Weed spray and de-vegetation options

NW Mailing List nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Fri Jan 5 11:49:22 EST 2018


Bruce,

Your comments about vegetation and signal lines reminded me of an 
observation that I made years ago on that very subject. Coincident with 
the formation of NS I was assigned to a Motive Power staff job that 
required me to be in my office at 6:30 AM each work day to check with 
SOC (Systems Operation Center) and certain chief dispatchers for any 
significant events happening overnight (derailments, etc.) so that I 
could produce a morning report for my boss who came to work about 7:00 AM.

At that date the N&W still had signal and power line carried on poles, 
necessitating vegetation control, whereas the Southern had replaced pole 
lines with buried cable, obviating the need for vegetation control where 
the former pole lines had been.  On several occasions I received reports 
of problems on NS caused by ice storms, and I was surprised how often 
there was the same difference in the cause of trouble on the former N&W 
contrasted with the former Southern.  On those occasions, the delays on 
the former N&W would be caused by signals out because of wires down, 
whereas  on the former Southern the cause would be trees on the track.

Gordon Hamilton


On 1/1/2018 10:53 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:
> On Mon, Jan 1, 2018, at 9:30 AM,
> Bob
>  wrote:
>
>     Afterwards, labor costs skyrocketed, the Sulphur producing
>     trackside modules (aka steam locomotives) went away in increasing
>     numbers and voila, growth encroached much closer to the ROW, lower
>     costs for maintenance, etc.
>
>
> I will also suggest the demise of the S&C and power lines is also a 
> factor. Without signal and power lines along the right of way, which 
> needed to be clear of encroaching vegetation and nearby trees that 
> that might drop a branch across the lines, the need for "landscaping" 
> along the tracks was eliminated.
>
> Bruce in Blacksburg
>
>
>
>
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