Flangers were even more specialized than snowplows: blades between the trucks could be lowered to railhead level, and a lower section between the inner rail flangeways cleared snow below the railhead. This (hopefully) prevented future ice buildup between the rails. Some roads modified cabooses or older boxes to flangers- operator sat in the cupola and raised or lowered blade as needed (usually air cylinders and lever linkage did the work)- obviously the blade had to be raised over switches, grade crossings, etc. Some roads had trackside markers for the operators. L&HR105 (nee NYO&W R-4, bought at the O&W estate sale in '57 and home built from an old boxcar by the O&W in Middletown) had the blades suspended from transverse leaf springs in case the operator goofed- might at least minimize the damage. Blade bottom profile:

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Per Mike Sullivan, Chicago Burlington & Quincy "wedge" plow used for many years betwecn Sterling, Colorado and Cheyenne, Wyoming. This flatcar was weighted with a cargo of broken stone to give extra stability. Coupled in front of the locomotive the plow would get a running start and ram into a snowdrift as far as it could go, before backing out for another try. Derailments and overturns were not uncommon to this procedure.

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North East Rails  © Clint Chamberlin. Photos for personal use only. All rights reserved by original owner of image. Reproduction or redistribution in any form without express written permission is prohibited.