D&RGW Flanger OJ. This little critter was the focus of the Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad's 2016 winter charter. One of at least 10 such cars that were built by the Denver & Rio Grande Western in the late 1880s, Flanger OJ was used whenever deep snows were encountered on the line. Obviously, the lion's share of the plowing would be done by the plow pilot on a steam locomotive, but the blades seen here would then clear the snow from between the rails and to some degree at least, push it back from the track. The blades were raised and lowered using air cylinders powered off the locomotive's brake reservoir. Controls were located in the cab of the locomotive. Although this car looks a little light for the job, the box-like structure on top is filled with heavy scrap metal, to keep it from hopping up and down when dense snow is encountered. The red "ball" on the mast allows the train crew to instantly establish the position of the blades (up or down) from a distance. There is also a mechanical locking pin to lock the blades in the elevated position when no snow is anticipated, but insertion and removal of that locking pin requires the crew to stop the train.
Flangers such as OJ were often accompanied by a Jordan Spreader, which had much longer wings, and would push heavy snows some distance back from the rails. Such a spreader still exists on the Cumbres & Toltec, although it is not operable at the present time. The Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec have indicated that restoration of the Jordan is on their short-list of projects, so it is possible that future Flanger charters may have the full outfit, including the spreader.
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad and the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad are all that remains of the legendary Denver & Rio Grande Western narrow gauge system. Here you'll find some of my favorites from these two beautiful railways.
