A VW to Fight Snow?
Who says the snow fighting should be dull? And with the Volkswagen came probably even the radio, otherwise only found on the newer locomotives...

This snow fighter takes care of the Rigibahn slopes and the plow is of right caliber to sometimes demanding cleaning work on the high mountain top. Rigi is a mountain located in Swiss Alps.

Picture: Ilkka Siissalo.

How unusual of a country as far north and with as hard winters as in Finland to lack _any_ heavy snow plowing rail equipment. This VR Track Tka 7 is the heaviest snow plow for the country! In summer the same machine is used on track maintenance and building tasks. There are no rotary snow plows in Finland nor have EMUs or locomotives their normal smaller or large snow plows, interesting feature ... and really a good opportunity for professional snow moving equipment companies to sell something there!

Picture: Stanislav Voronin.

For some parts of the world it is so important for trains to reach the destination, that it looks like almost every one of them is equipped with a heavy snow plow at the front. U.S. is one of the nations with this approach. The formidable freights plow on be it snow storm or heat of the desert. And in many places the weather can change real quickly.

In the picture above a BNSF freight is stopping to pick up more freight cars in the U.S. Southwest. Picture by Gerry Putz.

Below another BNSF freight is seen crossing a bridge in snowy Colorado. The Union Pacific freight lowest is also facing the elements on its voyage in Colorado. Pictures by Nick Slocombe.

In the north the mountain climate is so demanding that rotaries are needed after bigger snow storms and / or high winds. The wind can easily blow tons of snow around the mountains and occasionally the rail line is recessed from its surroundings, creating conditions for a lot of snow to pile there. One rail Malmbana is heavily so trafficked, that any interruption would cause trouble for the ore giants in the north, so to keep the heavy freights rolling it is good to have a little backup when lighter snow removing methods get exhausted.

The rotary in the pictures was seen at Kiruna center at Banverket depot.

Picture: Ilkka Siissalo.

What a cool contraption! This interesting BNSF Railway snow rotary originates from the period of Great Northern in the U.S. northwest. To plow, there is a control and operating unit in the front, behind it is a formed FB units, which still provides the rotary with necessary power to roll the huge blades against snow and ice and throw the removed snow far outside the track side. The units will still need a lot of pushing power, provided by huge American diesel locomotives.

Picture: Hannu Peltola.

Sometimes no other alternatives exist for quarrying through ice. Here a Jungfraubahn service vehicle is bringing fresh water to the top through an ice tunnel!

Picture by Peider SwissTrip.

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Sorry to spoil the illusion, this in actually NOT a snow shed of heavy timbers, although the color would suggest that. It is a modern heavy concrete and steel structure with wood only in the station platform in the front. The heavy iron ore loaded trains use this man made tunnel on their way from Kiruna area mines to Narvik in Norway. There are also a number of passenger as well as intermodal freight trains rolling through it every day and night. This shed is located at Riksgränsen, right at the borders line which can be seen in the distance where the curve is. Pictures by John McKey.

Looking west, the snow shed opens on the other side to create a station on the mountains.

  Some Heavy Railroading on Malmbana Theme Pages...