04-28-2013, 08:19 AM
I believe the last order of straight SD45s also had plows. I think there are several factors in the plow question. One was that the winters in the 1970s were colder and snowier than the winters in the 1950s and 60s. Earlier, only a few lines like the SP, D&RGW, and GN had plows on (some of) their locos. The thinking of the industry seems to have changed during the 1970s, the winters being a major factor. (It's been pointed out that during the 1970s, the "scientific" conventional wisdom was that we were in for global cooling, not global warming.) However, there were other good reasons to have plows, since they deal with medium-size rocks on the right of way, shopping carts, etc as well.
A couple of other things -- the Santa Fe got a great deal of snow in Kansas as well as the higher elevations farther west. The GP30s and 35s were often in switching service from the 1960s on as well.
A couple of other things -- the Santa Fe got a great deal of snow in Kansas as well as the higher elevations farther west. The GP30s and 35s were often in switching service from the 1960s on as well.