Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-12-28
CLEARING THE TRACK
SNOW Pillow A NECESSITY IN
THE WINTER.
'oometInnes Even That Powerful Ne
chine 10 Unable to Cope With
the Tremendous Drifts
on the Rails.

= In the middle states, where siz
inches is q heavy snowfall. getting II
OF railroad tracks is about as easy
for an engine as cleaning it of the
sidewalk is for the small boy.
A snow pillow, which lis nothing
more than q gigantic scraper. with
perhaps an enormous horn or plow'
share in front. is pushed down the
track by an engine and scrapes and
pushes the accumulated cloggtnG
white mass OF the track to either
side.
But In the northern, and particular
~ the northwestern states-where,
when It makes up its mind to snow
every n knows It; where the falls
are feet In depth and in the east only
inches; where the railroad runs
through open plains on which the re.
sistless sweep Of the wind drifts the
white crystals into hills and valleys,
humps and hollows SO large that they
Seem large ever to a steam car
something more effective than mere
pushing must be employed.
This something" says q writer In
st. Nicholas. rs the rotary snow
plow, an invention which Is In use on
every railroad on which large drifts
collect in the winter and where snow.
sheds and nov guards-fences built
In exposed places to keep the snow
from drifting on the track-are In
effective.
Piow Docs tho Work.
Tho ennU VyNwy q hy0o
40 big az q freight car and built Of
steel. On the forward end is q mon
ster wheel with powerful blades Of
steel. looking like an overgrown cleo
trio fan, so arranged that their angles
can be changed.
This wheel, which is perpendicular
to the track and revolves at right an
giles to 1t. Is inclosed I q casing or
drum also Of steel and with sharp
steel edges. The top Of the drum 10
supplied with . pipe or chute. Inside
the SNOW pillow 10 q steam engine.
which drives this huge fan wheel at
from 100 to $50 revolutions every
minute.
Behind the snow plow are coupled
from one to three or even more pow
erful engines. and behind these a car.
On the car are many men with
shovels, for despite its enormous pow
er eve the rotary gets stuck at times
and has to be ANONYMOUSLY dug out.
When the Snow Trlumphs.
Perhaps the snow 10 but -four or I'VE
feet deep and the plow Is soc as it
strikes the snow bores through it at
4 great rate. Wonderful to see. the
snow eaten away from the bank by
the whirling blades 10 tossed out of
the chute at the top Of the drum or
in . solid stream. to fall in .
curving arch and with . ~thunderous
roar from 100 to 200 feet away. This
arch Is frequently 30 and eve more
feet high. Billows Of snowdust fill
the air and the most beautiful rain
bows surround the falling cascade of
snow.
When the plow gets stalled the men
OF the car and shovel 1t out
of It's prison. Then the whole train
backs OF q couple of hundred yards
and takes a new start. Down the
track it sweeps. gathering speed and
with every puff-pun OF the
exhaust, and smash! It goes headlong
at the drift. mighty fan-wheel whirl-
ing, engines pushing, men yelling,
scruching. and over all the roar
Of the falling stream Of snow and the
binding, cutting clouds OF ice par
ticles II sets free.
The drift may yield to n bucking.
In which case the men congratulate
at having an easy time of
Il. But more often ven the mighty
rush Of the train. engines. plow and
car is stopped by the drift. which
looks 90 soft. but ID in reality so
touch. Then 1t is shoveled out again
and backs OF for another rush.