Tom,
A steel blade on air cylinders that could be lowered to
scrape the ice off the top of the rail to prevent derailments.
Used on yard trackage and also on mainline cuts that had
drifted in and did not merit plowing but still needed attention.
Most plows, spreaders, and snow dozers had them but of
the BN predecessors I only know of locomotive mounted
ones on the NP. They were between the front truck and
pilot.
That's what those thousands of "flanger" signs out there were
for. To tell the operator when to raise it to avoid switches
and grade crossings. The equipped NP geeps were sort of
funny in that there was even a toadstool seat in the center of
the cab. Since that person could not see anything outside the
Engineer would constantly have to be telling them when to
raise and lower. Could make for a long day.
Russ
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Mitchell" <tmitchell@c...>
To: <BRHSlist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, 10 October, 2002 17:01
Subject: RE: [BRHSlist] reL freezing locos/E unit usage
>
> What's a "flanger?"
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Russell Strodtz [mailto:vlbg@e...]
> Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2002 5:49 PM
> To: BRHSlist@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [BRHSlist] reL freezing locos/E unit usage
>
>
> Marshall,
>
> The NP did have GP9's equipped with flangers. They were
> raised or lowered by what looked like a small brake valve on
> the backside of the control stand.
>
> Never heard of a diesel with an extra air compressor for
> air dumps. Don't really think it would be needed.
>
> Russ
|