City's Snow Loader 'Modernized' With Hydraulic System

Modernizing a snow loader that was obsolete in 1952 and could be as old as 50 years has been achieved by Gary L. Kranz for the City of Idaho Falls, Idaho. This project was completed in 1977. In the old mechanical system, everything ran from the one diesel motor. With the redesign, the machine is propelled by a hydrostatic drive and the hydraulic system for loading snow operates independently. The old mechanical system burned four gallons of diesel per hour, with the new system it burns one gallon per hour.

Variable control of the snow loading systems are controlled from a push button control panel in operators cab. A truck can be loaded with snow in 30 seconds with the revamped machine. The hydraulic system was designed to operate in subzero temperatures and has automatic shutoff valves if the system becomes overloaded. There is a safety sheer pin in the plow in case a very heavy object like a manhole cover buried in the snow pile gets into the plow. There is no clutch in the new system to burn out, a major maintenance problem in the old mechanical system. On its maiden run, it took over 150 trucks to keep up with the new redesigned machine. The center picture above shows a truck fully loaded in 30 seconds or less.