One of the railroad's most important tools for battling the snows during unusually heavy Winter seasons just got re-enlisted. The Rotary Snow Plow, has been referred to as "The Hero" to the railroad for over 100 years, but has been dormant in the rail yard since 1998 waiting to be summoned for duty. March 24th, 2011 was one of the worst series of Winter storms Mother Nature has dealt in decades and the Rotary Snow Plow was called to save the mountain and the crew of a Flanger unit caught in a large avalanche.

"Rotaries - Avalanche on the Mountain" is a first-hand look behind the scenes of how man and machine worked together to save the mountain pass.

BA Productions spent 5 days on the mountain capturing some of the most epic and historical footage of the two mammoth beasts at work. Ride with the crew as they attack the West slope of the Sierra throwing snow 100' from the tracks! Witness the bone chilling echoes of the steam whistle and the F-7 locomotive B-unit power ricocheting off mountains and canyons. See the inner workings of the Rotary components like traction motors, drive shafts and gears turning. Hear the heroic stories from the crews.

This is a rare opportunity to see extensive footage of the nostalgic beasts at work before they are completely overhauled this year and changed forever.

Rotaries Through the Avalanche from Brendan Compton on Vimeo.