Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-01-11

10y a couple of powerful locomotives,
but the power for operating the great
propeller Is contained within the plow
Itself. This Is supplied by an engine
somewhat resembling a marine en-
gine. but capable OF developing almost
rs much power as a locomotive. The
rotary must withstand the force OF
pushing engines behind. as well as
cOunteract tho side motion Of the
great whirring wheel, and conse-
quently the roof and sides. as well as
the framework are Of metal, and the
machinery Is set as near the ground as
possible. in order TO help steady this
energetic mechanical toiler. The
weight of the average rotary. COM
plete with tender for fuel and water
is more then 100 tons. AT the for
ward part of the ulow Is the pilot
house. wherein IS stationed the pilot
who directs the operation Of the ro-
tary and communicates the necessary
instructions TO the engineers Of the
locomotives.
A giant rotary can force It's way
through almost any snow barriers at
a speed Of from four t. six miles per
hour. as. 4 minimum. Thu pondcrous,
k~nife-armed wheel spins around at 4
speed OF from $50 10 300 revolutions
uer minute, according to the weight
and character OF the snow and ice that
Is encountered, Close and continual
watchfulness is necessary on the part
Of tie niiOt. for the character OF the
snow mass encountered may change
with scarcely a moments warning I
from loosely drifted flakes TO densely
packed snow e%ncrustcd with ice, and
maybe with ice formations -four or
five inches thick scattered through ii.
Into some portions OF he vast snow
coVerlet the rotary may plunge with
a speed of only 400 or at most SOC feet
per minute. while banks OF soft snow
DeTpl r. j. GnnHn Af san twelve sf4fI44 "a n I
hour. However, an indicator in thu
pilot house records every nuctuation
in the resistance offered by the snow
barriers and a pneumatic whistle en-
ables the pilot ia quickly signal for
any desired change OF speed.
one Of the great advantages Of the
rotary, especially in those passes Of
the Rockies where the cold Is extreme.
is that a steam-driNen pillow can be
operated in any weather. whereas
there was a limit to the exposure that
could be endured BY hand shoVolers.
such as were employed in the old
The snow depths az some of The
higher attitudes OF the American Alps
almost incredible, but a big rotary.
working like a h%erculean augur, and
aside it's snow borings like
chips driven out of a fan blower in a
planning mill. could actually burrow
any depth If there We're any way
to get rid of the snow thus eNeavated.
Tho whole principle OF the armored
ear With the big wheel churning the !
snow before IL is so simple that once
had been devised railroad men won
that they had not hit upon the :
LONG ago. !,
After n rotary has made several (
up and down a SNOW hemmed
highway the accumulation Of snow +
.ossed to either side OF the rails by the y
mechanical shovel forms embank- -
ia.Afr4 10 fEn 4f3t.t .A1 ~.
that IN many Instances tower d
lbove the tops OF the railroad ears. Il
indeed. the vertical walls are so close y
nat many a passenger coach. in =
'waying from side to Side, scrapcs the u
iides of the groove in the snow waste. q
A rotary gnawing its way through V
ne mountain passes H. usually closely NJ
'ollowed by one or more passenger =
rains. IT Is not exactly a pleasant 2
hing for tourists 10 have the "lim- -
crawl along at the rate Of three <.
n four miles per hour. but the train =
nust follow the pillow pretty CLOSELY ~
n else incur the danger Of being 70
by reason of the cut being n
He'd up again--a thing which may !,
appen in SO short a time ais fifteen =
If a strong cross wind Is pil- "
ng up drifts Rapidly. There have been y
When no Rocky mountain =
rains were able to move forward un-
'ss preceded bya rotary. q
There are places where the work of
rotary plows IN keeping open the a.
rail FOR the iron horses Is ably aug
on the principle Of prevention.
y great snowsheds-stout fences or
OGDEN tunnels designed to keep the IN
now from drifting over the tracks, "
II is probable that had the eff
.ency Of the modern rotary marvels -
anticipated, many railroads -
ould not have expended as much mo- ~
aY as they did some years ago in con u
ructing snowsheds. T%hirty-two miles
s~nowsheds. costing $64 n foot. on
AIRY $~ll,O0O,00O in the aggregate, Is
the price one t-ranscnnti- no
entail railroad had to pay before II TN
.nId successfully operate its trains co