Nostalgia & History > A CB&Q Weed Sprayer Came Through

During summer vacation from college I was working as the agent at Leland, IL substituting for the vacationing agent.  The daily lineup (7/17/63) had a weed sprayer listed.  I didn't know what to expect.  And I sure was surprised when they sprayed the station platform too.  Not that many used the platform.  I can't remember if even the Galesburg Local stopped at Leland.  I'm sure the Q was using chemicals they should not have.  But the manufacturer no doubt assured the Q that it was safe. This was pre-EPA. Nixon signed the executive order that formed the EPA and it started to function on December 2, 1970.

Anybody seen a weed sprayer recently.  I have only seen one other and that was back in 1965.

Note: There was a Geep or SD pushing.

Enjoy,
Marty Bernard



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/09/16 00:51 by MartyBernard.

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MartyBernard Wrote:

> This was pre-EPA. Nixon signed the
> executive order that formed the EPA and it started
> to function on December 2, 1970.
>
> Anybody seen a weed sprayer recently.  I have
> only seen one other and that was back in 1965.

RWC Inc. is contract vegetation control outfit that uses spray trains, Hy-rail trucks, and off-track vehicles:

http://rwcincorporated.com/rwc/

Here's an RWC train being pulled by a CSX Dash-8 in "dark future" paint, so it's long after the EPA came into being. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkxEbsNWZOA

And a still photo also taken on CSX in 2012:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/18412933@N07/7986861383

Asplundh also still has a spray train, but this 2012 article on Progressive Railroading's website indicates they were going more in the direction of Hy-rail trucks for herbicide application:

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/bnsf_railway/article/Maintenance-of-way-Vegetation-managementweed-control--29873
http://www.asplundh.com/services/?market_served=181#mark_serv

Here's Asplundh's train in action on CSX in 2012:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiVAO72EddI

And again in June 2016:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7H-eeCNOpI

Several other companies mentioned in that Progressive Railroading article are also in the contract railroad weed-spray business.  DBi Services appears to only deploy Hy-rail and off-rail trucks:

http://www.dbiservices.com/vegetation-management

ARS Corp. also offers weed control via on and off-track trucks:

http://www.arscorp.com/services.aspx

Right-a-Way Applicators, same story:

http://www.rawapplicators.com/railroads.htm

So evidently spraying weeds wasn't outlawed on December 2, 1970 after all. 

The train in your photo belonged to another contractor, the Nalco Chemical Company.   Nalco is still around, but their site doesn't indicate that they still do railroad vegetation management.  Their history page does mention their production of water treatment for steam locomotives:

http://www.nalco.com/aboutnalco/history.htm

     Maybe the 'Q' should not have used specific chemicals but they most likely were not 'illegal' either at that time.

Anyone know if there are plans for a weed spray car like the Nalco one in the picture ? ---  Ken 

For the modeler it looks like an "ignorance is bliss" kitbash from a box car and the assistance of photos.

​Victor A Baird
​http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

Here's another method of applying herbicide:
1. Valentine, AZ, 3/13/07
2. East end of Crozier Canyon, AZ, 3/13/07

Gerry

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Here's how DB does it, Pinneberg, Germany, 7/19/07.  Gerry

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Here's how CP was doing it back in 2012.

Darren Boes
Lethbridge, AB
Southern Alberta Railfan

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Last one I ever saw was Santa Fe extra 2843 west on the Harbor Sub at MP 24 Harbor City, CA 2-91.
JB

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Anymore, as often as not, they use hyrail trucks to do weed spraying.  

The last one I saw like this was leaving Waterloo, IA, yard, some 30 plus years ago with
a Paducah rebuild pushing.  

Thanks for posting, Marty.  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Too often people who are not rural do not understand what is going on or why. Yes way back they used some things that were far from good but today many countrys which supply foods to the US still use the same never having stopped using them.

Spraying by helicopter seems fine for fertalizing or insect control but seems dumb for weed control.

The last time I saw a weed spraying train was on the UP near Carbona on the old WP mainline.  They had spray arms like shown in the other pictures but they also had a water cannon mounted to the roof that could spray a long way from the tracks.  There way a guy up on the water cannon (herbicide cannon?) selectively spraying bigger bushes that could encroach on the ROW.

wingomann Wrote:

> The last time I saw a weed spraying train was on
> the UP near Carbona on the old WP mainline.  They
> had spray arms like shown in the other pictures
> but they also had a water cannon mounted to the
> roof that could spray a long way from the
> tracks. 

Pretty sure that's the purpose of the "back deck" on those Nalco, RWC, and Asplundh converted boxcars - a firing platform for weed chemical monitors:

http://www.railroad.net/articles/railfanning/worktrains2/media/LWF0008.jpg
http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1603/24681665921_2b95650a11_h.jpg
https://www.flickr.com/photos/18412933@N07/7986861383/sizes/l/
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=99837
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=516149
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1201271

Kind of sad to see Santa Fe towing around a contractor's spray rig when just a few years previous they had their own outfits converted from old baggage cars.  A couple of those, 199205 and 199208, had "rear gun platforms" as well:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/emd111/7225003548/sizes/l/
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3695305
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3525250