The Snow Plough

reilig

I saw a snow plough yesterday for the first time in my life on irish roads. It was on the front of a council lorry and he had a gritter on the back. It was easy to know that he had never used the plough before. He was clearing a heavy snow fall off the N4 between Longford and Carrick on Shannon, but instead of having the plough tilted to the left and pushing the snow onto the hard shoulder, the guy had the plough tilted to the right and was throwing the snow onto the lane that was coming in the opposite direction. The same guy did a couple of runs up and down this 20 mile stretch of road. I travelled up this road to work this morning and it was easy to see that he didn't figure out how to operate it. The road was very bad.

I have to say that the state of the roads this morning shows the complete incompetence of our local authority workers. The workers haven't even been properly trained on using the equipment that they have. How could we expect the roads to be clear this morning? In any other country in the world, the local authority would have men working all night in order to keep the main roads clear.

Owen

reilig wrote: »

The workers haven't even been properly trained on using the equipment that they have

Apparently they'll let anyone drive a snow plough

testicle

reilig wrote: »

I saw a snow plough yesterday for the first time in my life on irish roads. It was on the front of a council lorry and he had a gritter on the back. It was easy to know that he had never used the plough before. He was clearing a heavy snow fall off the N4 between Longford and Carrick on Shannon, but instead of having the plough tilted to the left and pushing the snow onto the hard shoulder, the guy had the plough tilted to the right and was throwing the snow onto the lane that was coming in the opposite direction. The same guy did a couple of runs up and down this 20 mile stretch of road. I travelled up this road to work this morning and it was easy to see that he didn't figure out how to operate it. The road was very bad.

I have to say that the state of the roads this morning shows the complete incompetence of our local authority workers. The workers haven't even been properly trained on using the equipment that they have. How could we expect the roads to be clear this morning? In any other country in the world, the local authority would have men working all night in order to keep the main roads clear.

Contact the relevent County Council / NRA. They don't read boards.ie

corktina

the hard shoulder is for emergencies.... and should be kept clear....the cars driving on the distrubed snow tend to disperse it IMHO

Encoder1970

I've seen lots of snow ploughing and never have I seen it being pushed anywhere but to the side of the road.

reilig

Encoder1970 wrote: »

I've seen lots of snow ploughing and never have I seen it being pushed anywhere but to the side of the road.

Same as that. I too have seen them abroad and they always cleared the snow off to the side of the road rather than onto the other lane.

deman

corktina wrote: »

the hard shoulder is for emergencies.... and should be kept clear....the cars driving on the distrubed snow tend to disperse it IMHO

Nonsense. What's happened here is that the council have bought it from Europe and it has a non-transferrable blade. I remember reading about a similar case a couple of years ago.

antodeco

deman wrote: »

Nonsense. What's happened here is that the council have bought it from Europe and it has a non-transferrable blade. I remember reading about a similar case a couple of years ago.

ROFL, that is so typical!

unkel

deman wrote: »

the council have bought it from Europe and it has a non-transferrable blade. I remember reading about a similar case a couple of years ago.

peasant

deman wrote: »

Nonsense. What's happened here is that the council have bought it from Europe and it has a non-transferrable blade. I remember reading about a similar case a couple of years ago.

I wouldn't think so.

Fixed snow ploughs are very rare these days and are usually only found in private hands as temporary/emergency attachments to be fixed to trucks or tractors for the clearing of large yards or farmyards.

Any communal snow ploughs would come with hydraulics.
You absolutely need to be able to swivel the plough from left to right (and up and down) if you want to do any meaningful work with it ...regardless on which side of the road you drive.

Unless of course somebody had absolutely no clue what they were buying ...:D

bazzachazza

the hard shoulder is for emergencies.... and should be kept clear

What a ridiculous statement to make. So what is he meant to do then plough the hard shoulder and pile the snow in the driving lanes.

EPM

peasant wrote: »

Unless of course somebody had absolutely no clue what they were buying ...:D

Well this is Ireland:pac:

no1beemerfan

Jaysus.....I've heard it all now!!

deman

peasant wrote: »

I wouldn't think so.

Fixed snow ploughs are very rare these days and are usually only found in private hands as temporary/emergency attachments to be fixed to trucks or tractors for the clearing of large yards or farmyards.

...:D

You said it.... these days.

I agree that in countries where snow ploughs are used every day for 4 months like here in Finland, yes, the snow ploughs are state-of-the-art, modern and new snow ploughs with hydraulics controlling the blade.

But in a country like Ireland, where a snow plough might be needed a few days a year, do you really like the local council are going too spend big bucks on a new snow plough. No... My guess is (although I could be wrong) that this county council bought a used snow plough at discount, not checking it out and not realising that in the older models, the blade is fixed.

They probably didn't even realise it until this morning

And it's NOT just the Irish. The story I read about before (a few years ago) happened when it was Manchester City Council bought used ploughs from Finland and it was 3 years before they realised it.

testicle

peasant wrote: »

Fixed snow ploughs are very rare these days and are usually only found in private hands as temporary/emergency attachments to be fixed to trucks or tractors for the clearing of large yards or farmyards.

peasant

even ancient ones (this one is from 1982) have at least a hinge, if not hydraulics


newer ones are fully hydraulic


I'd say that Paddy Ploughdriver was just a tad thick (or the council truck has no front hydraulics, which is more likely )

reilig

Saw the plough out clearing the road this evening on the way home from work - this time it was tilted the correct way.

peasant

There you go then ...thicko driver :rolleyes:

Rowley Birkin QC

Could have just sent out a grader, they have serious grunt and the blades can be GPS guided!

Victor

Actually, all countries needs them to point in both directions, not only for urban / one-way street, but also on very wide roads the show would be pushed both towards the median and the verge.

_Kaiser_

They should've called this guy....