In case anyone hasn't noticed, the UK is blanketed by a layer of the white stuff, leaving chaos and disruption in its wake. The traditional railway response to a suggestion of snow is to start overhauling the snowploughs, thereby ensuring that they are scattered around the workshop in a million pieces at the time when they are actually needed. The Moseley Railway Trust, determined to break away from this tradition, actually managed to find the snowplough. We've never actually fitted to a loco before, so it was a voyage of discovery. The observant will notice that we didn't actually NEED the snowplough, as the snow was no-where near deep enough. Consequently, a SnowPlough Test Environment had to be constructed on a siding. So, with the plough rigged onto loco 29, our intrepid test pilot was sent out into the cold. We though it best not to mention the frequent occasions when snowploughs have encountered buried objects with disastrous consequences. I am pleased to report that the plough passed its test with flying colours. The plough itself is a historic artifact in its own right. It was built and used on British Aluminium's Lochaber Railway which served hydroelectric installations above Fort William - which is place which knows a bit about snow.There's a few pictures of real snowploughing here. The point lever igloo is an indication of what real snow looks like! As ever, get in touch here.
