Can you tell me what this might be? (Answer: A snow plough)

[rich_g85]

Hi,
First post on the forum. I'm not connected with the railway but I am a regular railway user and long-time wonderer of how things work. So forgive me if my terminology is not totally correct!

Out for my daily dose of exercise tonight I spotted a train and two wagons parked on a siding on the north side of the Redhill - Tonbridge line. Near the West Yard I think. Forget about the wagons. What interested me was how short the 'train'/engine was. It was probably only 10 feet long, Network Rail logo on the side. Flat on one end and a very pointy 'back end', painted with black and yellow stripes. I would call a cowcatcher, facing but not coupled to the wagons.

No photograph I'm afraid but I'll likely be back tomorrow for another look.

Click here for a Google map of the exact location.

Thanks in advance if you can help my curiosity!

 

[Darandio]

Was it one of these? In which case it's a snowplough.

 

[rich_g85]

That's the one. Thanks very much!

 

[trebor79]

Are any of the snowploughs that were built from ex steam locomotive tenders still in use/existence?

 

[Romsey]

There are a couple of ploughs allocated to Norwich, I think they were still there when I did a site visit in January. I seem to remember there are a couple at Buxton or Peak Forest as well.

 

[Alanko]

Are any of the snowploughs that were built from ex steam locomotive tenders still in use/existence?

Apparently the ones like the one shown in this thread are based on tenders, which is mind blowing! A quick Google shows that early tender ploughs looked a lot like tenders with a stripy pointy thing bodged onto the end. They are now so reshaped and chopped about that I wonder how much tender DNA is still in there.

Interestingly some smaller ploughs were apparently made from Class 40 bogies.


I must say, this thread is very heartening. OP came in with quite a vague, non-technical question and got a solid answer really quickly. I'm used to the aviation community where you are already meant to know everything, and every question is a silly question apparently.

 

[rich_g85]

I'm used to the aviation community where you are already meant to know everything, and every question is a silly question apparently.

Yes, me too!

I do appreciate the help though. Presumably these things are propelled by another loco? They don't look long enough to have an engine & driving cab of their own?

 

[Alanko]

Yes, me too!

I do appreciate the help though. Presumably these things are propelled by another loco? They don't look long enough to have an engine & driving cab of their own?

Indeed they get pushed along.

I hope we get snow here again some day as I would love to see one in action!

 

[Ploughman]

The Clasic British Transport film.

Featuring my 1909 built timber Snowplough seen at Kirkby Stephen in 2010.

 

[jbqfc]

a class 40 bogie mounted plough see at Doncaster station
ZZA 965577 by john brace, on Flickr

 

[37201xoIM]

Yes, me too!

I do appreciate the help though. Presumably these things are propelled by another loco? They don't look long enough to have an engine & driving cab of their own?

And as per Alanko's photo, the preferred combination for serious ploughing work is plough+loco+loco+plough

The reason for having two locos is for redundancy - e.g. if one loco should fail you don't want to be stuck in the middle of nowehere - and it also gives you extra weight. And you have a plough on each end so that you can operate in both directions.

 

[randyrippley]

what happened to the pair kept at Salisbury for years?

 

[pieguyrob]

Wasn't the original plan for the Beilheck ploughs to be mounted on the nose end of a class 20, when required?

I think it was ditched because there was too much messing about. That is I think why they were mounted on redundant class 40 + 45 bogies.

If the class 20's had been used, it makes you wonder if they would have like the 20188 in the James Bond film Goldeneye?

 

[LOM]

Wasn't the original plan for the Beilheck ploughs to be mounted on the nose end of a class 20, when required?

I think it was ditched because there was too much messing about. That is I think why they were mounted on redundant class 40 + 45 bogies.

If the class 20's had been used, it makes you wonder if they would have like the 20188 in the James Bond film Goldeneye?

It did happen. Here is a picture -

https://www.flickr.com/photos/eastfield/7236321382/

I have also seen a Beilhack plough mounted on Plasser ballast regulator about 30 years ago.

 

[pieguyrob]

Tanks for sharing that photo! I was 7 months old when it was taken. You can certainly see the inspiration for the Goldeneye class 20!

Also does anybody know how the Beilheck's are ajustable? I read somewhere that they coul be adjusted.

 

[TheEdge]

Are any of the snowploughs that were built from ex steam locomotive tenders still in use/existence?

I think all the big ZZA ploughs are tender based and still find work around the country.

 

[DarloRich]

Are any of the snowploughs that were built from ex steam locomotive tenders still in use/existence?

Yes absolutely. All just recently overhauled

 

[Hairy Bear]

I think all the big ZZA ploughs are tender based and still find work around the country.

Only the prototypes were built on tender fames. Production run were built from scratch.

 

[themiller]

Tanks for sharing that photo! I was 7 months old when it was taken. You can certainly see the inspiration for the Goldeneye class 20!

Also does anybody know how the Beilheck's are ajustable? I read somewhere that they coul be adjusted.

This was one of Carlisle's Beilhack ploughs heading back north through Kirksanton level crossing on 13/03/2006 after clearing drifts at Bootle (Cumbria) and crossing over at Millom. It can be seen that an insert in the blade is deployed in order to push the snow to one side or the other rather than just ploughing to both sides.

 

[pieguyrob]

Thanks for that. I wondered how they adjusted. That would be interesting to model with a hattons Beilheck.

 

[Iskra]

Can anyone comment on what driver visibility is like on the taller models?

 

[pieguyrob]

Can anyone comment on what driver visibility is like on the taller models?

I have wondered about that as well. It would be interesting if someone had a photograph....

 

[jopsuk]

Can anyone comment on what driver visibility is like on the taller models?

I'd guess they have to work with a second man as a spotter? Because visibility does look awful

 

[DarloRich]

Only the prototypes were built on tender fames. Production run were built from scratch.

I am not sure about that. They were certainly built using "period" parts recycled from tenders. They might not have been whacked straight onto a tender base but they are based on a tender.

 

[delt1c]

I'd guess they have to work with a second man as a spotter? Because visibility does look awful

With snow flying 5m in the air dont think visibility would be good no matter how many spotters available. Saw these in action and it was impresive to say the least

 

[Smitham]

Very good point.
This clip shows a cut away in the plough to help with visibility.

 

[Iskra]

Excellent find. Thanks for sharing.

 

[LOM]

This photo shows the cut out in the independent plough body quite well - https://flic.kr/p/2g4SbVD

 

[Cowley]

This photo shows the cut out in the independent plough body quite well - https://flic.kr/p/2g4SbVD

That’s a great photo. I like the photo in the comments with the 20s swapped around so that they were cab to cab too...

 

[jopsuk]

Very good point.
This clip shows a cut away in the plough to help with visibility.

And the description confirms that there's a second man (a traction inspector) for sighting- after all, they're not always going along in snow, signals are important!