Chuck Zeiler
CB&Q Waycar 14672
Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad weed control train with NALX 115 on the front, CB&Q GP7 242 on the rear, and Waycar 14672 carrying the markers, at Naperville, Illinois on July 8, 1963, photograph by Chuck Zeiler. The switcher on the right was the East End Way Freight, which was switching in Naperville as the weed train passed. Here are some definitions from Pete Hedgpeth:
First let's define terminology regarding weed control. There seems to be some confusion as to what machine does what..Here's what we have.
There is: The WEED BURNER - This is a machine described by some as a rail mounted "Flame Thrower". It is usually fueled by diesel fuel and/or gasoline. It's operated as a piece of MOW equipment looking like a couple of push cars with piping carrying burners at their ends directed downward toward the track. The machine was pushed by a motorized machine like a motor car. The pressurized fuel is directed through the down-directed burners and burns with great heat and intensity, incenerating everything on the track over which it passes. This includes ties and, hopefullly all vegetation. I don't think this kind of equipment is used much, if at all, today.
Then there is the WEED MOWER, which also is a track mounted push car-like device with cutter sickle bars which extend out 4 or 5 feet on each side of the track. The sickle bars are usually powered by small "lawnmower" type engines which operate the cutter arms. This equipment is pulled by a track motor car. Probably mostly used on branch lines where the vegetation grows right up the the tie ends on each side. We used this kind of equipment on the Rock Port Langdon & Northern. It was borrowed from the CB&Q when it was needed.
Next is the WEED SPRAY TRAIN. That's what we are talking about here. It's a boxcar like "spray car" with a window-like opening on the "business end" and equipped with a gasoline engine which powered mixing and pressurizing equipment to mix the "chemical" with water and force it through the sprayer bars which run crosswise of the car at about coupler height on the front and below the window. The spray train consists from the front. The spray car and related equipment were followed by a number of tank cars carrying the chemical and water. This whole string is SHOVED by an engine and usually a WAYCAR is behind the engine.
Another ROW maintenance train, not to be confused with weed control, is an oiler. I'm also familiar with why this was done. Brine "drippings" from ice reefer cars created rust and corrosion on the eastbound track on railroads over which they traveled. We had the same situation on the Rock Island between Silvis and Blue Island. Also, it was a big problem on the Government Bridge over the Mississippi River at Rock Island. There, a tar like substance was applied to the eastbound main to prevent, or at least minimize, the effect of the brine.
Pete
CB&Q Waycar 14672
Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad weed control train with NALX 115 on the front, CB&Q GP7 242 on the rear, and Waycar 14672 carrying the markers, at Naperville, Illinois on July 8, 1963, photograph by Chuck Zeiler. The switcher on the right was the East End Way Freight, which was switching in Naperville as the weed train passed. Here are some definitions from Pete Hedgpeth:
First let's define terminology regarding weed control. There seems to be some confusion as to what machine does what..Here's what we have.
There is: The WEED BURNER - This is a machine described by some as a rail mounted "Flame Thrower". It is usually fueled by diesel fuel and/or gasoline. It's operated as a piece of MOW equipment looking like a couple of push cars with piping carrying burners at their ends directed downward toward the track. The machine was pushed by a motorized machine like a motor car. The pressurized fuel is directed through the down-directed burners and burns with great heat and intensity, incenerating everything on the track over which it passes. This includes ties and, hopefullly all vegetation. I don't think this kind of equipment is used much, if at all, today.
Then there is the WEED MOWER, which also is a track mounted push car-like device with cutter sickle bars which extend out 4 or 5 feet on each side of the track. The sickle bars are usually powered by small "lawnmower" type engines which operate the cutter arms. This equipment is pulled by a track motor car. Probably mostly used on branch lines where the vegetation grows right up the the tie ends on each side. We used this kind of equipment on the Rock Port Langdon & Northern. It was borrowed from the CB&Q when it was needed.
Next is the WEED SPRAY TRAIN. That's what we are talking about here. It's a boxcar like "spray car" with a window-like opening on the "business end" and equipped with a gasoline engine which powered mixing and pressurizing equipment to mix the "chemical" with water and force it through the sprayer bars which run crosswise of the car at about coupler height on the front and below the window. The spray train consists from the front. The spray car and related equipment were followed by a number of tank cars carrying the chemical and water. This whole string is SHOVED by an engine and usually a WAYCAR is behind the engine.
Another ROW maintenance train, not to be confused with weed control, is an oiler. I'm also familiar with why this was done. Brine "drippings" from ice reefer cars created rust and corrosion on the eastbound track on railroads over which they traveled. We had the same situation on the Rock Island between Silvis and Blue Island. Also, it was a big problem on the Government Bridge over the Mississippi River at Rock Island. There, a tar like substance was applied to the eastbound main to prevent, or at least minimize, the effect of the brine.
Pete