In the 70’s and 80’s may of us will remember the independant snow ploughs with a loco or pair tucked inside battling against the snow drifts, particularly North of the border. Often the snow clearence took place during the long winter nights so you sometimes saw the ploughs , still covered in snow resting in the milder locations of Inverness or Perth by day.
Sadly serious snowfall with global warming has declined even in Scotland and a class 37 fitted with small nose ploughs has dealt with most problem snow falls. Probably the last time Independant Snow ploughs were used across Britain was to tackle the drifts in the wake of the Beast from the East weather system in Feb and March 2018.
2025 saw Network Rail adopt a policy of moving the still maintained and tested Independent snow ploughs from yards across England and Scotland to central locations at Wolverton Works and Mossend. This did see the unlikely spectacle of independant ploughs with 37’s tucked inside gently heading down the WCML locally in the record breaking heat of July 2025!
Whether we see the Independent Snowploughs return to battle against snow drifts over Shap or County March is obviously down to the weather, but it could well be another chink of the real railway we remember that has gone forever!
Independant plough phot spot 1983-2025
45065 at Peterborough stabled next to the resident plough on January 15th 1983
The late Tony Ewer catches 47901 and plough at Bristol Bath Road on March 28th 1984
January 85 saw a lot of snow on high ground in Scotland and much plough activity, heres xos 26006 stabled at Inverness on a plough turn on January 29th 1985
The Perth plough at rest with a 26 tucked inside after earlier battling Highland drifts on January 31st 1985
37059 on plough duties at Carlisle, the snow was thick on the S n C and Shap on March 25th 1986
Quite a sight approaching Leighton 37405 and 37116 tucked inside the Taunton ploughs en route to Wolverton Works on a hot July 24th 2025
Thanks to “60A” for this fine Bletchley view of the Norwich plough en route to Wolverton Works on July 25th 2025
Gronk on the ploughs! 08888 shunts the Norwich ploughs from the Exchange Sidings into Wolverton Works on July 25th 2025, a “60A” phot recvd with thanks
Part of the vast collection of rolling stock at Mangapps is the former Immingham plough complete with a match wagon, taken on August 23rd 2025
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