A snowplow arsenal helps BNSF battle winter’s wrath

By Jeff Stagl, Managing Editor

Snow management season can be a slog for many railroads since it typically starts in November and then lasts nearly six months. For BNSF Railway Co., the season is nearly over — it can dribble into April in some higher-altitude or extreme northern sections of the railroad’s network.

When it comes to dealing with the aftermath of winter storms, the Class I relies on a key piece of equipment: snowplows. The railroad employs various types of plows to clear differing amounts of snow, including Jordan spreaders, Russell plows and rotary plows.

BNSF's snow season can dribble into April in some higher-altitude or extreme northern sections of its network. BNSF Railway Co.

A Jordan spreader sports adjustable blades and a plough to improve conformation to a railbed, and features two sets of wing plows along each side that can be extended to push snow off a right of way. A Russell plows is equipped with large front wedge plows and smaller side wings to push through snow.

Snowplows are “mesmerizing,” as BNSF officials put it in a recent online post. “These metal titans can sweep through snow and ice, and larger ones can eat away at fallen trees and debris,” they said.

There’s an art to operating snowplows, BNSF officials say. Balance and timing are critical to to protecting track while keeping trains running.

After a heavy snowfall, snowplow operating teams use GPS to help navigate the equipment in poor visibility. A buddy system is employed on larger plows so an operator can monitor each side of a train. The operators rely on each other and GPS to know when to lift the snowplows up or down to avoid hitting obstacles.

For a bird’s-eye view of BNSF snowplows in action, check out the two videos below.

Videos courtesy of BNSF Railway Co.