walk to Riverfront Park, but decided it was too cold.

I was probably already walking back home when I took these pictures.

Finally, here is a picture from the corner of West B Street and West Third Street, looking down at the snow-covered marina docks. One of Rainier's black Chevrolet Caprice police cars with the blue and yellow striping is slowly descending the steep street.

Oshkosh Truck at the Pacific Northwest Truck Museum

1959 Oshkosh Snow Plow on August 3, 2008

This 1959 Oshkosh Snow Plow was used at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Washington to clear the runways of snow for B52 Stratofortress bombers and KC135 Stratotanker midair refueling planes.

1959 Oshkosh Snow Plow on August 3, 2008

It is powered by a 330-horsepower Hall Scott 480 1090 cubic inch engine and is on loan from the Foglio Family.

1959 Oshkosh Snow Plow on August 3, 2008

During the 2008 Great Oregon Steam-Up, the plow was parked just inside the door to the Self Building, and with the bright sunlight, it was difficult to get the entire truck into a picture and not have it in the dark.

1959 Oshkosh Snow Plow on August 3, 2008

This is a very large truck; notice how it towers over the aerial ladder truck behind it.

1959 Oshkosh Snow Plow on August 1, 2009

At the 2009 Great Oregon Steam-Up, the plow was backed further into the Self building, making photography easier.

1959 Oshkosh Snow Plow on August 1, 2009

1959 Oshkosh Snow Plow on July 31, 2010

During the 2010 Great Oregon Steam-Up, the plow was parked outside the museum.

1959 Oshkosh Snow Plow on July 31, 2010

1959 Oshkosh Snow Plow on July 31, 2010

Continue to Murty Brothers Truck…

Jordan Spreader #4057 at Antique Powerland

Jordan Spreader #4057 at Antique Powerland on August 4, 2007

This piece of railroad equipment is a ditcher-spreader called a Jordan Spreader. It is used to clear the track for snow and debris, spread ballast and shape the land along the tracks to create drainage ditches. In addition to the large blade in the front, the wings on the side extend outward, allowing the spreader to clear an area much wider than that of a single track. A Jordan Spreader has no means of propulsion of its own, and must be pushed by a locomotive. The Jordan Spreader was invented in 1900 by Oswald F. Jordan, roadmaster of the New York Central's Canada Southern Railway in Ontario. Jordan formed his own company, the O. F. Jordan Company of East Chicago, Indiana in 1905 to build his invention. Today, the company is part of Harsco Track Technologies.

Jordan Spreader #4057 at Antique Powerland on July 31, 2010

This Jordan Spreader was built in March 1925 as serial number 582 and ended up serving the Southern Pacific Railroad as #4057. It is 38 feet long, 14 feet high, 10 and a half feet wide and weighs 137,600 pounds. Its last assignment for the Southern Pacific was working out if Ashland, Oregon on the Siskiyou Route, until it was retired and donated to the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. It currently carries the reporting marks of the Willamette and Pacific Railroad, as it was on loan to them for a time. It's last use was to clear debris from the Portland & Western Railroad's Astoria Line in 1999.

Jordan Spreader #4057 at Antique Powerland on July 31, 2010

Continue to Oregon Fire Service Museum at the 2007 Great Oregon Steam-Up…

Southern Pacific Flanger #328 at Antique Powerland

Flanger #328 at Antique Powerland on July 31, 2010

This piece of railroad equipment is called a flanger. It is used to clear snow and ice from between the rails, using two large funnel-shaped blades mounted under the frame, one for each side. The blades can be raised and lowered individually as needed from inside the cab. The flags on the roof indicate the position of the blades to others. Like a snow plow, a flanger has no way of propelling itself and must be pulled or pushed by a locomotive, and it can only be used in one direction; the entire car must be turned on a turntable or wye to clear snow in the other direction. Flangers are typically used in conjunction with snow plows or Jordan Spreaders, following directly behind to pick up what the larger equipment cannot reach between the rails. This flanger was built by the Southern Pacific Railroad as #328, most likely in their Sacramento, California freight car shop. It was completed on November 6, 1945. It is 37.5 feet long and weighs 44,000 pounds. It was retired in 1981 and donated to the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. It may be the last wood-bodied flanger in existence.

Flanger #328 at Antique Powerland on August 4, 2007

Flanger #328 is currently under restoration; in 2007 the wooden cab was in white primer and the metal components were in red primer.

Flanger #328 at Antique Powerland on August 3, 2008

By the 2008 Great Oregon Steam Up, the wooden cab had been painted in its original bright orange color with correct Southern Pacific lettering.

Flanger #328 at Antique Powerland on July 31, 2010

By the 2010 Great Oregon Steam-Up new windows had been installed. With these windows the flanger looked quite good.

The PNWC-NRHS page about #328, including a pre-restoration photo.

Continue to Jordan Spreader #4057…

East Side Railway Snow Sweeper #1455

Snow Sweeper #1455 at Antique Powerland on August 4, 2007

Snow sweeper #1455 was built for Portland's East Side Railway in 1899 by the McGuire Car Company. It is the oldest car in the OERHS collection. Streetcar companies were required by their franchise agreements with cities to clear the street of snow and dust. Often, this was necessary for the streetcars to operate anyway. On a snowy day, #1455 would go out in the morning ahead of the first streetcar to clear the tracks, and if it was snowing during the day, it might have to go out to rescue a stuck streetcar.

Snow Sweeper #1455 at Antique Powerland on August 4, 2007

The snow sweeper wasn't retired until the end of interurban service in 1958, but snow is relatively rare in Portland, and the last time it was used to clear snow was in 1954. After retirement, the snow sweeper was put on display at Oaks Amusement Park for a time before being donated to the OERHS.

Snow Sweeper #1455 at Antique Powerland on July 31, 2010

The snow sweeper hadn't seen much more progress by the 2010 Steam Up but it was much better location for pictures.

Snow Sweeper #1455 at Antique Powerland on July 31, 2010

Links to Historical Photographs:
#1455 in service in Portland (Dave's Electric Railroads)

Continue to Los Angeles Railway H-Class Streetcar #1318…

Union Pacific #900075 at the Illinois Railway Museum in 2004

Union Pacific #900075 is a steam-powered rotary snow plow, built in December 1949 by Lima-Hamilton as Union Pacific #079. Rotary snow plows are still used today, though almost all are now powered by diesel engines. Rotary snow plows are used to clear tracks after the most severe winter storms. Their large rotating blades are capable of clearing snow higher than the plow itself, and throwing the snow one hundred feet from the track. This plow was retired in April 1979. It was originally donated to the Smokey Hills Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society and was displayed at a railroad museum in Kansas City. It came to the Illinois Railroad Museum sometime later.

Continue to Union Pacific #907149…