Throwback To A Snow Thrower. On September 28, 2006, a visit to the New York Transit Museum's Court Street Station offered an opportunity to see one of MTA New York City Subway's relatively new R146 Snow Throwers (ST 101). In 2013, the subway added 8 more (ST301–ST308, R190) manufactured by the same company, for a total of 10. With the upcoming winter storm this weekend projected to drop 8-16 inches across the region, they will be in action on the system.

Full resolution pics and prints:
https://www.riverrailphoto.com/nyctsubwaydivisionc

From the exhibit:

"MTA New York City Transit purchased two of these RPM Tech Model HS-RSRS Snowthrowers to help prevent service disruptions on the Rockaway line and other surface and open-cut sections of the subway system during severe snow storms. The equipment is designed for use when more than four inches of snow has accumulated.

The two snowthrower units (ST 101 and ST 102) are used together in a consist of five work vehicles, pushed by diesel engines. Assembled and operated by a crew of four, the work cars are arranged: snowthrower, diesel locomotive, spacer car, diesel locomotive, snowthrower. This allows the consist to move freely back and forth at dead-end track locations.

The snowthrower's rotating blower, brooms, and casting chutes are run by its diesel engine. The cabin seats an operator and assistant, who communicate with the engine crew by headset. The operator controls the machinery with a joystick-directing the rotation speed of the blower blades, the position and speed of the front broom (over the tracks) and the two side brooms (for clearing the power rail), and the position of the chute. Snow is swept up by the brooms into the blower in the front of the carrier, then cast through the chute, as aimed by the operator.

During the blizzard of February 12, 2006 (when a record 26.9 inches of snow fell in New York City, ST 101 and ST 102 performed admirably and kept the Rockaway line open. Two more RPM Tech snowthrowers have since been ordered for the subway."