Maintenance of Way, Snow Plow, Russell

History: By the early 1900's, the Russell Car and Snow Plow Company of Ridgeway, Pennsylvania, was a leading supplier of wedge type plows. The design had been modernized with a cupola and seats for an operator, headlight for night operations and a pair of air activated side wings to push snow up and away from the side of the tracks. Wooden bodies were still common, but within a few years, all steel plows had proven to be more durable. Both single track (as depicted by this model) and double track (which had one side of the blade enclosed to prevent snow from being pushed on to an adjacent track) were offered. Russell continued supplying steel plows to virtually every railroad that fought snow until early 1950's.

Railroad/Company: The Russell Car and Snow Plow Company of Ridgeway, Pennsylvania, was originally established in 1893 under the firm name of J.H. & J.W. Russell, and its products were manufactured under patents owned by them. It was a leading supplier of wedge type plows. The company ceased activity in the mid-20th century.