Walthers Rolling Stock
Alco/Leslie Rotary Snowplow with Tender Ready to Run
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Undecorated
Walthers Part # 932-1950
HO scale, $49.98, sold out at Walthers
Howling winds, heavy snowfall and bitter cold mean trouble along the line.
As trains slow and drifts pile up beyond the capacity of the push plows,
the call goes out for the Rotary Snow Plow!
Since their commercial introduction in the late 1880s, these amazing
machines have kept the rails open when nothing else would. On the business
end, a huge spinning wheel cuts drifts down to size, then feeds the snow
into scoops. Centrifugal force hurls snow hundreds of feet away from the
line, keeping trains moving safely.
From mountain passes to open prairies, wherever winter winds howl,
generations of railroaders came to rely on these rugged machines. Now, your
HO line can take on winter and win with your own WORKING rotary plow!
Our model is a faithful replica of steam-era prototypes built by Alco under
the Leslie patents between 1900 and 1940. Roads large and small rostered
plows of this style - where snow was a real headache, area railroads
usually owned several! Many led long lives and were later rebuilt for use
with diesel power.
Fully assembled and ready for duty, our new model includes a drive motor to
spin the wheel*. Move your power pack throttle and the wheel spins faster
or slower! The model includes a highly detailed scoop mechanism with a
positionable discharge chute, that can be set to the left or right like the
prototype. Mounted on the scoop housing is an authentic replica of the
covered headlight. With its fragile oil burner, glass chimney and lens, the
headlight on prototype rotary plows was easily broken by flying ice and
snow. As a result, protective wood or steel covers were placed over the
light whenever the plow was run in daylight, a practice that continued
long-after electric lights (which were still somewhat fragile and expensive
to fix) became standard.
By the 1920s, many roads began replacing the small tenders in use in the
1890s/1900s when most plows were delivered. These later tenders had a
larger coal and water capacity to extend the plow's operating range.
Walthers plow includes an all-new replica of the USRA 8,000 Gallon
Tender. This superb model has a highly detailed plastic body, a diecast
underframe and separate wire grab irons. Since flying snow could accumulate
in the coal bunker (where it could melt and make the coal too wet to burn,
or pack in and freeze the fuel into a solid chunk), our model comes with an
authentic bunker cover with molded-on door and hinge details for added
realism.
*Of course, it just looks strong enough to plow real snow - please don't
try using it like the prototype!
Photo shows prototype plow.
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