weed spray trains

  Hi Scott.  I think they can vary greatly from railroad to railroad. When i was a kid walking along the tracks back in the 1950's an SP weed sprayer came around the bend, I was too busy scampering up the cut bank to get a good look at it but it was some kind of tank with spray heads on the front and an operators platform, pushed by a switch engine. I've also seen video of sprayers that are enclosed box type with windows for the operator, In one video one of these was running in a local freight train instead of a dedicated spray train. If you are modeling a specific railroad you might need info from someone from that area.....DaveB 

Freelance

Hi Scott,

Seems like this is one of those areas where you can totally freelance and not be wrong. Seems like a converted boxcar with a cab up front and a sting of connected tanks cars is the way to go. What an excellent idea for a train to have one of the operators run during an operating session... 

http://northamericanrails.com/weed_sprayer_trains

Weed spray

Depends on the era.  Typically they are an old boxcar that has been modified to contain a control compartment, sprayers on the front, spray bars that swing out to the sides, pumps, herbicide storage,  mixing tanks, and water cannons on the roof.  There are several older tank cars coupled into it with hoses connecting them, to supply water to the control car.  There may be a storage box on the rear.  In many cases the train is shoved, with the engine on the rear.

Here is one I rode as RR representative back in the 1980's.  

More modern ones will have more safety features and may be purpose built, possibly self propelled with a control car built from an old locomotive.

WSOR had a flatcar with a

WSOR had a flatcar with a tank, pumps, and the spray booms.  One tank car with water came along.  Both painted white.  Usually used the switch engine for propulsion.  Usually ran engine first, so getting over crossings was easier.

Not a desirable job to catch as a crew member, as it moved slow, and had to go in all the side tracks, moving cars out of the way and so forth.  Big hassle spraying a yard full of cars.

They have since contracted the weed spraying out, to an outfit that has a hy-rail truck to do it.  Saves on crews, power, and liability.

Weed Sprayer

Pretty sure it was RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN that had an article on building a weed sprayer very similar to the photo that Mr. Husman posted. Not for sure about the date, I will look for it later this week.

@fishnmack

Thank you!

IAIS Weed Spray Trains

A little older, but here are several:

http://www.iaisrailfans.org/gallery/WeedSprayTrains?page=1

Michael

Sprayers

They have pneumatically operated spray arms that rotate out from the sides in the front, plus a spray bar across the front that spray the ballast section.  The water cannons on the rear roof shoot herbicide out up to 150 ft to clear weeds away from grade crossings.  

In the control compartment there is a company person that controls the spray bars, a MofW rep from the railroad (track foreman or roadmaster) and if the car is leading there is a conductor pilot.  there are also 2-3 other guys to man the water cannons and keep the whole thing going.  The spray bars on the front have to be moved in and out when the spray goes over thru truss or girder bridges or has to clear a close object (overpass, signal mast, etc).  The sprayers typically work at 15-20 mph but can be hauled at normal freight train speeds.

The position of the engine varies.  Originally they were designed to be pushed, with the car leading and the engine on the rear.  In more modern times they have and engine pulling and the control car is back in the train, the difference is due to overspray/fumes reaching the train crew.

Weed Trains

Here's a few examples:

Asplundh Railroad Division

Davey Tree Expert Company

Generally, a sprayer car (usually rebuilt from an old boxcar, but the Davey Tree car is interesting - 40+20 foot containers on an 89' flatcar) and several tank cars. Extra hoses/piping on the tanks to pump the product to the sprayer car. Sometimes the railroad might tack on a boxcar for extra supplies/materials.

I've also seen a local shortline do a more "budget" version by just putting manual spray nozzles on a tank car.

@Chris van der Heide

Thank you, Chris!  Those are great photos. 

Weed Sprayer

Scratchbuilding a Soo Line weed sprayer car  by David Leider, RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN  June 2005 pages 85 to 88.

Most of this article goes into detail on building the car body with no real details on the spray booms except that they fold into the body to clear obstructions as per the prototype that was constructed in the early 1960's..