Track Maintenance

[EMD4ME]

I have a really stupid and inconsequential question:

Do tracks harrow the track as the snow falls during a snow storm or do they wait till it all comes down and start digging out?

I am 75% sure it's the former. Just wondering LOL

[HUSKER55]

I always thought it was packed down so the water would roll off it.

I don't know for sure.

[EMD4ME]

I always thought it was packed down so the water would roll off it.

I don't know for sure.

Or do they seal it, before the storm. If yes, then how do they even get the tractors on the track to harrow (when there's 20 inches of packed snow on there).

Really curious.

[Ruffian1]

Or do they seal it, before the storm. If yes, then how do they even get the tractors on the track to harrow (when there's 20 inches of packed snow on there).

Really curious.

I can speak for Md. when John Passero was the track super. He would actually harrow it for snow. The sealing is indeed for water to run off but for snow it was harrow. Then, just leave it alone. Do not work the snow in. If you do, and you get a sudden cold at night, it freezes and you lose the track. This would be any more than an inch or 2. A dusting or an inch would probably just be worked into the cushion unless a drastic thaw,freeze was imminent.
So he let the snow create a blanket which actually kept the harrowed surface warmer than if it was openly exposed to the cold and wind.
Once the snow stopped, he blew the snow off into the infield or out over into the apron of the grandstand with a very large snow blower that threw the snow what seemed like 40-50 ft. That got almost all of it off. Then, he harrowed it from there.
There was no training in the morning if the snow was still on. He always told me that mixing it in was no good.
Look for evidence of a bit of dirt mixed in with snow on either side of the rail just after a snow. That will tell you if snow blowing is going on where you are. They don't lose too much cushion, but they do lose a small amount.

Hope that helps.

[Rise Over Run]

They were scrapping off a ridiculous amount of track surface today at Parx. From what I could see it was a 12-15 foot wide path along the rail the entire way around that was at least 1 foot deep.