Rebuilding the Spreader Snow Plow - New Mega Machines of the Sierra DVD
By Donner Rails

12 hours a day, 6+ days a week for 3 months, Union Pacific and a team of skilled contractors made history by rebuilding two Jordan Spreaders, the SPMW 4031 and 4032.


Today, Spreader Snow Plows are the workhorse and backbone for keeping the rails clear of snow and ice during Winter months for the new high-priority double stack trains crossing Donner Pass.

Since originally built in the 1960's, the Jordan Spreaders have basically been unchanged. In September 2009, the team undertook the monumental task of completely rebuilding the MEGA machines - before Winter sets in.

Like a reality tv show, witness the drama and difficulties incurred along the way. The 4031 and 4032 were completed and deployed on the first day of the "storm of the decade" in 2010. In the end, the dedicated crew may have prevailed, but would it plow snow?