Rotary Snowplow List
A list of all surviving railroad rotary snowplows in North America.
Compiled and maintained by Webmaster ().
Last modified 21 December 1998
Version 1.70
The first rotary plow was designed in 1869 by Toronto dentist J.W.
Elliot. His design, similar to but more primitive than the later Leslie
type, was never built. Several other plow ideas also died a similar
death. Some were built in prototype form and scrapped, others never were
built. These included the Hawley plow, the Marshall plow, the Blake
Machine Plow and the Kryger steam snow shovel.
The first successful rotary plow was designed by Canadian Orange
Jull. He had it built by the Leslie Brothers, owners of a machine shop,
and tested it in the winter of 1883-84. The Leslies' soon purchased the
manufacturing rights to the plow and went into business building 'Leslie
type' rotaries. This is the type of plow most people think of when you
say 'rotary.' It has one large circular plow blade rotating on a shaft
parallel to the tracks.
Between 1885 and 1903 the Leslies had 62 plows (plus 2 for export)
built by several locomotive works. They then sold the rights to the plows
to ALCo. However, the Leslies' company exists to this day. From 1905 to
1937 ALCo built 67 plows (plus 4 for export). Two homebuilt, 42 inch
gauge Leslie plows were built by Reid Newfoundland. Lima-Hamilton
built the last four commercially produced steam rotaries (and the last
commercial Leslie types) in 1949-50, under license from ALCo.
Five homebuilt Leslie types (4 diesel, 1 electric) were built
between 1950 and 1971. One of these was the last Leslie type built. Over
the years Leslies were built in US Standard Gauge, 3 foot gauge, and 42
inch gauge, and possibly other gauges for export. Of the Leslie type
plows, there are 44 left.
There also were several other types of plows, some successful, some not:
Jull Centrifugal Snow Excavators:
Orange Jull, the inventor of the Leslie type plow, decided to build plows
to another design to compete with the Leslies. Between 1890 and 1892 11
Jull type plows were built. These plows had a large spiral screw placed
diagonally across the front of the plow to clear the snow. They were not
as good in deep or heavy snow as the Leslies, and never really caught on.
All 11 are now scrapped.
Cyclone Snowplow:
This device was invented by E.P. Caldwell. It featured a large spiral
screw projecting forward from the body of the plow. Imagine a very large
tapered drill bit mounted on the front of a boxcar. The only plow of this
type was scrapped in 1904.
Bros 'Sno Flyr' and 'Sno Meltr':
These plows were a result of the severe winter of 1949 (see below).
The Flyr was a snowblower-type machine, and the Meltr was a snow
melting machine. Neither type was particularly successful, and only
three were built.
Snowblower-type machines:
In recent years several non-Leslie rotary plows have been built.
These plows generally use two large snowblowers, essentially larger
versions of a driveway snowblower. These plows are included in this
list, but they are more like a highway or runway snowblower than a
true railroad rotary plow.
The Winter of 1949
1949 was a particularly harsh winter, and the northern/western railroads
were buried. The then-standard steam rotaries proved incapable of dealing
with the snow. The railroads looked at several possible solutions to
the problem of insufficient plowing ability:
* Union Pacific had two large steam rotaries of conventional
design built. These were successful plows, but were infrequently used.
* CB&Q converted an old steam plow to electric power. This proved
to be the best solution, and large numbers of conversions followed.
* CB&Q, NP and UP sponsored construction of the Bros Sno Flyr, a
snowblower-type plow. This plow was superior to the Leslie types
in light snow, but could not deal with the heavy, deep snow the
Leslies could handle. Thus the Bros plows were not produced in
great numbers.
The Winter of 1997
Heavy snows in January 1997 hit the northern/western US very hard,
crippling BNSF operations. BNSF called out at least 6 plows (5 ex BN, 1
ex ATSF), but two plows had severe mechanical problems, so they could not
plow. Even the operable plows had trouble dealing with the very heavy
snow conditions. Union Pacific's 900082 (the largest rotary in the
country) was sent to help BNSF clear out, and it performed much better
than the BNSF plows, due to greater power & size. The UP & BNSF plows
spent about two weeks clearing the snowed-in lines. As of this writing it
was planned to lease UP 900080, UP's smaller plow, to BNSF for the rest of
the winter. In addition to the BNSF and UP plow, two SP rotaries were
called to clear Donner Pass on 23-24 Janaury 1997. This extent and
duration of rotary use has not been seen since 1949.
Format of the listings:
Owner: Current Owner & Locations
History: Current number followed by previous numbers
Builder: Builder, Builder's Date, Builder's Number/Serial Number
Power: Steam, Electric, Pure Electric or Diesel
Modifications: Rebuild and conversion dates
Status: Operational, Stored, Derelict, etc.
All plows were steam powered as built, except as noted. Electric plows
are powered by electricity from a trailing locomotive or power car; pure
electrics plows are powered by electricity from overhead wires; diesel
plows are powered by an internal diesel engine. All plows are non-self
propelled, except as noted. All are Leslie types unless noted. Plows are
arranged alphabetically by owner.
Unknown plow:
probably at a musuem in Bonanzaville (Fargo) ND.
No details known.
Owner: unknown, Breckenridge, CO
History: "DL&G 01", C&S 99200, DL&G 064, DSP&P 011
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 2/89, 26
Power: Steam
Modifications: unknown
Status: Stored, owner and condition unknown; retired 3/1951
Owner: Alaska Railroad, Anchorage, AK
History: ARR 3
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 4/30, 66424
Power: Electric, power from slug mother
Modifications: Rebuilt to electric around 1960, rebuilt 1985.
Status: Operational, last used in 1995.
Owner: Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Topeka, KS
History: ATSF 199361, ex ATSF 199398, ex ATSF 199802, nee ATSF 99802
Builder: Cooke, 12/1892, 44
Power: Electric, power from slug mother
Modifications: Converted to electric 11/59, rebuild used frame
and trucks from tender of 4-8-4 #3765.
Status: Operational, used 1/1997 but broke down
Owner: Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Grand Forks, ND
History: BN 972550, ex NP 43, ex D&SL 10201, nee DNW&P 10201
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 12/06, 41454
Power: Electric, power from RSPU or GP28P
Modifications: Rebuilt 1957
Status: Operational, stored
Owner: Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Northtown, MN
History: BN 972551, ex NP 45, nee NP 41
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 11/25, 66278
Power: Electric, power from GP28P
Modifications: Rebuilt 1967
Status: Operational, stored
Owner: Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Glendive, MT
History: BN 972552, ex GN X-1507, ex GN 95007, nee GN X-800
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 12/07, 44700
Power: Electric, power from RSPU 972575
Modifications: Rebuilt 12/63, overhauled 1994.
Status: Operational, last used 1/1997
Owner: Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Minot, ND
History: BN 972554, nee NP 42
Builder: ALCo (Schenectady), 11/37, 69029
Power: Electric, power from BN RSPU 972570 or 972570
Modifications: Converted 1958, rebuilt 12/65
Status: Operational, stored
Last ALCo built rotary.
Owner: Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Whitefish, MT
History: BN 972555, ex GN X-1509:2, nee GN 95009
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 11/25, 65423
Power: Electric, power from RSPU or GP28P
Modifications: Rebuilt 1960
Status: Operational, called out 1/1997 but not used to to poor condition
Owner: Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Lincoln, NE
History: BN 972558, ex CB&Q 205099, nee CB&Q 205028
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 10/15, 55013
Power: Electric, power from BN RSPU 972573
Modifications: Rebuilt 12/49, first electric conversion.
Status: Operational, used 3/1998
Owner: Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Alliance, NE
History: BN 972559, ex NP 47, ex NP 46, nee CR&NW X-4
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 9/15, 54787
Power: Electric, power from RSPU or GP28P
Modifications: Rebuilt 1966
Status: Operational, used 1/1997
Owner: Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Dilworth, MN
History: BN 972560, ex NP 50, nee Bros Machinery demo
Builder: William Bros Machinery, 3/50, serial number unknown
Power: Diesel, 16-567B (built as diesel)
Modifications: None known
Status: Operational, stored
Bros type plow, originally Bros Machinery demo unit.
Owner: Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Tacoma, WA
History: BN 972561, nee X-1510
Builder: ALCo (Brooks), 11/27, 67540
Power: Electric, power from RSPU 972577
Modifications: Rebuilt 1961
Status: Operational, last used winter 1992-93
Owner: California State RR Museum, Sacramento, CA
History: SP MW210, nee SP 7210
Builder: ALCo (Schenectady), 10/37, 69019
Power: Electric
Modifications: Converted 1968, retired 1983
Status: Display
Owner: Camas Prairie RailNet, Lewiston, ID
History: CsP 24, nee NP 6
Builder: Portland Loco Works (Maine), 1/1891, 34
Power: Steam (possibly converted?)
Modifications: Unknown
Status: Retired 1974, Stored
Last surviving Portland built rotary
Possibly sold or scrapped...need confirmation
Owner: Camas Prairie, Lewiston, ID
History: CsP 26, assigned BN 972553, not re#, ex GN X-1508, ex GN 95008,
nee GN X-801
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 12/07, 44701
Power: Electric, power from any available locomotive
Modifications: Unknown
Status: Operational, last used winter 1993-94
Sold to CsP April 3, 1974.
Owner: Canadian National, Montreal, QUE
History: CN 50560, ex CN S4 8032
Builder: Alco, 5/64, 76447
Power: Diesel, self powered & self propelled
Modifications: Converted from S4, date unknown
Status: Operational, used in Tascherau Yard.
This is an old switcher fitted with a conventional plow at one
end and a snowblower at the other end. Use to clear yard tracks
and load the snow into gondolas for removal.
Owner: Canadian Railway Museum, Delson, Quebec
History: CN 55361
Builder: ALCo (Montreal), 12/38, 67650
Power: Steam
Status: Display
Owner: Colorado RR Museum, Golden, CO
History: C&S 99201, ex C&S 0270, nee C&S 03
Builder: Cooke, 1/1900, 59
Status: Steam
Modifications: Built as 3 ft. gauge, to standard gauge soon after
delivery, to 3 ft. gauge 1935, to standard gauge 1943, rebuilt 1949.
Status: Display
Owner: Conrail, Buffalo, NY
History: CR 64599, ex CR 60021, ex NYC X-659, nee NYC&HR X-659
Builder: Cooke, 1/1889, 28
Power: Electric, power from slug mother
Modifications: Converted 1951, overhauled 1978.
Status: Operational, last used winter 1993-94
Owner: Conrail, Buffalo, NY
History: CR SB1000
Builder: Belihack, Germany
Power: Diesel (built as diesel)
Status: Operational
Imported snowblower-type plow, self propelled.
Owner: Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Ry, Chama, NM
History: D&RGW OM, nee D&RG 1
Builder: Cooke, 1/1889, 24
Power: Steam
Status: Stored, severe rot in wooden body
3 foot gauge.
Owner: Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Ry, Chama, NM
History: CATS OY, nee D&RGW OY
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 11/23, 65053
Power: Steam
Status: Operational, used each spring to plow out the line
3 foot gauge.
Owner: Forney Museum, Denver, CO
History: UP 900099, ex UP 099, ex LNP&W 099, ex CW&E 099, nee LHP&P 099
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 12/09, 43670
Power: Steam
Status: Display
Owner: Hanna, WY
History: UP 90098, ex UP 098, ex LNP&W 098, nee CRN 9
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 12/17, 56162
Power: Steam
Status: Display
Owner: Hermiston, OR
History: UP 900076, nee UP 076
Builder: L-H, 12/49, 9388
Power: Steam
Status: Display (retired 6/1985)
Last class one steam rotary, last used on Rock Island RR, March 1977
Owner: Hermiston, OR
History: UP 900083, ex CMStP&P X900212, nee CM&PS 14
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 2/10, 46931
Power: Electric
Modifications: Converted to pure electric by CMStP&P, to UP 1982,
converted to electric, retired 1988
Status: Display
Owner: Illinois Railway Museum, Union, Il
History: UP 900075, nee UP 075
Builder: L-H, 12/49, 9387
Power: Steam
Status: Display (retired 4/1979)
Formerly at Kansas City RR Mus./Smokey Hills NRHS
Owner: Lake Superior Museum of Transport, Duluth, MN
History: NP 2
Builder: Cooke, 12/1887, 7
Power: Steam
Status: Display
Owner: Manitou & Pikes Peak Ry, Manitou Springs, CO
History: M&PP 22
Builder: M&PP Shops 1973-74
Power: Diesel, 12 cyl. Cummins (built as diesel)
Status: Operational, Stored
Built using parts of a runway snowblower and frame of an old homebuilt
Leslie type plow. Self Propelled, cog railway, hydraulic drive for
propulsion and blade.
Owner: Mid Continent Ry. Museum, North Freedom, WI
History: OSL 762, ex UP 900051, ex UP 051, ex UP 02011, nee OSL 762
Builder: ALCo (Rogers), 11/12, 51166
Power: Steam
Status: Operational, display, last used 1985.
Owner: Museum of Transport, St Louis, MO
History: UP 900081
Builder: UP Omaha Shops, 1966, no serial #
Power: Diesel, 3000 hp (built as diesel)
Status: Display (retired & donated 1994)
Owner: Nevada Northern
History: NN B
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 11/07, 44596
Power: Steam
Status: Derelict (1986)
Owner: Ogden Historical Society, Ogden UT
History: UP 900061, ex UP 061, ex OWR&N, nee OR&NCo
Builder: ALCo (Rogers), 11/12, 51167
Power: Steam
Status: Display
Owner: Puget Sound and Snoqualmie RR, Snoqualmie, WA
History: NP 10
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 11/07, 44037
Power: Steam
Status: Stored
Owner: Red River Valley & Western, Breckenridge, MN
History: RRVW 113, BN 972566, GN, US Army
Builder: William Bros Machinery, date and serial unknown
Power: Electric, power from trailing GP9 (built as electric)
Modifications: None known
Status: Operational, used extensively winter 1996-97
Bros type plow.
Owner: State of Alaska, Anchorage, AK
History: ARR 4, ex CMStP&P X900207, nee CM&StP 10
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 8/08, 45425
Power: Electric
Modifications: Converted 1958, to ARR 1981, retired 1984
Status: Stored
Owner: Steamtown, Scranton, PA
History: LIRR 193
Builder: Cooke, 11/1898, 55
Power: Steam
Status: Stored, derelict
Owner: St. Maries River RR, St Maries, ID
History: Unknown
Builder: Unknown
Power: Electric?
Modifications: Unknown
Status: Unknown
Reported as an ex Milwaukee (CMStP&P) plow. Existence confirmed
mid-1990's.
Owner: Union Pacific, Sparks, NV
History: SP MW205, ex SP 7205, ex SP 706, nee SP 715
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 11/20, 56591
Power: Electric, power from F7B MW8205
Modifications: Converted 1958
Status: Stored
Owner: Union Pacific, Eugene, OR
History: SP MW206, ex SP 7206, ex SP 710, nee SP 709
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 11/23, 65353
Power: Electric, power from F7B MW8206
Modifications: Converted 1958
Status: Operational, Stored
Owner: Union Pacific, Roseville, CA
History: SP MW207, ex SP 7207, ex SP 711, nee SP 708
Builder: ALCo (Brooks), 10/26, 67038
Power: Electric, power from F7B MW8207
Modifications: Converted 1967
Status: Operational, last used 1995
Owner: Union Pacific, Sparks, NV
History: SP MW208, ex SP 7208, ex SP 712, nee SP 707
Builder: ALCo (Brooks), 9/27, 67429
Power: Electric, power from F7B
Modifications: Converted 1970
Status: Stored
Power unit not currently attached.
Owner:Union Pacific, Roseville, CA
History: SP MW209, ex SP 7209, ex SP 713, nee SP 706
Builder: ALCo (Brooks), 9/29, 68038
Power: Electric, power from F7B MW8208
Modifications: Converted 1968
Status: Operational, last used 2/1998 on Donner Pass
Owner:Union Pacific, Roseville, CA
History: SP MW211, nee SP 7211
Builder: ALCo (Schenectady), 10/37, 69020
Power: Electric, power from F7B MW8211
Modifications: Converted 1957
Status: Operational, last used 2/1998 on Donner Pass
Owner:Union Pacific, Roseville, CA
History: SP MW221, ex SP 7221, ex SP 708, nee SP 717
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 11/22, 58143
Power: Electric, power from F7B MW 8221
Modifications: Converted 1966
Status: Operational, stored
Owner: Union Pacific, Roseville, CA
History: UP 900080, nee UP 080
Builder: UP Omaha Shops, 1958, no serial #
Power: Diesel 16-567C 1750 HP (built as diesel)
Status: Operational, last used early 1993, leased to BNSF 2/1997
Parts from an old rotary used to build this one. Reassigned
to Roseville 1997.
Owner: Union Pacific, location unknown
History: SP MW222, ex SP 7222, ex SP 709, nee SP 718
Builder: ALCo (Cooke), 11/23, 65353
Power: Electric, power from F7B snail
Modifications: Converted 1958
Status: Operational, stored
Owner: Union Pacific, Cheyenne, WY
History: UP 900082
Builder: UP Omaha Shops, 1971, no serial #
Power: Diesel, 2500 hp (built as diesel)
Status: Operational, used 10/1997
Owner: Unknown
History: WP&Y 2
Builder: Cooke, 9/1900, 61
Power: Steam
Status: Stored
Probably sold to Georgetown Loop RR. NOT stored as Sumpter, OR as is
sometimes reported (as of August 1996).
Owner: White Pass & Yukon, Skagway, AK
History: WP&Y 1
Builder: Cooke, 1898, 56
Power: Steam
Status: Operational, last operated April 1999.
3 foot gauge.
Union Pacific (ex SP) Power Units
Union Pacific's ex-SP rotary power units (known as snails) are all F7Bs.
They all have the original 16-567B prime mover and the original steam
generator. They are semi-permanently coupled to the rotaries. Although
the snails and plows originally had matching numbers (MW820X+MW20X), they
pairs have been switched around and the numbers no longer match.
History: Current number and previous numbers
Builder: EMD builder's date, builder's number, order number
Modifications: Year converted to snail
Location: Storage location and assigned plow
History: MW8205, ex SP 8091, nee SP 6145C
Builder: 6/49, 7137, E1310
Modifications: Rebuilt 4-9/70
Location: MW205, Sparks, NV
Not attached to plow.
History: MW8206, ex T&NO 541:2, ex SP 8097, nee SP 6148C
Builder: 6/49, 7143, E1310
Modifications: Rebuilt 7-9/70
Location: MW206, Eugene OR
History: MW8207, nee SP 8299
Builder: 2-3/53, 18149, 3160
Modifications: Rebuilt 7-9/70
Location: MW207, Roseville, CA
History: MW8208, nee T&NO 545
Builder: 12/52, 17223, 3157
Modifications: Rebuilt 10-12/70
Location: MW209, Roseville, CA
History: MW8209, ex T&NO 540:2, ex SP 8088, nee SP 6144B
Builder: 6/49, 7134, E1310
Modifications: Rebuilt 4-6/70
Location: Sacramento, CA
History: MW8211, nee SP 8292
Builder: 2/53, 18161, 3166
Modifications: Rebuilt 7-9/70
Location: MW211, Roseville, CA
History: MW8221, nee SP 8300
Builder: 2-3/53, 18150, 3160
Modifications: Rebuilt 7-9/70
Location: MW221, Roseville, CA
History: MW8222, nee T&NO 544
Builder: 12/52, 17222, 3157
Modifications: Rebuilt 4-6/70
Location: Roseville, CA
Burlington Northern Santa Fe (ex BN) Rotary Snowplow Power Units (RSPU)
BNSF's ex-BN RSPUs are old F9As and F9Bs. The new GP28Ps #1590-1599 are
designed to be slug mothers or rotary power units, so the old RSPUs may
be eliminated soon.
BN 972568 F9A (ex BN 778, ex BN 9811, ex NP 6705B, nee NP 7010D) Spokane, WA
BN 972569 stripped for retirement 1998
BN 972570 F9A (ex BN 784, ex BN 9818, ex NP 6704C, nee NP 7011D) Minot, ND
BN 972571 F9A (ex BN 812, nee NP 7003A) Minot, ND
BN 972572 F9B (nee NP 6701B) Willmar, MN
BN 972573 F9B (ex BN 755, ex BN 9809, ex NO 6704B nee NP 7011C) Lincoln, NE
BN 972575 F9B (nee NP 7009B) Glendive, MT
BN 972577 F9B (ex BN 777, ex BN 9811, ex NP 6705B, nee NP 7013C) Tacoma, WA
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