Building a Snow Plow!

[Klinger]

Seeing the hellish winter we had here in Colorado last year, when I finished my G Scale layout during the Summer I made it a Goal to build a Snow plow to use during the winter should snow start to pile up. come on, how fun would that be

At first I was going to make it out of the Bachmann Gondola car they sell, but the other day at the Great Train Expo in Denver, I saw the DRGS guys had build a snow plow out of an old locomotive Tender

And seeing as I have an Old Bachmann 2-6-0 tender lying around, It seemed cheaper to try this approach

So Im curious, how do I go about building the Blade itself? My step dad can do some metal work, and it seems to me a metal plow would be more logical then a plastic on, but are there any plans floating aorund the net about how to make a plow at all?

I mean, I Know what it should look like, but how do i go about actually getting it built

So Far Ive started by removing the old battery case from the tender, and cutting out all of the plastic that the fake coal was on. Right now i need to start making the fittings for the plow itself, as well as gather up ballast to weigh it down (thats the easy part lol)

 

[K4driver]

What kind of ploware you making? A winged one? cause If you have a winged one, I can get you some H.o plans for it.

 

[robbiehanson]

As I've been gathering data for a similar project(old trashed Bachmann tender, painted BLUE of all things...), and I've got some magazine articles and stuff, I'll scan a few things for you

Have an email that you prefer to get them at, or should I upload the scans somewhere and post them here?

 

[whitepass]

I had a G scale outdoor layout for ten years in Michigan, it's not the snow it's the ice you have to clear off. Best way I found was my foot with a rubber boot on! Your plow must be as heavy as you can make it or it will derail.

 

[Klinger]

Well I cut all the plastic decking out of the tender (except the deck above the water tank

Trying to make it look semi realistic

and I plan on filling most of the tender with rocks and gravel, my 2-8-0 can handle a ton of weight, so i have plenty of power to push a heavy object

 

[Spawn_of_Chaos97]

Heh...try using two locos, just because of ice.

IDEA! Try making TWO cars: a snowplow and a HEATED ICE MELTER! with a squeegee at the back to push the melted ice (water) off the tracks! I'd use a longer boxcar for the heated ice melter, so you can put a small heating element on the bottom over the rails. How's that for an idea?

 

[mjolnir]

Heh...try using two locos, just because of ice.

IDEA! Try making TWO cars: a snowplow and a HEATED ICE MELTER! with a squeegee at the back to push the melted ice (water) off the tracks! I'd use a longer boxcar for the heated ice melter, so you can put a small heating element on the bottom over the rails. How's that for an idea?

As an idea, it's pretty good. In practice, I wouldn't try it, mainly because I think that in order to get enough heat to melt the ice, the car will be in one place so long that the car will melt (and perhaps catch fire) before the ice does. If you are using real wood ties, it might be a better idea to hook up the rails to electric power, and heat the rails as a way of heating the ice, much as some of you in Northern climes use cables to melt the ice at the edge of the roof. If you're using plastic ties, though, again, I suspect you'll melt the ties before you melt the ice.

If I were looking to make a functional G scale snowplow, I'd probably try to find an old aluminum snow shovel, cut the pieces for the snow plow blade from that with tin snips. Id use a piece of large diameter pipe (3" or larger, plastic or metal) to adjust the curve of the blade to my satisfaction. When that was done, I'd cut a wooden form to support the top and bottom of the blade, attaching the blade to the wood with screws. Then I'd line the box created by the wood and the blade with plastic, and use the wood forms and the blade pieces as a form for casting a resin block that I would attach to the tender. Remove the form pieces, and take the plastic off of the resin block, and reattach the blades and form. This will give you a stiff surface.

The problem with trying to use a G scale snow plow, though, is going to be physics. I doubt you're going to be able to provide enough traction.

ns

 

[colin55]

Have you seen this on youtube?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwNulZLSFnI

 

[Spawn_of_Chaos97]

WOW Colin! Nice find!

Now to make one for my grandparent's garden layout (in the MOUNTAINS! LOL!) They get about uhh 4 feet of snow (total) a year...

 

[Ferrous]

Only problem is that unprototypical whirring from the electric motor.

Ah, well. I'm sure a cover over it would muffle the sound.

 

[leeferr]

Now that's a really nice piece of modeling work. With the RPM's that the fan is turning, the manufacture and placement of the blades had to be almost perfect or it probably would have torn itself apart.

 

[Klinger]

NOW THAT was cool!

maybe after I get this plow built.....Ill start work on building a working rotary. after seeing that I may have no choice lol. Looks like loads of fun

 

[sfrr]

Wow...heres something to ponder about...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-gFKzR4M5o&feature=related

watch some of his other videos too

 

[bendorsey]

I seem to remember seeing an article in Narrow Gauge & Short Line Gazette a while ago concerning the construction of a working G scale rotary. Can't remember the issue tho (sorry). Something to search for possibly.

Ben