When winter delivers its absolute worst, railroads fight back with rotary snowplows. Introduced in the late 1880s, rotaries use a large, spinning wheel to cut snowdrifts down to size, forcing the loose snow into scoops, then hurling it away from the tracks. Only the cutting wheel was powered; an engine was required to move them.
This HO model is based on prototypes built by Alco under the Leslie patents between 1900 and 1940, which were delivered to roads large and small. Many served for decades, and some were later rebuilt for use with diesel power.
Fully assembled and ready for duty, the model includes a drive motor to spin the wheel - simply move your power pack throttle and the wheel spins faster or slower. Other authentic details include the scoop mechanism with positionable discharge chute, covered headlight (as the lens could easily be broken by flying ice and snow, headlights were usually covered in daylight hours), and a USRA 8,000-gallon tender with bunker cover, which kept the coal load dry to prevent freezing.
- Motorized snowplow blade
- Perfect for 1920s-60s era
- RP25 turned metal wheelsets
- Proto MaxTM metal knuckle coupler
Walthers no. 932-61505