CSXT 8639 - Weed Control

CSXT 8639 - Weed Control, a photo by kevin33040 on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
This CSX weed control unit was in Bells, TN on October 4, 2013. Below is a quoted portion of an article I found related to it.


"CSX Transportation’s engineering department tries to aggressively combat weeds, too. Engineering managers constantly gauge the weather to determine the best times to spray, says Manager of Engineering Programs Kelly Goedde.


“If you spray too soon and the rains come late in the spring, a lot of the herbicides have effectively run their half-life, so you don’t get the maximum efficacy out of them,” he says. “If you think it might be a late spring and the rains come early, then you can’t get out there to spray and the weeds get a head start on you.”


The Class I sprays herbicides in areas covering about 43,000 miles, or 131,000 acres, annually. CSXT’s contractor determines which herbicides to use.


“There are new formulations of the old products, and other new products are always trickling in,” says Goedde. “We’re finding out what the best use for those herbicides are in our system.”


There will always be a demand for new chemicals to control herbicide-resistant weeds, says BNSF Railway Co. Manager of Vegetation Control Gary Nyberg.


“We include herbicide rotation as part of the program to help break up the cycle of resistance, but additional products are needed,” he says. “We now know of several weed species that are resistant to glyphosate, which is a recent development.”


BNSF applies herbicides on 32,000 route miles, or 50,000 operated miles, annually. The Class I divides its system into territories and contracts spraying to five companies: RWC, Right-a-Way Applicators, Rumble Spray Inc., Dakota Helicopters and Asplundh Canada.
Where possible, BNSF uses a combination of chemical spraying and mechanical cutting to control vegetation.


“Mechanical cutting alone stimulates re-growth, but by treating the cut stumps and stubble when they’re cut, we can prevent suckering and resprouting,” says Nyberg.


The two-fisted technique enables BNSF to maximize maintenance dollars and track time, and extend brush-cutting cycles by five years or more, Nyberg says, adding that there’s an industry need for equipment that can apply herbicides during the cutting process.
Brush cutting remains an equally important part of other railroads’ vegetation management programs.


CSXT focuses brush-cutting operations mostly at crossings to increase visibility for motorists. The Class I cuts brush along 2,200 to 3,000 miles annually, both on a contract basis and with its own crews.


“It depends on timing, where you’re cutting, how busy the line is and the number of machines available,” says CSXT’s Goedde.


The Class I plans to purchase brush-cutting equipment for its workers.


The railroad is considering a machine with two heads — a high-production head designed to cut off whole limbs up to six inches in diameter and a flail head for mulching. The heads can only operate one at a time, but having both options available at once would help improve CSXT’s brush-cutting efficiency.


“With this variable head, we can switch between the two depending on the application,” says Goedde."

Taken from goo.gl/m6zgW6 as it appeared on 10/05/2013 in the section "Weather Watchers".