#rotary snowplow

[eltristanexplicitcontent]

DONNER PASS SNOW TRAINS

It's snowing in the Sierra right now, so here's some vintage snow fighting action! @espee-southernpacifc

[mountrainiernps]

The people whose work is caring for this mountain are pretty darn awesome.

From the paid employees, to concession employees, to volunteers and interns, these folks make everything happen at this national park.

From plowing open roads for the summer, to checking on the backcountry toilets (maybe that should be “toilets”), there’s a lot of work that has to be done so we can recreate and relax.

Whether helping to open a visitor center or clean up a trail, volunteers and interns have gone that extra step to provide a positive experience for the visiting public.

To one and all of our caring workforce, thank you!

To learn how you can contribute, visit our volunteer page at www.nps.gov/mora/getinvolved/volunteer.htm For more information on working at Mount Rainier National Park see https://www.nps.gov/mora/getinvolved/workwithus.htm

NPS photo. Rotary snowplow removing snow from roadside with work truck passes on pavement. October 2019. NPS photo. Wooden box with toilet seat in wilderness along Wonderland Trail. Background of forested ridges. 2003. NPS photo. Volunteer at information desk in Sunrise Visitor Center talking to visitor. June 2015. NPS photo. Volunteers with Washington Trails association working on Eagle Peak Trail building a water bar. June 2021.

[thebunnylord]

All I want for Christmas is …

Thomas: YOU!

Edward: world peace

Henry: an ornamental tree

Gordon: a Christmas special express where everyone dresses up and has a fancy dinner and listens to classical music. And for Spencer to do us a favor and put himself on top of the scrap pile.

James: a special red livery that’s metallic and is so shiny that it blinds on coming traffic

Percy: my two front teeth

Toby: new upholstery for Henrietta

Duck: a nap by the sea

Donald: a new snowplow

Douglas: a rotary snowplow

Oliver: I’ll take a rotary snowplow too

Emily: can I also have my own rotary snowplow?

Diesel: world domination

Daisy: makeup

Annie and Clarabel: a holiday on a nice heritage railway

Philip: that creepy looking snowman balloon.

Paxton: a hippopotamus

Rosie: roses

Duncan: an autographed rock and roll album

Sir Handel: a hand grenade launcher that I can use against George

Peter Sam: peace on earth and good will to men

Rusty: a new brake down crane

Rheneas: heavy duty earplugs

Skarloey: same

Duke: another nap

Spencer: caviar and high quality cigars

Sir Topham Hatt: ….

Sir Topham Hatt: would you guys be fine with a new coat of paint and a day off?

[sudriantraveler]

Scary Jack Frost

Ok, so as many of us know, railroading in the snow sucks! On top of that, recently I’ve been thinking a bit about locomotive folklore, and I think I’ve come up with a sufficiently intimidating idea for the locomotive version of “Scary Jack Frost”.

A giant rotary snowplow with a gaping maw of long jagged icicles, and a tender full of snow. From its funnel belches not smoke or steam, but storm clouds for a massive blizzard which trails in its wake.

This depiction is not worldwide. It is most commonly associated with engines in the United States and Canada, particularly on lines such as the Colorado narrow gauge railroads which deal with particularly aggressive winters in which there have been many major struggles against the snow throughout history. This version of Jack Frost is by no means only found within North America however, a similar version can also be found in Scandinavia, Russia, and even in Scotland, as well as pretty much anywhere else where the winter months are often particularly brutal.

Scotland is somewhat of an outlier from the rest of the UKs railways, whose engines generally describe a somewhat tamer in appearance but still respected/widely feared interpretation of Jack Frost. This interpretation is a snow-white engine with a face surrounded by spikey icicles. Often it is said that their mouth contains icicle teeth as well. This is thought to be something carried over from the rotary snowplow interpretation described previously.

Incidentally, the subject of the Thomas and Friends episode Jack Frost did happen on Sodor, albeit with several differences from its TV adaptation (James’ terror was much more than Alec Baldwin’s narration implies for one thing).

While visual interpretations are different, the powers and abilities Jack Frost is credited with usually remain the same (though there is occasionally still some variation). As well as creating blizzards, they are said to leave behind a trail of ice, making rails slippery and freezing points and signaling equipment. Their whistle is often associated with cold howling winds, and their headlamp, far from being a source of a warm glow, brings a biting chill which is said to leave a coating of frost on anything its cold light touches as well as freeze diesel locomotive’s fuel and extinguish steam locomotive’s fireboxes.

Personality-wise the locomotive version of Jack Frost runs the gauntlet from being a sinister force to a troublesome mischief-maker to even occasionally a heroic figure, in which case they might freeze points to divert engines away from avalanches or other hazards or, in an act that is seemingly in contradiction with the rest of their description, protect engines left out in the cold from the worst of the winter weather. The latter interpretation is the most uncommon amongst locomotives however, with the most common interpretations generally being considered bad news for any engines to encounter.

As a final note, the previously mentioned incident with Percy and James is not the only notable time the subject of Jack Frost has come up on Sodor. Henry claims that after his Kipper wreck, as he was fading in and out of consciousness waiting for help to arrive, he could’ve sworn he saw a snow-white silhouette of something like an engine in the distance on the tracks ahead. He claims the figure disappeared shortly before the breakdown gang arrived, seemingly vanishing into a flurry of snowflakes.

[eltristan]

Add some dramatic lighting of the midnight sun, in the land of gold where it's always cold and the men who fight the snow

Day 3: The Greatest Show on Rails departs Skagway por Kevin Madore Por Flickr: Day 3 of the 2011 White Pass Rotary Operation dawned completely clear….the first really clear day we had. And with the worst of the deep snow cleared past Canadian Shed, White Pass Superintendent Ed Hanousek was intent on plowing all the way to Bennett, BC. With the spectacular departure from the Skagway shops that you see here, so began perhaps the greatest single day I have ever spent photographing trains. On this day, we would be privileged to witness an all original White Pass steam rotary outfit, going full-tilt under cobalt blue skies, in the spectacular, pristine wilderness of British Columbia. It was literally everything we could have hoped for and more.

[leahsfiction]

LRB i'm looking up rotary snowplows and here are some photos of them in action:

photo credits: Jim Cunningham, Gerald Olson (2 and 3), Brian Jennison

[ID: railroad snowplows throwing enormous plumes of snow in a clockwise direction. in one photo there is also a gray plume of smoke from the engine.]

[sepublic]

Credit to Youtuber Laszlo Ven for the idea; For the Nizziverse, I've decided to make the Driller's alt-mode a Rotary Snowplow engine. Trains, when fully equipped with a line of cars, are long and winding, just like the Driller, so the two translate back and forth from each other very easily! Not only that, but...

I've always wanted to include Astrotrain in the Nizziverse. He's known for having a space shuttle and a train engine for his alt-modes, and typically functions as a troop transport, being huge in other continuities besides G1 to accommodate his passengers. So keeping an enormous size in mind, it makes sense for Astrotrain's train mode to be the whole train and all of its compartments, and not just the engine...

So to make things simple, I've made Astrotrain and the Driller into the same character; Like Scorponok or the Cassettes, his robot mode is an animalistic creature, one suited to tunneling through the ground. His first alt-mode is a train with a rotary snowplow at the front, and as for his flight mode...

For the sake of simplicity, I'm thinking it'll just be an original, Cybertronian transport design. I'm not sure what it'll look like; It might be long and serpentine, just like Astrotrain's other modes, for the sake of simplicity. When coming up with characters and/or alt-modes, I want the transformation to be something that could be pulled off in real life, up to the complexity of a third party toy.

Given the shape of Astrotrain, I feel obligated to make his flight mode something that doesn't stretch his T-cog, so to speak. I have considered having his flight mode be achieved by having Astrotrain split into multiple segments, which then combine with each other at different connection points, like a combiner; Or maybe the entire length of Astrotrain can fold in on itself to become more bulky and less stretched out, to provide a more creative flight mode. Maybe Astrotrain's segments don't combine, but transform into an individual fleet of shuttles.

Given the Driller is now an adaptation of Astrotrain, that also means his colors will change, too; Instead of just a monotonous silver, it'll be gray and purple, with bits of yellow and red scattered throughout. He's fully sapient and capable of speech; Maybe when Astrotrain talks, a proper head will pop out of the mouth to have a conversation with.

Astrotrain feels like a good fit because again, Dark of the Moon has that whole Space Race motif going on; That's why I've included characters such as Cosmos and Blast Off, for example. Astrotrain probably landed on Earth somewhere in Siberia, scanning an actual rotary snowplow train for his vehicle mode, before using the tracks to transport Decepticons and resources for the cause. Being a Cybertronian in disguise, his train mode is capable of traveling off-rail. Since he was in Siberia, that made it convenient for Astrotrain to travel to Chernobyl as Shockwave’s backup.

[konradnews]

NEXCO East Japan and Isuzu Motors are developing automatic driving technology for sign trucks that run in conjunction with snowplows.

On October 30, 2024, NEXCO East Japan held its third regular press conference, at which Hiroyuki Tanaka, General Manager of the Administration & Operations Division, explained the development status of the snow and ice control system. In 2023, the company will realize automatic driving of a rotary snowplow using a quasi-zenith satellite. The company is working with Isuzu Motors on the joint…

[oniongarlic]

another pair of siblings:

dental drill and rotary snowplow

rigging & power lines r like siblings i think.

[eltristanexplicitcontent]

Buried Alive by a Rotary Snow Train

[xtruss]

Meet Dirt The Cat 🐈: Nevada Northern Railway’s Rail Cat! A Stray Feline Adopted By Railroad Shop Workers Is World-Famous

— By Nastassia Putz | November 13, 2022

Born in Nevada Northern Railway’s Cavernous Locomotive Shop, the aptly named Dirt The Cat is famous around the World for his fur stained by soot and oil and his habit of personally greeting visitors to the museum in Ely, Nevada.

One of the World’s Most Famous cats is a railroader. Dirt, his fur coat stained by a lifetime amid the soot and grease of Nevada Northern Railway’s 114-year-old engine-servicing facility, is nobody’s pet and everybody’s friend. The people-loving shop cat has an international following thanks to a series of widely shared social media posts.

His fame is even more remarkable given his humble start. In 2008, a feral cat gave birth to a litter of kittens under the railway’s rotary snowplow, which was parked on a shop track. The mother soon moved her kittens, but for some reason Dirt was left behind. Shop workers and locomotive crews noticed the abandoned kitten hiding in a floor drain in the shop and, thanks to strategically placed open cans of tuna fish, won his trust. He has lived in the shop ever since. Despite the noise, smoke, and steam, it’s the only home Dirt has ever known, and the shop workers are his family.

The railroad’s staff and volunteers are Dirt’s family and the building housing the machine shop and engine house is the only home he’s ever known.

The Nevada Northern Railway, a designated National Historic Landmark located in Ely, Nevada, prides itself on authentically recreating steam-era operations and Dirt fits that mission. After all, maintenance facilities in railroading’s early days often had a resident cat to keep mice and rats in check. But Dirt had his own ideas of his role, and decided it was his job to greet visitors to the cavernous engine house and machine shop complex he calls home. Now 15 years old and showing his age, he still manages to meet most tour groups, pose for photos, and doesn’t mind the occasional gentle scratch behind the ears.

His habit of rolling on the shop floor and sleeping on coal piles left its mark on his orange and white markings, but he is well cared-for by the railway’s staff and volunteers who make sure he has plenty of food, an electric heating pad to sleep on when winter comes, and regular veterinary care. You would expect nothing less considering Dirt’s nickname around the railroad is “King of the Shop.”

Nevada Northern shop worker pauses in mid-project to give Dirt a little attention.

The Legacy of Dirt The Railroad Cat Continues! Stories of the NNRy’s Boss Shop Cat Will Last Furever

— By Nastassia Putz | January 13, 2023

Within a few hours of announcing Dirt’s death to the public in a Facebook post on January 11, 2023, Nevada Northern Railway Museum’s page flooded with thousands of people posting their condolences and sharing their fondest memories and pictures of Dirt. From a small stray kitten found in the enginehouse to a big, tough, and dirty shop cat — proudly adopted by this National Historic Landmark— Dirt held his own among the NNRy crew for over a decade. The thousands of posts are just a mere glimpse as to what this cat means to some people. Approximately 24 hours later, 610,000 people had viewed the post with 18,500 likes, 3,100 comments, and 7,800 shares (and counting).

Unfortunately, as most animal lovers know, our four-legged companions don’t live as long as we’d like, and on January 10, 2023, a dozen or so of the NNRy crew said their final goodbyes to their furry co-worker. The end-of-life process and burial were performed with the crew, allowing them to be with Dirt on his final day. “We picked a spot, we dug a grave, we had our own in-house service, and it was just perfect,” says Con Trumball, trainmaster and museum archivist.

According to Con and Mark Bassett, NNRy president, this intense response from the public was not expected. All responses have been “overwhelmingly positive” says Mark. Other museums and preservation groups have reached out, wanting to assist with the memorial.

Dirt the railroad cat relaxing with Con Trumbull in the machine shop. NNRY

Stealing the Spotlight

The NNRy has an active enginehouse and machine shop, and people would walk into those areas often unfazed by the loud noises and work being done in front of them, and ask, “Where’s the cat?” Con explains that tours and other posts — not about Dirt — would receive the same type of reaction. Dirt had a strong following.

In the last five years, Dirt became a worldwide celebrity. However, for those who worked alongside him he was just their cat. He wasn’t the first shop cat at the museum, but there was something people loved about Dirt. People even asked Bassett to create a separate Facebook page completely dedicated to Dirt, but he refused. Dirt was an ambassador for the museum and will remain one.

The mayor of Ely, Nev., recognized Dirt as a staple in the community and when visiting the museum with a guest one day — a dentist that was not too fond of cats —said, “Oh, I don’t like cats,” when meeting Dirt, elicited a humorous response from the mayor who then said, “That cat makes more money than you.” It was true. The museum’s fund named “Dollars for Dirt” often brought in more money than any other fundraising effort they were doing at the time.

Dirt’s life was filled with many loving individuals who helped with his daily care. Searching “Dirt the Nevada Northern Cat” brings up a plethora of articles, images, and videos published over the years about this railroad celebrity. But what made Dirt so famous?

Born to Reign a Railroad

Born under a 1907-built rotary snowplow, Dirt was a runt left behind by his mother and siblings. Thanks to open cans of tuna left out at night, the kitten began to warm up to the NNRy crew. He developed a fondness for rolling in the dirt and climbing up the trains. Fur that was once white and orange became gray over time, stained by such a job — one that made him appear as if he’d been working on a locomotive and was covered in soot.

Throughout his years residing on the railroad, Dirt made countless friends, from the train crew to residents to people visiting from faraway places. He knew he was famous and loved it.

Dirt the railroad cat poses with Eric Mencis for Eric’s last visit to NNRy — a lasting memory. Wesley Heinz

Eric Mencis, former NNRy guest services manager from 2016 to 2021, knew Dirt during his years of fame and was instrumental in Dirt’s notoriety. “I saw a cat with a proud attitude, a rough look, and a friendly heart,” says Eric. “He looked like he was going to come over and kick your butt if you didn’t pet him [though].” Eric became Dirt’s “agent,” posting his first candid photo on Facebook.

“What Dirt truly needed was a voice … I was his voice for many years,” says Eric. Dirt was an old railroad soul — a crew member, climbing in and around trains, and inspecting them as if he was trying to tell you how to do your job. His favorite memory, outside of his everyday caretaking of Dirt, was when he posted “We gave Dirt a Bath” on April Fool’s Day. “I spent the morning Photoshopping the whitest cat I could find into a picture of the shop and posted it online early on April 1. All the post said was “We Gave Dirt A Bath” and the world went nuts; some believed it, but some got the joke right away.”

Madison Purinton — whose husband, Lennox Purinton, is the shop foreman — knew Dirt for three years. In 2021, Madison took on the membership coordinator role for NNRy and became one of Dirt’s primary caretakers.

Lennox, who started off volunteering, knew Dirt since he was 6. One of his fondest memories was of filming Ghost Adventures at the museum, known for its haunted yard. “I was involved with the filming in the enginehouse, and during the investigation, Dirt scared the life out of the investigators when he came out from the shadows,” says Lennox.

As his official “cat wrangler,” Madison was responsible for the majority of the “Dirt & DJ” posts on Instagram/Facebook, as well as preparing him the night before to go to the vet. Even though she didn’t work there long, she and Dirt quickly became buddies. Dirt showed up for a lot of tours over the years, and never missed any of the ones she ran.

“People would only join tours in hopes of seeing him, and I remember one time, I had a group of around 40 to 50 people. We had just hit the enginehouse when he made his appearance. Sometimes he chose to follow for the whole tour, other days he’d stop in the enginehouse or at his caboose.” Well, on this tour, Dirt decided to stay in the enginehouse while Madison continued the tour. “It went from 40 to 50 people to about 15 to 20 people. Talk about stealing the spotlight!” recalls Madison.

Dirt the railroad cat poses with Madison Purinton who is wearing the t-shirt design she drew for gift shop merchandise. “Long Live Shop Boss Dirt!” Lennox Purinton

“He knew exactly how popular he was, and he owned it!” says Madison. “It’s almost like when large groups of people saw him, he turned into a show-off and had such a big head. Then when it was me and him, he was just like any old house cat.”

The Legacy Continues

Two life-size bronze statues of Dirt will be cast. One will be put on his gravestone at his gravesite, and the other will be in the machine shop where he can continue to watch over his fellow crew members. The gravesite is easily accessible to the public for visiting. It’s on a knoll right outside of the East Ely Depot. A livestream memorial service is being planned; date and time are yet to be determined.

The Nevada Northern, as most railroads, has a long history of animals working side by side with their shop employees. From dogs to cats, they have all been loved by the crews, but none have made such a lasting impact as Dirt according to the NNRy’s Facebook post on January 12.

“Dirt’s passing is not the end of his story; it’s just the beginning. In much the same way that Chessie became a lasting symbol of the C&O, Dirt will continue to be a symbol of the NNRy, and his story will continue to be told to the thousands of visitors that will be exploring his former home.” There have already been sightings of Dirt’s ghost, according to Con.

As another official tribute to Dirt, Con had the honor of placing Dirt’s official railroad I.D. card into the archival collection. The card, food bowl, and collar will eventually be on display in the depot. Dirt also holds the honor of being formally listed in the employee roster on their archive site.

In the end, the NNRy saved a stray and gave him a good life. Eric says, “the reality of Dirt is he touched thousands of people’s lives and made them a little better for knowing and following his adventures. He was truly a special cat.”

Burial spot of Dirt outside of depot. He now rests by this tree that will soon have a gravestone and bronze statue added. Con Trumbull

Dirt The Railroad Cat Facts:

Employee Name: Dirt the Cat

Nickname(s): Boss Shop Cat and That darn cat!

Primary Jonb: Shop Cat

Division: Nevada Northern Railway

Years Worked: 2009 to 2023

Born: March 2008

Died: January 10, 2023

Hometown: Ely, Nevada

Favorite Food: Temptations (Seafood Flavored Cat Treats)

Favorite People: Al Gledhill (Master Mechanic), Mike Calchera (Track Crew), and Eric Mencis (Guest Services Manager, aka, Dirt’s Agent)

Favorite Place: Caboose

Likes: Food, People, Attention (Pets), Rolling in Dirt

Dislikes: Super Loud Noises and Dogs

Dirt Also Has His Own Merchandise

Dirt Has a Protege Named D.J. or Dirt Junior

Nevada Northern Railway

— January 11, 2023 | Facebook

It is with a very heavy heart that we report Dirt, our Boss Shop Cat, passed away yesterday. He was 15 years old, and beloved by everyone here at the railroad and around the world.

Here’s Dirt’s story. In the spring of 2008, a little kitten of orange and white fur was found in the engine house by himself. The mother and any other kittens were long gone. The crew at the time would sit for hours each day with cans of tuna and soft cat food, to get the little fur ball to trust them.

When he finally came around to trusting them, Al, the railroad’s Master Mechanic, took him to the vet for a checkup, shots, and eventually he was neutered. It was live and let live. The shop guys did their thing, and the little kitten did his thing. The warmest place in the shop is in the cab of a coal-fired steam locomotive. There is coal dust everywhere. Over time, our little ball of fur started picking up some of the black coal dust, and he was named Dirtbag. As our visitors started discovering the shop’s cat, it was decided to shorten his name to Dirt.

The engine house and machine shop are very dirty, noisy environments. In addition to the locomotives and railroad cars being moved in and out. Repair work goes on all the time. Dirt got very wise, very fast, quickly figuring out where not to be when locomotives and cars were moving, or work was being performed.

He grew into a large rough-and-tough tom cat that ruled the shop and surrounding neighborhood. We saw him playing fetch with gophers and bats. Don't ask us how he got them, he just did. He hated being cleaned up, but loved being a railroader. It was not uncommon to find him rolling around in the dust outside the shop.

The shop knew he was special, and did what they could to protect him. When Angie, our superintendent, went to work in the mechanical department she became one of his caretakers. She became his nemesis, since she took him for his vet visits. She cleaned him as much as she could, which Dirt did NOT like at all. To make amends, she would sneak him turkey dinners on the holidays.

Mike Calchera, our grizzled track guy, got to scratch Dirt’s ears and would make sure he had clean warm beds, it was Al who was his favorite. Al was our master mechanic at the time, had a soft spot for Dirt. Dirt could do no wrong and was given the run of the shop and the engine house.

The arrangement of Dirt doing his thing, while the shop guys did theirs, would have stayed that way, had it not been for the keen eye of photographer extraordinaire, Steve Crise. It was during the 2018 winter photo shoot; Steve was walking through the machine shop. He happened to notice Dirt, sitting regally, in front of locomotive 40. He laid down on the machine shop floor with his camera, and grabbed the shot with Dirt posing the whole time.

It was a great photo, but there are thousands of great photos out there. What Dirt needed was a publicist, enter Eric Mencis, who was our Guest Services Manager at the time. Eric posted Steve’s photo on our Facebook page and the rest, they say, is history!

Who knew that a semi-feral cat, living at a National Historic Landmark Railroad, in the middle of the “Big Empty” of Nevada, would become so famous? We sure didn’t, but boy howdy did Dirt become famous! Google “Dirt the Nevada Northern Cat,” and stories, videos and articles pop up. Dirt has been featured in the Washington Post, Trains Magazine, and newspapers in Europe, not to mention the thousands of individual posts of our visitors that got to take his picture.

All this publicity brought people to Ely to see him, many traveling hundreds, if not thousands of miles. This stunned the staff and volunteers. After all, Dirt was just Dirt, right? Nope! Dirt was a media and social media sensation, and Dirt knew it!

As part of the experience at the Nevada Northern Railway, we offer scheduled guided tours of the machine shop and engine house. Dirt knew the schedule. He would hide away all morning long, but let the 2:30 pm tour come into the machine shop, and Dirt was there to greet them. When the tour was over, Dirt would wander off to one of his many hidey-holes until the next tour.

Dirt has fans that love him from all over the world. But we few at the Nevada Northern Railway Museum are the lucky ones. We got to love him in person. As he aged, we found a vet that loved him as much as we did. Dirt also received more care takers including Jasmine, who would be his last. He never missed a meal, or a head scratch. As he aged and slowed down, he learned to love watching shows on our phones while he was sitting in our laps. After the show, he would leave streaks of dirt on the pants of his visitors, or drool on their boots.

Dirt was one-of-kind. He was the Boss Shop Cat at the Nevada Northern Railway. Con, our Trainmaster, selected a spot on the grounds in between the Depot, and the Freight Depot in the shade of a pine to serve as his final resting place. His burial site is opposite where all our excursion trains’ locomotives sit prior to departure, and it gives a view of the yard, that in addition to the shop, was Dirt’s domain.

But be forewarned, if you’re visiting the Nevada Northern Railway Museum and you’re admiring one of our steam locomotives just prior to departure, don’t be surprised, if, out of the corner of your eye, you see a lanky old guy, holding an orange and gray cat, looking over the locomotive. The old guy will be cursing a blue streak at the crew, while the cat just looks on knowingly. If you turn to confront them, they will have disappeared. But don’t fret, that was just Al and Dirt checking out the locomotive, making sure that everything is running smoothly. After all, they don’t call us the Ghost Train of Old Ely for nothing.

We are all saddened with the passing of Dirt. He will be missed. The machine shop and engine house won’t feel the same without him. His last days were spent with the crew that loved him best. Gathering around, our crew laid him to rest while a Nevada snowstorm blew through. They shared their memories and thanked him for his service. Knowing that they were laying to rest one of their own, a part of the Nevada Northern Railway family. They will all tell you, this was one of the hardest things they have done here.

To commemorate Dirt, we will be having two life size bronzes cast of Dirt. One will serve as his gravestone, the other will be placed in the machine shop, so Dirt can continue watching over the shop. As details become available on the bronzes, we’ll keep you posted.

And don’t forget, Dirt was teaching his protégé DJ, Dirt Junior, the ins and outs of being the Boss Shop Cat. We knew this day was coming, DJ now has big paws to fill.

We will be posting stories on Dirt, and his time at the railroad in the coming days and weeks. Please feel free to post your stories in the comments for all to read.

Sincerely,

The Nevada Northern Railway Crew

Mark, Joan, Angie, Charish, John Henry, Lennox, Josh, Nick, Carlos, Mike Hughes, Con, Mike Hejny, Kurt, Gary, Ron, Bill, Kelvin, Kemper, Ellie, Jasmine, Kat, Jim, Roger, Will, Brian, Zech, Derek, and Michael Green.

— Sunday September 29, 2024

[graeagle]

Western Pacific Railroad Museum ran their Rotary Snowplow today clearing some snow from the tracks. It was awesome to see it in action! Photo credit @bigfish @westernpacificlives (at Western Pacific Railroad Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpHbDBSORyx/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mountrainiernps]

To a lot of people, no visit to a national park is complete without camping overnight.

While Mount Rainier has no campgrounds open in the winter, there is winter camping, also known as snow camping. The winter camping season was declared open December 28, 2023, when the snowpack on the ground became deep enough to protect the soils and plants. It can run until May 15, 2024, weather and snow permitting.

There are some key things to remember for winter camping.

One important thing is to get a permit. Parties of 1 to 12 people can get their permit on the day or one day prior. You can get them at the Longmire Museum (open daily 9am to 4pm), the Carbon river Ranger Station (8:30am to 4pm daily) and at self-register kiosks (east side of park at closed entrances. Parties of 13 or more people need to get their permit in advance on Recreation.gov.

When setting up camp on (or in) the snow, remember to go at least 300 feet from a plowed road or parking lot. This distance is to keep you safe and not buried under snow flying out of a rotary snow plow. You also have to set up camp at least 300 feet from any marked trail or route, or building, and at least 100 feet from any water.

Another key item is to remember that if you are camping above Longmire, the road from Longmire to Paradise is closed every night. You can not drive on the road until it has opened for everyone. It is unsafe to drive on roads and parking lots until morning snowplow operations are complete. In the morning, you’ll need to call 360-569-2211 or check Alerts to find out when the road is open for travel.

There’s a lot more information on enjoying winter recreation in the national park on the park’s websites. Please make sure to research beforehand and come prepared for both winter and fun.

When was the last time you camped at Mount Rainier in the snow?

What was the best part of winter camping for you?

Are you thinking of visiting this winter and camping in the snow?

Winter camping and permit information can be found here https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/winter-camping.htm . Park information on winter safety can be found here https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/winter-safety.htm  Park information on winter travel can be found here https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/winter-travel.htm 

These photos are from years past and do not reflect current conditions. NPS Photo. View looking across a snow-covered Paradise Valley to Mazama Ridge on a cloudy day. January, 2022. NPS Photo. View from the closed and snow-covered road to Sunrise looking up a snowy Fryingpan Creek from the road bridge. February, 2021. NPS Photo. Road from Longmire to Paradise at Longmire with gate on the road closed. Snow covered trees line road and Mount Rainier is in the background. January, 2021.

[dieselfutures]

Winther Motor and Truck Company Rotary Snowplow

[eltristan]

[someenchantedcentury]

Rotary Snow Plow

1960s