Railroaders' Nostalgia > Tuesday Track & Time: Spraying Weeds in the 70s

Here are three images of herbicide application on the Southern Pacific as the equipment changed in the late 1970s to 1980. I have read about earlier weed campaigns that were done with company-owned burners and sprayers however by the time I was involved it was all done by contractors. The contractors purchased the chemicals, held the licenses from the State agricultural commission and the liability contracts for any claims of damage due to their applications. As you see it evolved from complete trains to Hy-Rail operations.

Controlling vegetation was/is always good maintenance practice for at least five reasons. First, it reduced the hazard of fires from brake shoe sparks or transmission of fires across the right of way. Second, it provided a save working environment for trainmen and MofW employees to walk and work along the trains and track. Third, it slowed down the fouling of ballast and blocking of drainage that could result in saturated embankments and track surface problems. Fourth, it provided visibility for track inspection and detection of approaching trains, especially at public crossings. Fifth, it had to be kept out of wire lines as it could result in wrapped wires and either shorts or false signal circuit connections. In urban areas and National Forests there were other requirements related to fire suppression and nuisance abatement. Some of these practices are now incorporated into the FRA regulations for track and signal safety.

There are also regulations that restrict or prohibit herbicide application in sensitive environments. You would not attempt to apply chemicals along trout streams or anywhere in the State of Alaska. This leads to conflicts between parts of Federal Law, an almost amusing fix sometimes.

We planned on there being an infinite supply of most weed seeds, either dormant in the soil or carried in by wind, trains, or critters. Herbicide application consists primarily of a pre-emergent chemical that prevents seeds from germinating. Over the years it should build up to enough depth and strength to keep unwanted vegetation off the right of way. It usually comes as a powder that is carried by water spray to the working area. That left a thin coating on the surface. We tried to spray in the spring so that any light to medium rains would carry it further into the ground. If there was no rain it would eventually be blown away, if there was a heavy rain it would be washed away. If the ground is disturbed for construction or maintenance the surface with this residual treatment is buried or lost and weeds have a fresh start. Smart construction contracts call for a make-up application of herbicides. You can tell if pre-emergent treatment is working by looking at the right of way as compared to untreated land nearby, generally there are far fewer weeds on the RR.

Later in the season we would have to apply a contact killer, similar to Roundup or other brands. This was for lapses in coverage where “breakouts” made the right of way green. It had to contact the leaves and it was to be carried down to the roots to kill the plant, just killing the leaves isn't sufficient.

The images:
The first two are of a classic weed spray train working in the San Fernando Valley in April, 1977. The image of the car is on the Burbank Branch just north of the Sepulveda Dam. This route is now a Bus Rapid Transit line. The second one is a slightly blurred attempt at an out-the-window shot on San Fernando Road as the train shoves back east towards Los Angeles on the original main line from Bakersfield via Mojave and Saugus. The train carries enough water for one or two days of work. The contractor furnished the spray car and hose connection, the SP supplied the water cars and a MofW tool car (here an “Economy” baggage car made redundant after Amtrak). (The water cars had many uses on the SP, we owned a fair sized fleet of them). It appears that the spray car came from the Milwaukee road as evidenced by the horizontal ribs.

The third image is from 1980. By this time the contractor had developed this massive Hy-Rail unit and we could save the costs and avoid the operating complexities of work trains. The lack of water capacity was overcome by “nurse trucks” that would bring water to road crossings to refill the on-track unit. This image is at Spence, not on the Los Angeles Division but about a dozen miles south of Salinas on the Coast Route.

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Picture #3 would be Washburn Brothers out of Davis California if I remember correctly. That truck was something to see in operation the couple of years it lasted.

Josiah

That truck was stored outside of Davis in the early 70's.

In pic 1, the buildings with the ski jump roofs on either side of the dormers are extant on Google Street,
at Victory Blvd and Gaviota Ave.
In pic 2, based on the view of the ridgeline of the Verdugo Hills and the corrugated steel building, I believe that this was taken on San Fernando Rd near Vinedale St.
I dig the C&NW-style bell on the Hy-Rail.
...Lorenzo



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/02/14 11:07 by 567Chant.

Back in the 60, SP contracted with R.H. Bogle for weed spraying

The first picture looks like an ex-Milwaukee branch line
combine. Several of these were purchased and refitted
for weed spray service. Interesting to see one on the SP.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

interesting stuff. thx.

Those weed killers were amongst the best duty you could catch when they had them. I used to bid them in every time they worked the old PE property.


V

SLOCONDR

Back in 1972, my dad was working with the SP and the contract applicators of herbicides on some new, experimental products. I (age 14 at the time) was allowed (smuggled) onto to a spray train that worked from the Bullring down Alameda Street and tied up somewhere near Long Beach after a long day. I believe it was the Washburn Brothers in charge of the spraying. The SP used a U-25B / U-28C lashup to push the whole mess around. The SP gent running the show was a full blown HO modeler. His name was Rolf Azmus (sp?). He had a thick German accent and really kept the spray people hopping. I remember some of the crew saying (about the chemicals) "where this stuff blows, nothing grows". Whatever the stuff was, I'm still healthy 42 years later...

John Ford

Lone Star Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Back in 1972, my dad was working with the SP and
> the contract applicators of herbicides on some
> new, experimental products. I (age 14 at the time)
> was allowed (smuggled) onto to a spray train that
> worked from the Bullring down Alameda Street and
> tied up somewhere near Long Beach after a long
> day. I believe it was the Washburn Brothers in
> charge of the spraying. The SP used a U-25B /
> U-28C lashup to push the whole mess around. The SP
> gent running the show was a full blown HO modeler.
> His name was Rolf Azmus (sp?). He had a thick
> German accent and really kept the spray people
> hopping. I remember some of the crew saying (about
> the chemicals) "where this stuff blows, nothing
> grows". Whatever the stuff was, I'm still healthy
> 42 years later...
>
> John Ford


Mr.Azmus's ego was as big as he was.

On the SP we used to say about the weed sprayer crew we never saw the same people the next year... because the sprayer train was spraying agent orange !

Regarding Mr. Asmus, I sort of figured the ego thing might me a bit of an issue.

John Ford



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/14 10:30 by Lone Star.

Lone Star Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Regarding Mr. Asmus, I sort of figured the ego
> thing might me a bit of an issue.
>
> John Ford


John,
It really wasn't an issue to us as we ran the train and he was in charge of all spraying. But to listen to him he was "Mr. SP". Sort of a nice guy, but full of himself.


V

SLOCONDR

V.,

As I recall, Rolf died of a heart attack around 1978, and he was only in his early fifties. My dad liked to deal with him because he was the go-between guy between the railroad and the contractor. His bluster helped my dad get his experimental applications done. He seemed to get the spray trains emptied as fast as you guys moved 'em!

John

Lone Star Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> V.,
>
> As I recall, Rolf died of a heart attack around
> 1978, and he was only in his early fifties. My dad
> liked to deal with him because he was the
> go-between guy between the railroad and the
> contractor. His bluster helped my dad get his
> experimental applications done. He seemed to get
> the spray trains emptied as fast as you guys moved
> 'em!
>
> John

You're right, John. He did have a knack for getting those trains emptied quickly. We were spraying the Torrance branch one day and should have made it all the way to Torrance. We got to Strawberry Park and had to wait for the contractors trucks to get to us to do a little refilling.


V

SLOCONDR

Just the coolest pics one can find! I can't believe Victory and Gaviota is being displayed here in a thread. Certainly the old stomping grounds and place of growing up watching trains. I spent years fo my youth playing t-ball in a field nearby there. What was funner, playing the game or watching trains? It's a toss-up!

So in pic 1 and 2 is that the same consist? If so, is it safe to say they ran six-axle GE's on the Burbank Branch (I've never seen a photo).

Thanks for posting these treasures!