WATCH: SEPTA’s New Snowblower Could Clear Your Driveway in Seconds
SEPTA has been talking a lot about its new snowblower system, designed to clear the rails in the aftermath of a blizzard like the one we just had. Now we’re getting our first look at it in action, and boy, We’d like to have one of these on our block:
Don't you wish you had a snow blower like this? #SEPTA crews blowing snow to clear the #NHSL third rail. pic.twitter.com/ek2PBYiq6f
— SEPTA Media Relations (@SEPTANews) January 24, 2016
The agency in December announced it had purchased the new equipment “in response to experiences in recent winters, which have seen the top two seasonal snow accumulations ever recorded (No. 1, 2009-10; No. 2, 2013-14), and demonstrated the increasing likelihood of back-to-back, major storms.” Philly.com reported earlier this month the agency spent $2.8 million total on snow-removal gear before this winter — including $500,000 for a “Snow Dragon” that can melt 60 tons of snow in an hour.
The machine in the video above is a bit smaller: It’s called a “Swingmaster,” and it costs $307,000. The one above is used on the Norristown High Speed Line and can be used on the Broad Street Line, a SEPTA spokesman said. He didn’t know off the top of his head how quickly the machine removes snow, but as you can see: It can get rid a of a lot of white stuff in a hurry.
That $20 shovel you’re using today? Seems pretty meager by comparison now, doesn’t it?
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