Plowing, Derailing, Rerailing, Rinse, Repeat. MLBK plow extra 27 February, 2021

[@katherinemorey6517]

I absolutely LOVE that plow!!!!

[@brian-t-]

Street Cars, (traction), used a rotary brush to clear snow. A drum brush, like a paint roller; but longer bristles. a pair of rotary brushes, motor driven, spinning, pushing the snow ahead of the plow; no flanger adjustment.... Stiff bristles, adjustable hight, super plow! Two 50 pound canvas bags, weight; removable in derailment.... Like your podcasts!!

[@MillBrookRailroad]

It is a solution I have given much thought to. True, rotary brushes would have some advantages but at the expense of, well, money. The Russell Snowplow cost me a caboose that I had reluctantly bought for $150 and I never really liked. Then there's the problem of the broom not quite being enough for heavy snow. It does fine with dustings up to a couple inches but the majority of our snow storms dump more than twice that. Admittedly, even the Russell plow taps out at 6 inches and for storms like that there's the snow blower. It doesn't run on rails, it's what I clear the driveway with. I cut the banks back with it by going up one side of the track and down the other before I clean up the middle with the Russell plow. So, I guess the short answer is money. The Russell was pretty near free, considering what it would cost if I paid someone to build it. Now, if someone were to make me an offer like the one I got with the plow it would be another story.

[@toddfraisure1747]

I bet it was fun to build. It's sure fun to watch. A more powerful drive would be nice so you could add some more weight. But no matter really because I'd still be playing and working on it all day. To much fun!

[@centeroftheearthmining4095]

Good thing it’s not heavy lol!

[@MillBrookRailroad]

It's only a couple hundred pounds. Not bad when you lift it right.

[@DeborahWalsh-o4n]

You may consider adding as much weight to the plow as possible, and like the previous comment , angle the wings back 35-45 degrees. and for the viewers, put a 10 foot pole off the front with a camera facing the plow, this will help figure out whats up. GREAT PLOW

[@harrisonross4009]

Well once again I really enjoyed your video . I see alot of people are giving you different ideas or suggestions so I guess I will chime in how would turning the rubber pad on the bottom around so it's dragging on the rail the opposite way 🤔 . Just a thought. Course you may have tried different ways but anyway look forward to seeing you do more work I mean seeing more railroading on the Mill Brook line 😁

[@jasonharper2601]

need more mass in the plow to keep it on tracks it is easy for the plaw to be lifted off the tracks and derail

[@honkleretta1050]

The rich kids always have neat train sets

[@MillBrookRailroad]

I'm glad you think it's neat but I'm far from rich. I built this railroad over a decade with the cheapest materials I could find. Wealth doesn't build a railroad like this. Resourcefulness and sheer determination do. If it's your dream to build a railroad like this then do something to make it happen.

[@richardjellis9186]

You need to angle the 'flaps' backwards a little so the snow pushes the bogie down onto the track more. That'll make it less likely to come off the tracks. That and as much weight as you can get onto the truck.

[@petemcl99]

Put an old engine block in that plow for added weight.

[@WHJeffB]

I was thinking cinder blocks, but your suggestion would work too.

[@3006USMC]

@@WHJeffB or real tie plates.

[@robertheinkel6225]

At least the wings keep it from tipping over!

[@MillBrookRailroad]

...most of the time...

[@robertmetz4105]

Maybe more weight in the front?

[@MillBrookRailroad]

It works sometimes, but not always.

[@WernerFrieschuetz]

hombre, das ist so genial. thx

[@alandaters8547]

It looks like you could use some moveable ballast-there must be some kid who would like to ride with you! You could switch places as needed for plow stability or locomotive traction. Also- some non-stick cooking spray may help with avoiding accumulation on the blade. And gloves!

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Unfortunately, gloves don't work so well with my camera. I wish that were not the case.

[@billsmith3195]

Another great one. Now forgive a possible stupid question. I live in Johannesburg South Africa and seldom see snow. Now i see that grey motor car there plugged in. Is than an electric car or a engine warmer which i have heard of but never seen.

[@kevinwaterman389]

Must be nice to have a giant able to lift up a train after a derailment 😉 maybe you could somehow mount a regular snowblower to the front of one of your flatbeds. It may not be to scale but it might work as good as your leaf blower idea to solve the problem.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

I have a snowblower waiting for a hi-rail conversion as soon as I drop a new engine in it. Just need the time to do it.

[@rec0355]

To add more weight ,Maybe you could add a Battery and controls to work the wings and Flanger

[@MillBrookRailroad]

That's in the plans. A second locomotive will take priority, however.

[@artillerest43rdva7]

would adding weight help stabilize the plow? does it cut above the ties? or is it at the rail level? Just great watching your videos. what is the running time for the engine ?

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Weight doesn't help much with the plow. The blade doesn't get close enough to the rail, so I'm going to have to cut it in half and weld it back together. Run time on the engine? Not sure. I've never run the batteries down enough to find out. I run out of things to do before the batteries are done.

[@johngormley2192]

Nice, just a suggestion though, get some scale cars for the parking lot, lol.

[@nlo114]

Right from the first derailment, the front wheel-set of the plough does not rotate. Frozen water in bearings? Grease too stiff with cold? Rusted bearings after internal ice has melted? Truck pivot bearer iced up? It could be a dozen things, sometimes just ice stuck to the rail-head or wheel-tyres.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

It was mostly ice buildup on the wheel tread. This is really light equipment roughly the size of a garden tractor.

[@brianwilliams9706]

Would a set of wheels at the front with a serrated flange help to cut or break the ice away from the rail, extra weight at the front should/might help as well.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

It might, but it might also cut into the rail.

[@Runawayrack]

Where do ya buy those locomotives

[@MillBrookRailroad]

I build them. www.Millbrookrailroad.com

[@Tusharbagade530]

Hi I am from India

[@johnfenlon458]

The truck's wheel had been stuck not running. it's causing a derailment.

[@geraldsundberg3610]

How much trackage do you have?

[@MillBrookRailroad]

970 feet of mainline at the moment, but that's soon to change.

[@terravarious]

Would more weight help reduce the ice derails? Let it bite in and crush/move the ice?

[@MillBrookRailroad]

That's not been an easy call. Sometimes, extra weight helps but other times it does not.

[@shadowolf5766]

Hey it's just me but the plow should be in front of the engine???????????

[@MillBrookRailroad]

It was ahead of the engine, even though I run it backwards downhill all winter. I shove the plow downhill and pull it back up.

[@signalupproductions]

Whats the reason for the guardrail on the curves?

[@MillBrookRailroad]

The curves are sharp, so the guard rail is to protect the outer rail from premature wear.

[@blueberrytigerfox7699]

Did you make the diesel engine your self

[@MillBrookRailroad]

I built it from a kit 10 years ago. Then rebuilt it 5 years ago.

[@blueberrytigerfox7699]

@@MillBrookRailroad how long did it take to built it

[@MillBrookRailroad]

@@blueberrytigerfox7699 10 years, so far. I'm still building it.

[@blueberrytigerfox7699]

@@MillBrookRailroad okay lad got it

[@MillBrookRailroad]

@@blueberrytigerfox7699 That was the track, not the locomotive. The loco took a week.

[@kraftovacibedna242]

Is this diesel or electric loco?

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Battery electric

[@kraftovacibedna242]

Thanks for the info. Btw, what voltage does it run on?

[@MillBrookRailroad]

@@kraftovacibedna242 24VDC with a 500W traction motor.

[@kraftovacibedna242]

Thanks.

[@danielfantino1714]

Don´t be ashamed of your derailing plow. There is somewhere a video of a real CN spectalurar plowing scene in Ontario. When the front of the plow hit a really thick and hard bank of snow at speed, it stopped...but the rear of it still being pushed, what do you think that happend ? Well the entire plow flew a good 50 or 60' feet in the air and landed on the roof. What a riding day for the plow crew !! Now if you wonder why they are equipped with seat belts...now you know. Of course it was the end of snow removal for the day.

[@bradfordthompson8326]

Oh WoW....its impressive your freight trains .......The snow plow was a blast 👌.......could you put more of a slop sides at very front of plow so snow would fall away immediately too each side so not so much would sit on front..could a old broom help push snow out of flange ways....happy plowing....You give rides.to pay for rolling stock etc......are you building a climax steam Locomotive..??..There are some beautiful plans out there

[@MillBrookRailroad]

That's a thought. I need to do some sheet metal work to it anyway.

[@blueberrytigerfox7699]

What gauge is your railway

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Dual gauge 7-1/4 and 7-1/2 inch.

[@blueberrytigerfox7699]

@@MillBrookRailroad thanks ^w^

[@davedeiler2072]

It appears that the show plow car needs more internal ballast. The car is just too lightweight.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

The locomotive wouldn't be able to push a heavier plow.

[@limehuzki]

I think it would be better if 1 you weighted down the car with sand or salt, go slow, and put a middle car you can sit in to keep warm while you're slowly traveling

[@MillBrookRailroad]

An old engineer I once worked with told me one time that the secret to running the plow train was to go a fast as the rail would let you go so the snow would fly off the blade. You need the momentum for the plow to work properly. Plowing also takes more horsepower than what I currently have, which means I have to build up as much momentum as possible to clear the line. Hence the speed I go in the video. Extra weight on the plow may help sometimes but not always. In my case, extra weight would mean adding another engine and I normally have only one engine in service at a time because there's almost always something broken on one or the other. Placing weight on the plow also depends on the snow conditions. Sometimes that weight is best put over the drive wheels, sometimes on the plow itself. It's definitely a balancing act and the balance can change between the time I leave the engine house and the time I get to the other end of the line.

[@limehuzki]

@@MillBrookRailroad ah I see now

[@sgttombailes3380]

Spray that plow w/ WD 40 - that should move that snow right of of that plow..

[@MillBrookRailroad]

I've thought about spraying it with Never Wet. Haven't done it yet, though.

[@andrewmillar8134]

SILICON SPRAY ON YOUR PLOW BLADE, EACH TIME YOU PLOW!!!!! USE IT ON MY SNOW BLOWER AND STOPS THE SLUSH FROM JAMMING IMPELLER BLADE, AND THE CHUTE!!! USED TO CLEAN OUT CHUTE WITH A CROW BAR!!!! YOU CAN FIND IT IN AUTO PARTS STORE OR HARDWARE STORE!!!!! WHAT ABOUT ADAPTING A SNOW BLOWER 12 HORSE WITH RAILROAD TRUCKS , HELP WITH TRACTION WITH BEING SELF PROPELLED WITH YOU R ENGINE HOOKED BEHIND! WOULD HELP WITH DRIFTING HARD SNOW!!!!

[@MillBrookRailroad]

We don't really get snow drifts here in the woods but I do have a snow blower waiting to be modified to go on the rails.