Re: Speaking of Rotaries

Rex, I did not know you are an expert on Rotary Abuse. If you notice, these guys in the old film are also moving considerably faster. Some of that is caused by film speed, but they are moving right along. When we plowed, we of course wne slower. I don't see us abusing OY. INdeed we worked it hard, but on several occasions it took weeks to get a Rotary across Cumbres. If it all fluffy stuff, they would have taken it out in a day or so, but when it gets driven by the wind, it turns to concrete quick. I've seen several pics of snow removal after the blizard of 1952 where it was quite possible to walk on the top of 6-10 feet of fresh snow without sinking. Was that snow too hard? Was that abuse? They had a job to do, they had the tool to do it with. We had a job to do, we had a tool to do it with. Rotaries, buy their nature, shake, rattle and try to fly apart. The fact that the OY's body framework was pretty much reduced to sawdust held in place by the siding was the main reason to body shook as much as it did. After the body was rebuilt, the vibration and fore and aft movement was still there, but the body did not shake anywhere near as much.

I'm really glad I railroaded on the C&TS before Al Gore perfected the internet. We did our jobs (quite well I must add), with out guys like you to tell us what we were doing wrong.

Earl Knoob
Rotary Pilot and Wheelman
1983, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997