Train Snow Plowing Action in Minnesota

February of 2019 was one of the snowiest months on record for the State of Minnesota, and the railroads are certainly feeling it. In order to keep the tracks and ROW clear for trains, railroads across the state have been putting their plows to good use.

In this video, we'll follow a DM&E plow working its way over the Waseca Sub. It'll do some flange work, and widen the ROW in many places. In the end of the video, we'll also get a shot of UP running a former CNW plow down the Spine Line. Best part? These might run even more since larger storms are still in the forecast.

@CPKCrail #trains #snowplow #plowing
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Copyright 2019 Douglas Hildebrandt, all rights reserved.

[kevinzurek]

Haha, Junction Switch in Inver Grove, spent many hours rail fanning there as I used to live a quarter mile away XD

[richardjohnson]

Winter in Minnesota is often amazing...gorgeous scenery, no mosquitoes, no black flies or other irritating critters, & lots to do. Never boring.

[barbararoberto]

What a beautiful place, that plow is amazing

[robertomeara]

You see the small windows on top of the plow ? In early 1980's I was riding on a snow plow in Eastern Quebec (former Quebec Central RR) beetween Tring Jct.and Megantic. That track has been removed for at least 30 years. We got stuck and had snow over the plow. We were trapped in the pitch black plow's cabin for half an hour before the conductor and trainmen reached us with hand shovels. Fortunatly, some of you may know, the doors of these plows were designed to open to the inside ! Guess why? It is a hell of a good souvenir !!! Good old days, au plaisir !

[alicemerena]

A sincere thank you for these great videos from a disabled train nut that could never get out to see this magnificent work on my own.

[Qadupae]

I can't even fathom how much power that train would need to move that much snow, just unreal o.o

[NERRP]

Love the horn on the plow sounds menacing and scary like something outta ones nightmares

[carmenhaworth]

All the years living in Minnesota, never seeing trains plowing snow. That's pretty cool

[trainsandtrams]

An awesome sight! Better get out of the way or get blown away! Minnesota is the ideal place for railfan train watching in winter!

[timsyzek]

My Grandpa Mike and Uncle Ed were both switchyard foremen for the Canadian Pacific in Winnipeg; my dad put telephone/telegraph poles in with a post-hole digger (manually) on the rail line in Manitoba. He said they got to their worksite using the wheeled railroad handcar. He was also a freight checker for Canadian National, and slugged a lot of freight in Chicago's railyards, while working his way through school. My mom's folks are from Minnesota, and we've lived there during a blizzard which came up to the eaves of our house in 1960. Be safe doing your essential and dangerous work!

[Mike-]

i remember the winter of 2019 up here in MN. We got more snow in December than we had for the entirety of the 4 previous winters. It was a cold winter here too, the town I live in was seeing wind chills in the -75f range

[jamesshanks]

I've noticed since I retired from the railroad they mounted the horns on the long hood of the locomotive instead of the cab roof. Many a snowy night I've spent hours clearing out the snow and ice as the horn stopped working, no horn can't cross public grade crossings. On the long hood the heat from the engine keeps the horn warm enough that the snow and ice melts allowing the horn to function if not perfectly it still functions.

Cheers!

[TheZebinator]

It's really impressive how these trains can keep on pushing snow without skidding on the tracks. I live in the north so I know how hard snow can be to plow. Amazing machines!

[chrismay]

the snow is so deep my head wouldn't even be at the top and I love trains going over snow and plowing it.

[nicknorthable]

At 68 I'm still jumping up & down when I see this kind action

[emattt]

My dad grew up in Inver Grove Heights, MN. Excellent video, love seeing Canadian Pacific coming through Minnesota.

[mkldb]

I like watching the plows here in my home state. I live in south Florida, have not seen one in 60 years.

[rubysnowwolfgamingandmusic]

my dad was a train engineer fot 23 years and he loved the winter bc u got to do this i was with him a few times and man it was fun watching the snow blow

[kamichael]

Just to show how ignorant I am, I had never seen a plow engine with the outrigger chutes before. That is just plain awesome!!

[Average_Joe]

Growing up in Rochester and traveling to Winona and La Crosse, I've never seen a snow plow train before. Great video