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Compiled by Deputy Editor Vesna Brajkovic

Whether it is carrying out large-scale scrubbing work or trying to prevent grass and shrubs from obstructing the sight of public level crossings and signals, the task of the railway is to continuously block vegetation near the tracks. 

According to the track safety standards of the Federal Railroad Administration, if not managed properly, trees, shrubs and weeds can cause serious safety hazards. For example, overgrown trees may come into contact with overhead catenaries, causing fires, or interfere with railway staff performing tasks on the trackside.

To stay ahead of the safety curve, the railway relies on a combination of herbicides and mechanical tools. They also rely on vegetation management solution providers, and they will continue to improve their products and services to better control the annoying vegetation. 

Earlier this year, Progressive Railroading contacted some of these equipment and service providers to share their latest products for controlling weeds and bushes. Below are eight of the email responses.

As some railways have reduced their workforce and lowered the priority of vegetation management during the COVID-19 pandemic, Asplundh Tree Expert LLC is relying on its spray train service for Class I customers.

Company officials said the sprinkler system can provide higher output in a shorter period of time. They said that the train's engine and crew can cover the same number of tracks, which requires multiple high-speed rail spray truck drivers to complete within multiple days.

This year, Asplundh expanded its fleet with a more modern spray system to increase the efficiency of herbicide application. Asplundh officials said the train provides high capacity for the long-distance main line and is equipped with a new programmable automatic control system to program the "no spray" area. Use GPS coordinates to program intersections, bridges, and structures to enhance control functions. 

A new spraying vehicle has bay windows on both sides to improve visibility, and cameras are installed to improve the line of sight during herbicide spraying. These cameras also allow operators to spray herbicide in any direction without turning the car. 

In addition, Asplundh is using its vehicle-mounted canopy cutter and eco-cutter for mechanical trimming and brush cutting tasks. The solution is equipped with high-speed rails, which can be installed on and off the rails at most intersections to save orbit time.

In order to meet the requirements of maximum operational safety, Brandt Road Rail offers two maintenance machines: Brandt Rail Tool, high-rail John Deere 225 excavator; and RTB130, a high-rail John Deere 710 backhoe.

The Brandt rail tool has a 52-inch brush cutter attachment and is powered by a 200-horsepower rear auxiliary engine. It can cut large tracts of grass and shrubs along the right of way and large areas (such as subdivisions).

RTB130 can be equipped with a 36-inch brush cutter attachment and provides a 26-foot reach. Brandt officials said that it provides excellent effects for smaller events, such as preventing grass and small bushes from obstructing the line of sight around public intersections and signal lights.

In addition, the company also provides a wide range of repair and maintenance accessories for the equipment. Brandt can also provide customized road maintenance systems for a range of applications, including multi-purpose rail car movers, dedicated rail cranes and custom rail cars.

Company officials stated that Corteva Agriscience offers a continuously evolving portfolio of selective herbicides to support the management of problematic vegetation in a variety of applications, including ballast areas, intersections, right-of-way corridors, and off-track areas.

TerraVue™ herbicide is Corteva's latest development. The herbicide has been registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and can control more than 140 broad-leaved weeds and shrub species. The Rinskor® active ingredient of this herbicide provides long-term residue control, low volatility and flexibility throughout the site of use. Low-end formulas can be used in grazing areas and provide safety for ideal grasses and shrubs.

Corteva officials said that TerraVue's selectivity helps create natural barriers for incompatible or invasive species, which can reduce the reprocessing requirements and future maintenance costs of the railway vegetation management plan. The result also minimizes environmental hazards and threats to railway infrastructure, including poor drainage, rail car skidding, damage to railway machinery, line of sight issues, and fire hazards.

When used for total vegetation control in most bare land, TerraVue can be applied through broadcasting, pre-processing or point processing.

Industry-Railway Suppliers Inc. is the distribution representative of Supertrak machines. Supertrak manufactures customized machines for vegetation management, including Supertrak SK170RR Hi-Rail excavators.

The excavator is based on the CAT313 high-rail platform, equipped with a single 170-horsepower engine, dedicated large flow with reversing fans and multi-functions. The high rail is equipped with four-wheel drive and four-wheel brakes. According to Industry-Railway Suppliers, due to its compact size, it maintains great power in a small package and zero permits required for transportation make it ideal for land clearing and vegetation management in remote areas. 

Equipped with a heavy-duty hydraulic powered Bull Hog lawn mower, the SK170RR will become a more powerful machine that can be used to quickly clear large trees and heavy brushes along railway lines, or to prepare for new tracks, company officials said. Mulcher's low-maintenance design supports tool durability with optional cutters or carbide teeth, and also provides customized variable displacement motors and three rotor options to meet application needs. 

This year, Loftness Specialized Equipment introduced a new model of Tomahawk covering attachment for excavators. 

Models for skid steering, excavators up to 20 tons and prime movers up to 375 horsepower are now available. Loftness officials said that the heavy-duty model is well suited to withstand the working conditions of vegetation management along the track.

The Battle Axe rotor is designed with a depth gauge, which functions like the rake teeth on a chain saw to prevent the overburden from contacting too much material at a time. 

Loftness officials said that this type of rotor design is more suitable for managing the amount of material fed into the accessory than the ring rotor, and many operators have found that the ring rotor is excessively restrictive. This design is also suitable for sharp knives or carbide cutting teeth.

The Tomahawk also has a two-stage cutting chamber. The material is initially cut by the main shear bar located on the rear bumper. The inclined deflector then pushes the material down into the cutter for further processing before it is discharged to the ground.

Other standard features of the Battle Axe series include anti-wrap bearing protection, staggered spiral tooth patterns, single-bolt tooth mounting, and premium-strength steel housing.

Progress Rail manufactures a series of heavy-duty Kershaw® equipment for vegetation management, serving Class Is and short-term, transportation, utility companies, contractors and municipalities. 

Progress Rail officials said multiple Kershaw machines enable the railway to perform scrubbing, tree trimming, and general vegetation control so that staff can quickly and easily enter the track or right of way.

Kershaw offers SkyTrim 75G2 Hi-Rail for professional vegetation control, SkyTrim 75 HRT for road and rail applications, Klearway 500 industrial brush cutter for overgrowth, and All Terrain Carrier for professional bucket lifting configurations.

Kershaw SkyTrim 75 HRT is specially developed for electric utility and railway applications. It is an off-road rubber tire prime mover vehicle. It is equipped with a rear air-conditioned tilting cab, with ergonomic joystick controls and connected telescopic arms. 

The boom on the SkyTrim 75 HRT includes a saw-shaped cutter head designed to extend to 75 feet to trim trees. Progress Rail officials said that equipped with hydraulically deployable wheels and a standard 100-gallon fuel tank, the machine can be propelled along the track within minutes to clear limbs and weedy bushes.

Officials at RCE Equipment Solutions said that most brush management procedures tend to be postponed to the back of the list maintained by other tracks, and once it becomes a critical issue, it will be resolved. 

They said that it is impossible to cut both sides of the track on multiple track systems at the same time, and the machines used in the past will throw out debris, which may lead to damage claims. As a solution, RCE provides high-rail excavators equipped with brush heads, so that brush management can be achieved in on-track and off-track modes. 

The company noticed an increase in the number of high-track excavators using brush cutter heads. RCE's high-rail excavators can be used for a wide range of railway maintenance tasks, such as removing and installing sleepers, undercutting ballast, laying new railways, and standard excavation tasks.

In the past few years, RCE has expanded its Railavator product line to include two new models-245G and 250G. The company now offers seven John Deere models, including 50G, 85G, 135G, 210G and 350G. 

RCE also offers a full-brand guide rail gear package, so it can now equip Cat, John Deere and Komatsu 20 metric ton excavators with high guide rails.

Maintaining remote vegetation can be a challenge. Failure to strike early in the season may result in high fire risks and damage to railway cargo. In order to effectively manage vegetation, it is necessary to use high-speed rail equipment equipped with brush cutters, lawn mowers, and plastic mulch heads.

Company officials said that the term "versatility" described the Wanser CHX25 high-rail excavator. They said that the excavator is an ideal choice for remote railway areas, and its 20-ton model can achieve multiple tool functions. It can be paired with accessories to rotate the head a full 360 degrees.

When paired with a brush cutter attachment, the machine can remove large branches and brushes. The excavator can also be matched with a lawn mower deck to control grass and weeds, and it can be matched with a roller mulch head to cut and grind trees and stumps.

Vancer also offers a chain saw attachment that uses a grab system to safely cut and handle branches. Trailers can be added to CHX25 to collect branches in batches and reduce the time it takes to clean up the work area.

Vancer's other vegetation management options include skid steer loaders equipped with tools for removing brushes, mowing and mulch. The Huddig backhoe is designed for efficient vegetation management through an articulated central pivot system and multiple attachments.

Send questions or comments via email to prograil@tradepress.com.