[Lowfer] The WA calamity

[Bill Ashlock]

We picked up another 8in of snow today making the total on the ground almost 
3ft. I parked the car on the street because the snow plows had left a nice 
barrier at the end of the driveway and raced to change into the work 
clothes, and on to the snow blower, before someone slid into my pride and 
joy. I had blow away only about 4ft of back sidewalk when I found I could no 
longer move forward and shut down the engine. I walked around to the front 
of the machine and observed the auger (feeds the snow into the blower) 
somehow dangling in front and both the coax and the control cable to the 
test loop wound around the auger shaft!! I had forgotten about these cables 
running across the sidewalk. They had wound so tightly that the 1/8" steel 
housing surrounding the auger had distorted to the degree that the 3/4" 
shaft popped out of its bearing.

I ran inside to shut off the power and saw an even more devastating scene. 
The exciter, the switch box, the chart recorder, and all the connecting 
wires were all in a pile on the floor!! The snow blower had pulled the 
cables right through the gap under door and completely cleared off the table 
where they used to sit.

Took about 3 hours to get back in business. Very lucky that the only damaged 
items were the two snagged cables. Looks like the two loop input currents 
are exactly where they were before the accident. Now, what was the game plan 
for the loop sequencing tonight? <G>

Bill

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