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Miniature Snow Ploughs

Trains may run normally with with snow lying up to 20cm above rail level. When snow is 20-30cm deep, trains fitted with miniature snow ploughs can run normally, and these may also be authorised to run when the snow is up to 45cm above rail level.

Miniature Snow Ploughs (Locomotives)

Many former BR diesel locomotives can be fitted with 3 piece miniature snow ploughs. However Class 66 and Class 67 locomotive are not equiped for this.

Light locomotives fitted with miniature snowploughs may be used for patrol work during falling snow.

Miniature Snow Ploughs (DMUs)

Class 156 units were fitted with snowplough/obstacle deflectors when they were introduced to Scotland in 1989.

Class 158 units based in Scotland had the lower front end fairings modified to include a snowplough blade during 1991.

Snow Ploughs

Network Rail own specialist equipment which can be used to clear drifting snow which is beyond the capability of miniature ploughs fitted to locos.

Beilhack Patrol Ploughs

ADB 965576 - Mossend
ADB 965577 - Mossend
ADB 965578 - Carlisle
ADB 965579 - Carlisle

These are Beilhack Type PB600 ploughs mounted on former class 40 bogies, and are used for patrol work and ploughing drifts up to 1.8 metres high.

• The ploughs may be coupled front and rear of a locomotive, or worked singly provided the loco is equiped with miniature snow ploughs. Maximum speed is 45mph.
• The train must be accompanied by a Network Rail operations department representative and a rolling stock technician.
• When in use on double track lines the plough blades are adjusted to deflect snow to the left of the track.
• Normal working can continue on adjacent lines unless the person in charge considers there is a danger to other traffic.

Independent Drift Ploughs

These ploughs were built in the 1960's on the frames of steam loco tenders.

The following list details the locations after the 2006 overhaul programme, which saw the ploughs reallocated after visiting Doncaster works.

ADB 965208 - Inverness
ADB 965217 - Mossend
ADB 965219 - Mossend
ADB 965224 - Carlisle
ADB 965230 - Carlisle
ADB 965234 - Mossend
ADB 965240 - Inverness
ADB 965243 - Mossend

The ploughs are equiped with retractable side flaps, skids, and adjustable front spade plates. These must be retracted except when required for ploughing.

During ploughing operations:

• The normal formation of a snow plough train should be 2 independent ploughs separated by 2 main line diesel locomotives. Where 2 locomotives are used these should be working in mutiple.
• The snow plough train must be accompanied by a track engineer's representative, a traction supervisor, and a rolling stock technician.
• The driver is permitted to drive from the leading cab of the second locomotive.
• Speed must not exceed 45mph
• No train may run on any adjacent line to that being cleared.

Snow Blower Machines

ADB 968500 - Motherwell Depot
ADB 968501 - Motherwell Depot




These are Beilhack self-propelled rotary snow blowers which can operate at up to 40mph when not clearing snow. The first machine was built in 1980 and based at Inverness. A second was built in 1989 for Network SouthEast and based in London. It moved to Kilmarnock in 2002. Both snow blowers moved to Motherwell in 2007.

Snow blowing may only take place when traffic on adjacent lines has been stopped.

The snow blower machines feature a built-in turntable allowing them to change the direction of snow clearance.

An experimental snow blower mounted on a redundant 'Grampus' open wagon (number DX69001) has been parked out of use in Perth New Yard for many years.

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External Links:

• OTPnet - Drift plough sightings
• OTPnet - Beilhack plough sightings