Snow And Rotaries

The 1913 Alaska Railroad Commission report said, "The depths of snow to be expected between Cordova and mile 101 is [sic] from 4 to 14 feet, necessitating the operation of a rotary plow ahead of all trains during the winter months over this section of road." The 1915 Alaska Engineering Commission report expanded on this:

The snow conditions on certain sections of the road in the Copper River Delta are somewhat serious. The snow in these sections stands several feet deep on the level, and the strong prevailing winds blowing down the Copper River Valley cause drifts to form across the track. In some few sections of the line the train must immediately follow the rotary snowplow in order to secure a clear track, so quickly does the drifting snow fill in the opening made. These conditions make it desirable to attach an extra engine and snowplow to the rear of the train, to make it possible to cut back if the train is blocked ahead. The rotaries work on the road, in an average year, from December 1 to March 1.

Here is a photo that appears to show four locomotives on a rotary outfit, with a rotary in front and in back:

Here's a photo from the 1915 Alaska Engineering Commission report:

According to Lone Janson, the CR&NW had four rotaries, "the smallest with a cut of 10 feet 7 inches, the largest with a cut of 12 feet, 6 inches." It appears that all four saw frequent use during the winter. Here us a shot showing two rotaries that worked toward each other:

A steel-bodied rotary appears in a number of photos:





In addition to the rotary, a great deal of manual shovel work was needed to clear the line.


This photo may show a mixed train immediately following a rotary, as described in the 1915 report:



However, in spite of all this effort, the railroad could still be blocked for weeks at a time during the winter. In 1932, the Kennicott mines shut down due to low copper prices, and the railroad largely shut down as well. When the mines resumed production in 1935, the railroad still shut down entirely during the winter to avoid the snowfighting expense.