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MTA's has secret weapon to battle blizzard: Ultra snow-blowing train blasts snow off

Harry

By Harry,
in New York City Subway

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Harry

Harry

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As swirling snow shrouded eastern Queens, a yellow-and-black diesel train rumbled on the A subway line towards the Rockaways, lights flashing, sirens sounding.

 

It was the peak of the near-blizzard.

 

Snow drifts threatened to force suspension of subway service to the peninsula. And NYC Transit had called in the artillery.

 

"It's like your household snow blower but a million times bigger," agency engineer Edward Macina said late Wednesday as the five-car diesel train chugged past the silent expanse of Kennedy Airport.

 

The train is a key component in the agency's comprehensive snow-battle plan.

 

A six-foot cylindrical brush attached to the front sweeps snow into an even wider metal tube.

 

Snow is then blasted a

 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/02/11/2010-02-11_mtas_has_secret_weapon_to_battle_blizzard_ultra_snowblowing_train_blasts_snow_of.html#ixzz0fMwhgJAs

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Will-Bx-718

Will-Bx-718

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Yeah subway service ran almost as it normally did. And lots of TA workers put in extra hours to keep the city moving. But I bet not a single person on the DN boards will give thanx or appreciate what we did. But I bet mayor Doomberg will give all the credit and respect due to DSNY.

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RTOMan Train Operator

RTOMan

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What if a person gets hit by the flying snow?

 

If that person is smart enough to stand there and close gawk at that machine as it comes into the station...

 

They do have snow blowers as well you see something like that you try to use a little common sense and turn your head away.

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INDman Train Operator

INDman

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I saw then getting made up at CIY on Tuesday night. There are 4 of them and they had then in trains of two. I remember seeing them several (3 or 4) years ago. Not bad looking at all, from what i hear they the TA's new favorite toy. So how long before they trash them?

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Joe

Joe

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I saw then getting made up at CIY on Tuesday night. There are 4 of them and they had then in trains of two. I remember seeing them several (3 or 4) years ago. Not bad looking at all, from what i hear they the TA's new favorite toy. So how long before they trash them?

 

You think we could use one of these uptown?

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Far Rock Depot Conductor

Far Rock Depot

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What about that jet blower at the Rockaway Pk yard...do they still use that? I went over there earlier and it looks like it hasn't moved in years

 

i havent seen it moved in years either, but on wednesday night, i did see the one Harry posted a pic of. ironnicaly, same spot as the pic too. Howard Beach-JFK

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Bill from Maspeth Train Operator

Bill from Maspeth

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Yeah subway service ran almost as it normally did. And lots of TA workers put in extra hours to keep the city moving. But I bet not a single person on the DN boards will give thanx or appreciate what we did. But I bet mayor Doomberg will give all the credit and respect due to DSNY.

King Bloomberg did not acknowlege transit workers in his late afternoon press briefing in keeping the place open. I found it amusing that HE and not his chief schools puppet Joe Klein announced that schools would be reopening Thursday, not that many showed up anyway. But he didn't disappoint, because I didn't expect a thank you or even an acknowlegement anyway.

 

Remember:

NYPD= New York's Finest

FDNY= New York's Bravest

DSNY= New York's Strongest

Transit Workers= New York's Most Hated

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RTOMan Train Operator

RTOMan

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King Bloomberg did not acknowlege transit workers in his late afternoon press briefing in keeping the place open. I found it amusing that HE and not his chief schools puppet Joe Klein announced that schools would be reopening Thursday, not that many showed up anyway. But he didn't disappoint, because I didn't expect a thank you or even an acknowlegement anyway.

 

Remember:

NYPD= New York's Finest

FDNY= New York's Bravest

DSNY= New York's Strongest

Transit Workers= New York's Most Hated

 

What do you expect from a piece of trash like him?

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BroadwayLion

BroadwayLion

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You'll have to do more than just turn your head away from that thing. We use big snowblowers here at the Abbey, one on a tractor, and a new one on a new CAT skid-steer loader. Depending on how much snow it is running through it will BURY you in an instant.

 

Railroad snowblowers out here will simply blow you into a ditch with its discharge, and you might not be able to get out. Those things have some major capacities to them.

 

ROAR

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INDman Train Operator

INDman

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What about that jet blower at the Rockaway Pk yard...do they still use that? I went over there earlier and it looks like it hasn't moved in years

 

They atill use them, but it's not as cool as you think. They only use the jet engine when the car is stopped, then they turn it off and move it down the line and blow snow and they keep doing that. They have an interlocking so that you cant use the jet enigine to propel the blower.

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INDman Train Operator

INDman

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If the snow is bad enough to need these machines to clear it i don't think anyone will be at the stations, plus the machine can put the snow wherever it wants not only to one side.

 

- A

 

They used them and people were at the stations they used then at. They need 1 or 2 inches of snow to be useful. Remember they also have a spinning brush which keeps trips and switches clear or snow and ice.

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traildriver

traildriver

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They atill use them, but it's not as cool as you think. They only use the jet engine when the car is stopped, then they turn it off and move it down the line and blow snow and they keep doing that. They have an interlocking so that you cant use the jet enigine to propel the blower.

 

I imagine that jet engine in use must be deafening! And besides blasting away anything in its exhaust stream also does a pretty good job vaporizing ice.

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Fresh Pond

Fresh Pond

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King Bloomberg did not acknowlege transit workers in his late afternoon press briefing in keeping the place open. I found it amusing that HE and not his chief schools puppet Joe Klein announced that schools would be reopening Thursday, not that many showed up anyway. But he didn't disappoint, because I didn't expect a thank you or even an acknowlegement anyway.

 

Remember:

NYPD= New York's Finest

FDNY= New York's Bravest

DSNY= New York's Strongest

Transit Workers= New York's Most Hated

 

That's supreme overlord Bloomberg for ya...(MTA) keeps the city moving through all kinds of weather and yet get no respect.

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INDman Train Operator

INDman

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I imagine that jet engine in use must be deafening! And besides blasting away anything in its exhaust stream also does a pretty good job vaporizing ice.

 

The jet is used to blow the snow and melt it. The rear is aimed down at the tracks.

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