Lionel Rotary Snow Plow Review - 6-81442

Looks very nice and tempting! I almost ordered one of those when the catalog came out, but the train funds were depleted by the time I got to it.

Very nice. A breath of new life into the old Vulcan switcher! 

Thanks for the pics.  I've got one waiting in the closet for a snowy day. 

Curious if Lionel re-issues all those different products that used this same platform such as the #54 ballast Tamper, switcher, etc.

I still like the growl of the old AC motors, but they just don't perform as well under TMCC/Legacy.

Jim

Cool, that would be an ideal candidate to add smoke to, can you see the "snow" coming out the chute?

Thank you for posting all that information on the current rotary snow plows. I have always liked the rotary plows and all the other little locomotives that were based on the same chassis.
Even though it's not something I am likely to purchase, it's still interesting to see.
To those who did (or do) purchase one.... ENJOY!

Joe,

I recently purchased the Christmas version of this unit, but have not had a chance to run it.  Does the motor produce the loud chugging sound of the earlier Lionel versions of this? I also have the CP Snow Plow (6-8294) and after much work on it, still can not omit that loud chug.  Decided to go with the modern version with TMCC and operating snow plow. 

Thanks,

Michael

Did you mean the 8264 Canadian Pacific Snowplow? If so, it did not come with any sort of sound mechanism.

Engine runs pretty quiet.  I just hear a whirl of the plastic gears.  No chugging noises.  The plow is also fairly quiet.  I had owned a pulmor motor version from the 80s and that sounded like a coffee grinder.  It has more noise than the trackmobiles or the Speeders but nothing excessive.

Michael Pags posted:

Joe,

Does the motor produce the loud chugging sound of the earlier Lionel versions of this? I also have the CP Snow Plow (6-8294) and after much work on it, still can not omit that loud chug. 

Following up on C.W.'s comment, I am unaware that any of these Vulcans ever had a sound system. 

Lionel put TMCC into at least one Pullmor-engined Vulcan, the PWC Rio Grande snowplow (it's not a rotary, though), and there may have been others. This can-motored version, probably with smoother running characteristics, looks nice. I may have to get one and try swapping shells with a MPC-era Rio Grande version, to run with my Rio Grande traditional-sized work train.

Trainz has both PRR and Rio G on eBay for $198 plus shipping

Re: the chugging sound on my 8264 (sorry, I had typed the wrong number) is the grinding noise from the motor/gears, not a railsounds or similar electronic sound.  Glad to know the newer version does not make this noise.

Thanks,

Michael