Chicago Dept. of Streets & Sanitation Elgin Pelican Street Sweeper [04.30.2014]

It's finally Springtime in Chicago, at least according to the calendar, and that means it's time for street sweepers to tackle Chicago's streets and clear the muck of dead leaves left over from the fall that accumulated along with garbage along the city's curbs on main thoroughfares and residential streets. We received one Hell of a pounding this year from Mother Nature with a prolonged winter that saw near-daily snowfalls that accumulated to total the third-snowiest winter on record in Chicago history. I know I speak for many Chicagoans when I say that I'm glad to see the grass and the ground that was too often covered with a layer of white this winter.
Now back to the street sweeper itself, here's some information off Elgin's website:
The Elgin Pelican broom sweeper is a three-wheel mechanical sweeper based on one of the original street sweeper designs, which has been continuously improved since 1914, meeting the highest sweeper standards. Maneuverability, economy, serviceability and single lane dumping with a sweep system that easily handles heavy compacted dirt and bulky debris are all features of the Elgin Pelican. An isolation-mounted cab provides a cleaner, quieter operation, and the improved 360-degree visibility and easier access for service and maintenance make the Elgin Pelican an industry standard in road sweepers.
The Pelican is now available as an optional alternative fuel sweeper: Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The Pelican also has a waterless dust control option.
The Elgin Pelican is specially suited for applications that require extreme maneuverability due to congested areas, heavy debris such as that found in northern climate spring clean up, and bulky items up to 9" long. The waterless version of this street sweeper can do all this without the use of dust control water, allowing for year around operation and use on water reactive compounds like Portland cement.
Engine: John Deere® 4045TF150 | 55 KW
Dumping Height Max: Variable up to 9 ft. 6 in. | 2895 mm
Sweeping System: Hydraulic
Dump Location: Front
Chassis: Elgin Exclusive
Sweeping Path Max: 10 ft. | 3048mm
Turning Radius: 15 ft. | 4572 mm
Hopper Capacity: 3.6 cu. yd. | 2.8 m3
Travel Speed: 20 mph | 32km/hr
Water Capacity: 220 gal | 832l
THIS VIDEO IS THE PROPERTY OF KZbin USER joseg2143. IT IS NOT TO BE DOWNLOADED, COPIED, OR RE-UPLOADED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES UNLESS SPECIFIED IN WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM MYSELF.
© Jose Guillen 2014
Recorded with a Canon SX40HS on Wednesday, April 30th, 2014.

[@senorkaboom]

When I was a kid, we'd sit back from the curb about 3 or 4 feet and watch them go by.

[@Moog604]

senorkaboom same used to wave

[@yurr6304]

I used to be very scared of them, and run.

[@Moog604]

@@yurr6304 same lol whenever i used to see them i ran inside I still keep a distance from them

[@yurr6304]

@@Moog604 Haha.

[@Saidahood]

I am not scared of them but there so loud so I just run inside lol but by me is come at like 2am or 3 am and I will watch it from the window at night its so loud it wakes me up everything it comes at night

[@porksniffer]

wow, Nice upload. Have not seen one of these for 20 years here in Montreal. Can't believe these mechanical sweepers are still working. We used to have the 3 wheel Wayne models from FMC. All the kids used to gather 4 days a week at 1pm during summer break to watch the operation and used to follow it for blocks on foot lol.

[@bobklein1665]

@ porksniffer, we had a Wayne three-wheel street sweeper. In Minnesota in the early 60s and we loved it it was yellow we called it the yellow sweeper.

[@porksniffer]

@@bobklein1665 Wish I can go back to those days. Life was so much better and simpler.

[@bobklein1665]

@@porksniffer I'm working on a time machine right now and when I finish I will come pick you up 😀

[@porksniffer]

@@bobklein1665 Right on!

[@rexair_dude1915]

I love how it says do not follow on the back but this dudes is

[@jarridcockey3810]

If I was this guy's supervisor I would tell him to slow down if not next time be using a broom and a shovel

[@DS-mb8hs]

Perhaps if he would slow down, he might actually pick up the debris. If you drive it like a sports car, you can't expect great results. I'm sure the taxpayers that live along there would agree.

[@25mfd]

correct. we have the same machines here in Milwaukee. they clean up pretty nice when the driver goes SLOW. but when you rip ass it up and down the curb line you get a sloppy cleaning job.

[@jalenkai4628]

It looks like the street sweeper is making a lot of dirt, I also see a hopper opening in the front.

[@PVDPlaneSpotting]

Those things used to scare the shit out of me when I was a kid

[@ChicagoAirportSpotter]

LOL! Not me. I look forward to seeing our street sweepers everytime the signs go up to move our cars out of the way. The city has a set of sweepers, each painted in honor of one of our sports teams, so Blackhawks, White Sox, Cubs, and Bulls. I've never seen the Bears or Fire one, but I hear they're out there. There's also a pink Susan G. Comen Breast Cancer one and a Chicago Police Department Memorial Fund one. Sometimes we luck out and get those by the house.

[@liztrainer895]

PVDAviation same here, they looked really scary.

[@bobklein1665]

@@liztrainer895 not scary looking but fancy looking. The three wheels street sweeperwe used to follow around all the time when we were kids it was a 1959 Wayne street sweeper a three wheel. We called it the yellow sweeper.

[@KingTonio.94]

@@ChicagoAirportSpotter Charleston has Trojan mascot on it

[@MidwestTrashTrucks]

Wow very neat to see a street sweeper working not too far from me! If you could please tell me where this excellent video was filmed that’d be great, as I’m very curious! Great video!

[@ChicagoAirportSpotter]

Northwest Side of Chicago - Galewood neighborhood

[@MidwestTrashTrucks]

joseg2143 Very neat! Thanks!

[@joshuapearson2857]

That machine is cool... but it's not doing all that great of a job at cleaning. I still see a lot of muck left behind.

[@MrWolfSnack]

Because he's driving way too fast thinking he's drifting down Akina. You have to make at least two passes down each side of the road. Once away from the curb, and once right on the curb. And you have to be doing about 10-15 mph. He's probably going twice that. Just like vacuuming your house, You go too fast, the vacuum is not going to work properly.

[@hoobyjbaby]

MrWolfSnack That things probably goes 15-20 mph full throttle down hill, he should be doing 5-8 mph at like 1800-2000 rpms. All depends on your throttle/speed, what you’re sweeping (trash, leaves, millings, etc.), brush pressure, brush tilt, etc. Slow and steady with the right broom settings.

[@michaelwiggan2957]

Who every this guy is need to retraining he not keeping the gutter broom ni the curb,

[@ek9509]

A street sweeper or street cleaner may refer to a person's occupation, or a machine that cleans streets. A street sweeper cleans the streets, usually in an urban area. Street sweepers have been employed in cities since sanitation and waste removal became a priority. A street-sweeping person would use a broom and shovel to clean of litter, animal waste and filth that accumulated on streets. Later, water hoses were used to wash the streets. Machines were created in the 19th century to do the job more efficiently. Today, modern street sweepers are mounted on truck bodies and can vacuum debris that accumulate in streets.

[@wolfmansicario4482]

You are kinda right....a person who drives a street sweeper is officially called a motor sweeper operator, the vehicle is called a motorized sweeper. A street sweepers job is not to clean up the streets but to clean up the gutters and storm drains to ensure the waterflow runways are clear so when it rains, pools are not created in the streets.

[@navelriver]

They need to get the MegaSweeper 3000, it sweeps up the cars, too!

[@brucekwak2420]

Poor roads leave the dirt it helps to fill in the potholes you maniac slow down

[@jeffreysiler9389]

How are they made?😮😮😮

[@JosephLoRe]

Scary to think that cities and municipalities are still using outdated equipment like this.

[@ChrisCallie]

Why replace something that still works fine?

[@JosephLoRe]

Pelicans never work out of the box. Just because the machine rolls and brooms spin doesn't mean it works.

[@DS-mb8hs]

Elgin still makes this model. www.elginsweeper.com/Products/MechanicalSweepers/Pelican/tabid/113/language/en-US/Default.aspx

[@user-py8xw5bk1s]

Machine has seen better days

[@thejeffreyc1]

Drivers on the wrong side now we no why the gutter broom is broken thanks

[@sarahc.8838]

They need to upgrade

[@25mfd]

to what???

[@RayRaySoShy]

Sometimes it's good to upgrade but yet why upgrade something that has being doing such a wonderful job 😊

[@bradsullivan2454]

U need to smooth that street out

[@ChicagoAirportSpotter]

It just got repaved 3-4 years ago. It's so nice and smooth now.

[@bradsullivan2454]

That's good the driver was bouncing around alot

[@bradsullivan2454]

That's good news

[@mrandrossguy3832]

My childhood lol kinda Creepy these were

[@MartenFerret]

Would you tip it over?

[@lillylouise5353]

is it just me or does that sweeper look creepy and wired looking

[@sarahc.8838]

Lilly Louise it’s an Elgen pelican

[@bobklein1665]

Lilly, back in the early sixties the town kids would follow the street sweeper a three-wheeled sweeper made by Wayne and it was yellow and we all loved it cuz it looked weird

[@75sputnik]

It would go thousand of times better with german engineering

[@ChicagoAirportSpotter]

LOL!

[@ChicagoAirportSpotter]

But then the routine maintenance would be ridiculous...disassemble the whole thing to change a lighbulb.

[@75sputnik]

:))) Oh man you're so true ;)))

[@navelriver]

@@ChicagoAirportSpotter That's farfignuggen!

[@kameamepopcorn9660]

Hi I feel so sorry for this employee, as this machine is 500% useless. A pure waste of time!

[@ChicagoAirportSpotter]

😂😂😂

[@bobklein1665]

I assume this is in April in Chicago. A lot of muck salt dirt. Hard for the sweeper to get things clean with all those cars parked he has to go around.

[@KingTonio.94]

I hear it go by at 4 or 5 am

[@redwolf230]

Gutter brooms have to much tilt and the bushings in the main broom plates are shot. Thats why its trailing plus he is going to fast for the mess he is tryin to pick up

[@FireSiren_Productions]

Also this Elgin pelican is a much older model to. Chicago has many different models of these.

[@Mr.G626]

sloppy driver. zero pride in his work

[@KingTonio.94]

Welcome to illinois

[@bobklein1665]

@jas, Chicago is a filthy town with a million streets... You try sweeping it up you silly boy.

[@KingTonio.94]

@@bobklein1665 actually it's the whole state lmao

[@bobklein1665]

@@KingTonio.94 😂😂😂

[@michaelwiggan2957]

This guy sucks I will out sweep this dude on a bad day any time.

[@brucekwak2420]

Slow down you maniac or you will be pushing a broom for now on

[@michaelwiggan2957]

He's not looking at his work all over the place wigging in out stay in the gutter line . He suck

[@alex9621]

Looks kinda cool but it really does a pathetic job at cleaning streets

[@michaelwiggan2957]

It's the drive of the sweeper that's pathetic.old or new pelican sweeper. It's your skill of sweeping makes a difference.