"Steam, smoke and powdersnow" (Rauch, Dampf und Pulverschnee) is the titel of a well known swiss book (standard reference), describing the steam rotary snow blowers of the swiss railways, written by Alfred Leuenberger in 1967. Back then, the R 12 (or Xrot d # 9212) of the RhB was standing in Landquart, waiting for the order to scrap. This was not made, fortunately. Now, after 18 years work of a group of about 10 people, organized and managed by Martin Horath in Goldau, the former Rhaetian Railway rotary steam snow blower R # 12 from 1913 made it's first test run on the line of the Dampfbahn Furka Bergstrecke from Realp. Shoving is cogwheel steamlocomotive HG 3/4 # 4 of the DFB, built in 1913 as well.
In contrast to the well-known Xrot d 9213 of the RhB on the Bernina line, this 4 axle snowblower is not self-propelled, but must always be pushed by a locomotive. It only has an auxiliary drive on one axle for shunting. The blower composition is entering the cogwheel section behind Realp on a test run.
