Murdoch17

Rotary snow plow YO with 2-8-0+0-8-2 Garratt (Double Consolidation) and caboose - finally FINISHED!

Recommended Posts

This rotary plow-fronted train is ready to keep the other trains running in the worst winter weather using good old-fashioned steam power!

50432693322_497173234e_z.jpg

100% fictional history of the steam engine type (and the whole train, really):

In late-1929, Thomas Carter was Chief Mechanical Engineer for Brick Railway Systems (BRS), and on vacation to visit family in New Zealand. He was about to get on the train in Christchurch, when he was passed by a new NZR "G" class 4-6-2+2-6-4 Garratt steam engine. Remembering how he was having problems getting the next "big thing" built back in America, and that he was having a steam power crunch when it came to rotary snow plow duty up in the Rocky Mountains, he contacted the engine's manufacturer, Beyer, Peacock and Company, and talked about a possible contract in America using the New Zealand "G"class as a starting point. Once he got home to BRS company HQ in St. Louis, Missouri, he got the upper management's final okay, and began final design on the new "DC" class of Garratts. (DC standing for Double Consolidation, as it is really just two Consolidation 2-8-0 type loco wheel-set's back-to-back with one boiler.)
 
All in all, six of these (assigned numbers 4834 - 4840 by the railroad) were made as a trial run in 1930, but the Great Depression worsened in 1931-33 so no more were ever ordered. (originally, 10 locos more were planned for general freight service but were never built, which would have brought the grand total up to 16 engines.) Six engines were permanently paired off of with a dual snow plow team: two DC engines on each plow, with each engine team working the two track main line, one team per track, one way, until they met at the halfway point of Continental Divide (also known as the town of Summit Point), which was a vital steam-era crew exchange and refueling point near a inter-state highway. The third team of two engines and it's plow (The one marked YO seen above) was used as replacement engine for the two crews already mentioned, and were only used if another rotary crew was down for regular maintenance or due to an accident. 

After diesels came on the scene to replace the steamers (plows and engines alike) in the mid-to-late 1950's, the only two steam engines left of the DC type in North America were pushing the spare steam rotary plow YO. One of these locomotives (no. 4840) was found to have a severely rusted water tank and front engine frame, and was thus kept for spare parts to keep the other loco (no. 4839) running. This severely impacted the surviving engine's ability to push the rotary plow hard enough to make it through the dense banks of Colorado snow. After a few unsuccessful modification attempts to keep the 34-year old engine going, it was decided to send the entire train (plow, engine, and caboose used for the train) to a railroad museum in Missouri. They would also be sent with all the remaining parts from engine 4840 as it might be prudent to re-steam the engine in the future. So, in 1963, the YO and 4839 were sent to National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, where it still sits today.

50432693362_df33706378_z.jpg

(The following part of the story is actually true!)

This steam powered rotary snowplow was inspired by the real-world Denver and Rio Grande's narrow gauge plow "OY", as now seen on the Cumbres and Toltec RR in New Mexico / Colorado. I've decided to name my plow "YO" in tribute to my inspiration, using a 2010 Toy Story printed part for the "YO" designation. Oh, and yes, the front "blade" does spin around, but is not motorized.

This model has been updated since the last time I uploaded this, with a better plow shroud because the old one would fall off when I looked at it funny. This one is not upside down on the bottom half like the old one, but it is MUCH more sturdy. (I was inspired by @dr_spock's rotary snowplow to build my own plow. Take a look at his Flickr as he's got a bunch of cool designs there!)

50432693377_91e3fdb5ce_z.jpg

The rear of the plow features the coal tender with a ladder from the water tank-top down to the magnetic coupler.

50431832998_f54911298b_z.jpg

(Before anyone says anything about Garratt loco's not being ever sold into the North American market, I'll say this is not from our reality, this is my own railroad mirror-world and does not follow our history as closely as it could. I mean, I've got steam loco's running into the 1970's on main lines hauling premier passenger trains for goodness sake!)

This engine was originally inspired by two SRW locomotive works products. (Both were Garratt models made by @SavaTheAggie and formerly available on Bricklink until LEGO sadly removed his instructions) I reworked the model from Sava's 4-6-2+2-6-4 to a 2-8-0+0-8-2. I also added the forward water tank and aft coal bunker from his 2-4-0+0-4-2 Garratt, a custom boiler designed by me and medium Big Ben Bricks drivers to make it from a fast passenger loco into a slow freight hauler. (or in this case, a snow plow pusher!)

50432693337_0d82b6a9fe_z.jpg

The engine is flexible to a degree more than this, but not by much. It goes though R40 curves and switches just fine, though.

50432693392_d7aa815412_z.jpg

A simple caboose, for the protecting the rear of the snow plow train. I used a pair interesting windscreen parts for the cupola windows. Inspired partially by 2001 My Own Train set 10014, (Caboose) but in blue.

NOTES:
Finally finished 10/7/2020!

Edited by Murdoch17

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Looks good - I like the angled chute at the top. Is the snow plow's rotary function connected to the wheels, i.e. does it rotate when the train moves?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 3/3/2020 at 5:15 PM, Pdaitabird said:

Looks good - I like the angled chute at the top. Is the snow plow's rotary function connected to the wheels, i.e. does it rotate when the train moves?

Sadly, no. However, it can be motorized separate from the wheels, like as in this scene by @dr_spock, who is where I got the inspiration for the plow blade from.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 3/5/2020 at 11:17 AM, dr_spock said:

Nice to see you're getting good use out of my silly MOCs.  I did one powered by the wheels with a few gears in the bogie.  It could probably fit into your build.  :classic:

 

i'm not very good a Technic, and am having a tough time trying to integrate a working blade powered by wheels based on your picture into the build. If I send you the file @dr_spock, can you sort it out?

Edited by Murdoch17

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
15 hours ago, Murdoch17 said:

i'm not very good a Technic, and am having a tough time trying to integrate a working blade powered by wheels based on your picture into the build. If I send you the file @dr_spock, can you sort it out?

I am the opposite.  I am not very good at digital LEGO building.  I can take a look at your digital file.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, dr_spock said:

I am the opposite.  I am not very good at digital LEGO building.  I can take a look at your digital file.

 

Sent in private message. thank you.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

BUMP: First post updated, real life pic below!

50146359352_653191c47c_z.jpg

The engine is two parts away from done, and I have found 50% of the parts needed to build the rotary snowplow + caboose in my own supply. I just ordered the needed pieces today from BrickLink. I'm expecting to see the train completed around the weekend of August 1st, with pictures uploading sometime that weekend.... hopefully they will arrive like I think they will!

Edited by Murdoch17

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

50214444127_b2ee3b7f8f_z.jpg

First post updated and rewritten in a major way, with the new steam engine design to come in a future update in real bricks. (digital screenshot seen below)

50214444442_e056060feb_z.jpg

The new engine was originally inspired by two SRW locomotive works products. (Both were Garratt models made by @SavaTheAggie and formerly available on Bricklink until LEGO sadly removed his instructions) I reworked the engine to have working pistons and side-rods plus a longer frame. This made it from 4-6-2+2-6-4 to a 4-8-0+0-8-4. I also added the forward water  tank and aft coal bunker from his 2-4-0+0-4-2 Garratt, and medium Big Ben Bricks drivers to make it from a passenger loco into a freight hauler. (or in my case, a snow plow pusher!)

Edited by Murdoch17

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

50233527288_a9e9b17786.jpg

I finally got around to taking this picture, I've had the caboose built since the rotary plow itself was done like a week ago.

50234214021_0f3227389c_z.jpg

Got the necessary Brick-Link parts list down to less than 200 parts remaining to be ordered for upcoming the 4-8-0+0-8-4 Garratt, seen at the second-to-top picture in the first post. These are some of the parts I found in my bins that were subtracted from that list previously, while the majority will be coming from an older MOC that will be torn apart. (Western steam engine number 4 is that model.) I should be ordering the last few parts next Friday or before, but with the US postal system getting worse by the day, I don't expect to see the parts before mid-September. (I'm currently waiting on a order of parts that shipped on the 6th from Colorado to my location in eastern Missouri.... they've been all over the USA are still not here in St. Louis as of today the 16th!)

Edited by Murdoch17

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 minutes ago, Murdoch17 said:

I should be ordering the last few parts next Friday or before, but with the US postal system getting worse by the day, I don't expect to see the parts before mid-September.

I waited a bit over two weeks for some parts from Canada that I needed to finish my latest MOC. It is frustrating for sure, but I understand it is not the postal service being lazy or anything like that. 

Anyway, I can't wait to see the engine completed! The stuff you have so far looks great!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 8/16/2020 at 3:38 PM, Legownz said:

I waited a bit over two weeks for some parts from Canada that I needed to finish my latest MOC. It is frustrating for sure, but I understand it is not the postal service being lazy or anything like that. 

Anyway, I can't wait to see the engine completed! The stuff you have so far looks great!

It's finally done! I had to wait a bit longer to order the parts (the snowplow needed work too), but it's finally done. Sorry it took so long @Legownz to get it done!

50432693322_497173234e_z.jpg

First post has updated pictures and text!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.