Weed Removal From Tracks

[tagit]

Never one to reinvent the wheel, I have this idea for a weed removal/treatment method which I'm betting has already been tried and if it already exists, I'd like to avoid reinventing it, so if someone has already done this, I would like to know the details so I can avoid a lot of experimenting.  I have this idea of mounting a wide foam paint brush on the bottom of a car so that it sort of drags along the tracks.  A supply line with a needle control valve would drip weed killer from a tank onto the brush keeping it damp with weed killer.  A locomotive would than push/pull this car around the layout.  Any weed the brush comes in contact with will get a dose of weed killer.  This avoids the problem a spray drift when trying to spray weeds on the right-of-way and it limits the range of the weed killer to just the area immediately under the cars.  Has anyone ever seen this solution implemented or one similar to it?  If it's available commercially, I would consider purchasing it, if the price is right, rather then reinvent the thing myself.

[mrdeere]

Interesting thought, however do you really want those chemicals on your track and ties?  From there it could spread into you wheels and pickups. Will it start to eat your hardware? I know when I spray my crushed rock driveway it can easily spread to places I do not want it. I think I will continue to pull the weeds from around my rails.

Ed

[Greg Elmassian]

I've used Roundup for years and never a problem on plastic ties or SS rail.

There have been people that make a tank car that drips fluid, and seems to work ok, but I'm sure the drips don't always hit the right spot.

The foam brush will get torn up by ballast, and also when you go through switches, the rails, frog, etc will trash the foam in no time.

You'd be better off with a bristle paint brush "cropped" somewhat shorter.

I think you will find that weeds will need to be killed a bit "wider" than the ties.

If you could get it working well, and the application rate fine tuned and even it would be nice, but be aware your costs will be higher than you think, and to make it worthwhile, I'll tell you right now you will have costs that you did not think of, like a tank for the weed killer that does not corrode, etc.

Regards, Greg

[JRB 1953]

[g. gage]

I use a similar system. I modified an Aristo track cleaning car to use 3M pads cut into 3”x3” squares. For normal track cleaning I just push or pull the car around the railroad adding a shot of WD40 for problem spots; for weeds I spray Roundup on the pad. I’ve used the same system with a 3M pad attached to a wallboard sander.

 

Have fun, Rob

[mgilger]

Interesting concept. I did up a weed control tank car several years back that worked fairly well. I used Roundup, and built a drip system from a standard Aristo tank car. It would have worked better if the tank could have been pressurized, but this method worked well enough for my needs.The rate of application was dependent on how fast the train was moving. I've gotten lazy over the years and now I mainly just get the manual applicator out and have at it.

Regards,

Mark