March 28, 2015 – Union Pacific Rotary Snow Plow 900081 sits on display at the Museum of Transportation in Kirkwood, MO.
Designed and Built by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1966 at their Omaha Shop, this rotary snowplow is the heaviest ever built, weighing 367,400 pounds. Its cutting wheel could throw snow far to either side of the track as it was pushed forward at 4-6 mph. It is not self propelled and must be pushed by 3-4 locomotives.
Number 900081 is powered by a GM/EMD 16 cylinder, 2,000hp turbo charged diesel engine that drives an electric generator which provides power to turn the 12′ rotary blades at up to 150 rpm. A steam generator heats the cab, prevents the fuel and water pipes from freezing and can thaw out the cutting wheel if it gets stuck.
The Plow engineer controls both the plow and the trailing locomotives. This snowplow is 52′ 2″ long, 17′ high and was last used in Green River WY, in the mid 1980’s. There are circular windows in the front of the plow that revolve to keep them clear of snow.
UP 900081 was assigned to Green River in about 1986, LaGrande, Oregon in 1994 and then retired in 1994 due to freeze damage and was donated to Museum of Transportation, in 1994.- #jimstrainphotos