One Nasty Snow Plow

"SteveLehto" (stevelehto)
03/28/2015 at 10:00 • Filed to: None

In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, it snows a lot - several hundred inches a year. Snow can stop traffic, even on train tracks. And back when they mined copper, they had no time for that nonsense. So one mining company got a Russell snow plow - this monster you see here - and just blasted the snow off the tracks.

This fine example survives in Calumet where it is parked not far from the Coppertown USA museum. From what I gleaned off of the internet, Russell began building this design sometime after World War I. What you see here does not include an engine. This thing would be pushed by something else. Apparently, that is where the excitement came in. These things were often run at 50 MPH and a spotter rode the plow while an engineer controlled the speed from behind. Trying to spot things at 50 MPH with the snow flying can lead to some zany hijinks.

When the mines shut down, the Russell was parked. As with many things in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, you can walk up and inspect this anytime. Some local knuckleheads have sprayed graffiti on it but otherwise it is doing pretty well.

The logo on the side is of the Calumet & Hecla mine. Back in the day it was the biggest player in the area. Think of it as the General Motors of its industry - but GM of 1950. It employed the bulk of the people in town and the man who ran the company had far more clout than any local politician. And he probably woke up one day to a monstrous snowstorm and just decreed that work would not stop. No one messed with C&H. Not even mother nature.

The mines have all shut down - Calumet and Hecla closed in 1968. Some of it is gone but much remains. Old buildings, mine shafts, and things like this snow plow. It's one of the reasons I love visiting the area as often as I can.

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DISCUSSION (24)

E. Julius > SteveLehto
03/28/2015 at 10:03

Kinja'd!!!

Love reading about stuff like this. Is all that orange stuff in the blade of the plow and on the sides wood? It looks like it but I can't be certain from the picture.

SteveLehto > E. Julius
03/28/2015 at 10:04

That's just orange paint. It's getting weathered really badly since it sits out in the elements year round.

E. Julius > SteveLehto
03/28/2015 at 10:07

Orange paint on metal like the black parts of the plow?

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > SteveLehto
03/28/2015 at 10:12

My God, it looks as mean as hell.

Thunderface > SteveLehto
03/28/2015 at 10:19

Neat-O!

SteveLehto > E. Julius
03/28/2015 at 10:24

I think parts of it are wood.

E. Julius > SteveLehto
03/28/2015 at 10:25

Interesting. Thanks!

Brickman > SteveLehto
03/28/2015 at 10:31

Kinja'd!!!

That train is so bad ass it tells you to go f yourself :P

desertdog5051 > SteveLehto
03/28/2015 at 10:34

I've ridden in a more modern version before. We plowed from Muskegon, MI to close to Gary, IN. It was pushed by 2 engines. There were 2 railroad guys that sat on each side and controlled the wing plows. You are right about the limited visibility. Every so often you would hear the sound of a wing plow hitting something along the side of the track. It carried four hand operated re-railers to put it back on the track if it came off. Which it only did once. When you hit large drifts, like around the southern end of Lake Michigan, you could feel the back end being lifted off the rail by the force of the locomotives and the downforce of the plows in front.

BJ > SteveLehto
03/28/2015 at 11:30

Here's a video of one working through some moderate snow in South Dakota:

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > SteveLehto
03/28/2015 at 11:32

They don't screw around with snow removal up there. They still use these guys because nobody has bothered to come up with anything better. Twin engined, one to drive the truck and another to power the snow blower. Plus the rear axles can get angled to keep it pointed into the bank.

SteveLehto > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much
03/28/2015 at 11:59

I love those trucks. Can you imagine what that place looked like before they had machinery like this?

PS9 > SteveLehto
03/28/2015 at 12:05

Finally. Its about time Jack Frost got his shit ruined. That princess from frozen can come get some too. TIME TO LET IT GOOOO FOR THE LAST TIME, BITCH!

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > SteveLehto
03/28/2015 at 12:09

Kinja'd!!!

They used to pack (pank for the Yoopers) the snow down with big rollers. There is one on display somewhere up there that I've seen. Maybe at the Houghton County Historical Museum in Lake Linden. They have some pretty cool pictures in Suomi Restaurant and a few of the other local restaurants including the classic of the telegraph lines that are almost buried.

What is crazy is seeing all the pictures of the Keweenaw when there are barely any trees. That must have made from some incredible snow drifts with nothing to stop it from blowing.