Most well known through video coverage, is the Flanger operation on the Donner Pass line. When required in winter for the clearing of ice between the rails, a single Flanger is hauled behind two GP38-2's which have been modified for snow-fighting service. If special GP38-2's are in short supply then only the lead GP38-2 will be a snow-fighter.

The springs are missing on both flanger and rotary plows so that the flanger blades and the rotary plow housings are maintained at the same height above the rails

Employee Timetables give the maximum speed for a Flanger as 40 MPH, operational speed was approximately 20 MPH, but anecdotally they were known to be run faster on the basis that the faster they went the better they removed snow and ice...

The maintenance base for Flangers assigned to the Donner Pass line was Roseville, although in the snow season they operated out of Truckee, CA. other units could be found at Dunsmuir CA., Eugene OR., and Oakridge OR.

more to follow.

Preserved by Southern Oregon Chapter - NRHS is wood-side, steel frame flanger SPMW #330. John Shaw has been the only one to provide any information so far. He said that according to the 1/31/56 roster it was built at Sacramento 12/50. It was off the 1981 roster. Weight 46,100 per side stencil. It was at Wendel CA in 4/81, but was not on the May 3, 1981 roster.