Saw something I have never seen before... There was a tree crew out trimming trees along the BNSF main through town, and the truck was on the tracks, like one of the MOW trucks with the railroad wheels and all (I know there is a technical term for this, but it escapes me at the moment)
I didn't realize that they did tree work like that from the tracks. The truck belonged to the tree trimming company (Asplundh) it was one of the trucks with the snorkel boom and bucket.
I also didn't realize that the trees that were being worked on, were on railroad property, I thought the strip along the south side (Burlington Ave.) of the main was maintained by the village...
I was unaware that the railroad allowed that kind of work to take place from the right of way. Last time they were working the trees, which was on my side of the main, they did it from the street. And, since the company's truck was configured to operate on the tracks, it must do this type of thing quite often, unless the wheels are something that can be put on any given truck as needed.
What kind of training/knowledge/permissions would the tree crews need to work on the main itself? I saw one gentleman wearing a white hat, and I assumed he was a BNSF foreman or something, as the tree trimming guys were all in orange hard hats and safety vests, and the tree crew supervisor was wearing a yellow hard helmet. Would a BNSF maintenance foreman have to present while the crew was working, or would he just stop by the work occasionally throughout the day to see how things were progressing?
Also, all of the trees being worked on were not really interfering with the tracks, or causing sight line problems, near as I can tell.
When contractors are working on the railroad right-of-way anywhere near active tracks the usual practice is to have a railroad employee accompany them. The flagman (or woman) is responsible for protecting the operation, often holding an occupancy permit for the track that prohibits other trains entering his work limits without permission. He will also interface with the dispatcher, or yardmaster, to arrange for the contractor to clear the tracks for trains when needed. The competition for track time between maintenance forces trying to keep it safe, and the operating people trying to run trains, is sometimes quite fractious. A railroad official might stop by from time to time to check on the operation and review safety, progress and quality.
When the work is being done for the railroad, it is quite common to do the work from the railroad. It avoids a lot of hassles getting permission for access across municipal or private property even where vehicular access is even possible.
John
I have seen a csx truck with the blades on them.It was down on the indy line in Bellefontaine ohio.neat truck.
stay safe
joe
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
The truck would be called a "Hi-Rail" vehicle. On the BNSF, the person in charge would be a "Track Inspector", or higher. He would be responsible for clearances, track warrants, and getting out-of-the-way, when necessary. Trees do interfere with line-of-sight and trackside wirelines, and must be controlled. Usually, the railroad-owned right-of-way extends quite a distance from the rail center-line.
I did a couple of 'steam trips' between Jacksonville, FL and Valdosta, GA -- thru the heart of the Okefenokee Swamp. Norfolk Southern used huge rotary mowers, on booms, to grub out the encroaching, rapidly growing, vegitation. Not a pretty sight, but the alligators didn't complain. Maybe some water moccasins, in the trees, did. Nasty thingies, and they do climb trees! Dunno.
Not that uncommon. Asplundh has several trucks out there hi-rail equipped. (probably one of Eddie Edwards' band)...This is the same side of Asplundh that always does the railroad weed spraying under contract.
There is a BNSF rules qualified foreman or machine operator in there somewhere getting the Asplundh folks a track warrant or track and time depending on the signal rules in effect. The Asplundh folks are all rules qualified at least to the FRA on-track safety awareness level and registered with e-rail safe.
Anything within the general 25 foot envelope, affecting vision distances, around a crossing or near signal wires is going to get attacked by "black thumb" & crew.
We use a hi-rail Gradall with the mother of all weed-whackers on it for tree and brush clearing along the ROW. Much of our ROW is inaccessible by road, so this is really the only choice.
It'll take out a 4" tree with no problem...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
tree68
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
zardoz tree68 When I saw the title of this thread, I was wondering if it had something to do with you....
Well, my barber just uses regular clippers and barber shears. No hi-rail gear....
Links to some photos:
RBL, Inc.'s 'Tiger RailKut' hyrail brush cutter:
http://www.rblinc.com/railkat.html
Maybe one reason for the off-track operation before, and the on-track operation now, is that the cost/price is less for doing it with/ from the hy-rail truck instead of from bucket trucks, ladders, and tree climbers, etc. as would be needed to trim the railroad's side of the trees with access only from an adjoining public street. Plus, with traffic levels down now due to the economy, maybe it's easier for the railroad to provide 'track time' during the daylight working hours which would facilitate that kind of work, without interfering with the revenue freight trains that bring in the money to pay the bills . . .
Some years ago, SEPTA - the suburban Philadelphia commuter train agency - had the hy-rail brush cutters out on its lines during the overnight hours, when service was either shut down or reduced to only a train every couple of hours or so. Many of those areas were down in cuts or up in fills and lined with industrial or commercial buildings or houses, and so were practically inaccessible from anywhere else except the tracks.
- Paul North.
EDIT: More photo links:
http://walterlandscape.com/
http://walterlandscape.com/media/gallery/right%20of%20waymaintenance/Cat%20M315%20with%20brush%20cutter%20sits%20at%20crossing
http://www.progressrail.com/skytrim-hirail.asp
http://www.progressrail.com/brushcutter32.asp
A good photo of a model: http://www.modeltraincrossing.com/images/247-7013.gif
- PDN.
Johnny
BNSFwatcher I did a couple of 'steam trips' between Jacksonville, FL and Valdosta, GA -- thru the heart of the Okefenokee Swamp. Norfolk Southern used huge rotary mowers, on booms, to grub out the encroaching, rapidly growing, vegitation. Not a pretty sight, but the alligators didn't complain. Maybe some water moccasins, in the trees, did. Nasty thingies, and they do climb trees! Dunno.
In that territory, probably the most practical solution by far. There are places where the swamp seems bottomless. Once saw a log skidder (very large 4-wheel-drive tractor type thing) with a rotary mower attached, being used to mow under power lines. Those things will go where almost no other rubber-tired vehicle would go, and the one I saw was bogged down so deeply that the operator's deck was just about level with the water standing in the highway ditch. Nasty area, unless you're on a highway, RR ROW, or flying over it.
Paul_D_North_JrMaybe one reason for the off-track operation before, and the on-track operation now, is that the cost/price is less for doing it with/ from the hy-rail truck instead of from bucket trucks, ladders, and tree climbers, etc. as
Paul: Yes the available track time is correct. Now with more track time available its time to do it. An example of it not being done is that yesterday Dec 3 trees fouled the Wash - Bal CAT of AMTRAK. Took 3 - 4 hours to fix it and delayed alot of AMTRAK and MARC.
From WASH south another more invasive problem exists. It is the loblloy pines and ice storms. They just don't coexits. CSX is now triming the pines back the ROWs in our area to prevent the pines from fouling the track in case of high winds or ice. Have seen tracks fouled for weeks.
Full disclosure -- I hate pines and there is not a single one within 500 ft of my home.
My point was mainly that doing the tree-trimming from a hy-rail bucket truck is most likely just more efficient, smoother, and productive than from off-track - as long as that's not getting in the way of too many revenue trains. Also, if the bucket truck has track occupancy rights, the crew then doesn't have to worry too much about felled limbs and trees obstructing one of the tracks - i.e., the one they're on.
You'd like my homstead, then - 2-1/2 acres of native Pennsylvania mixed hardwoods, and only a single white pine that's about 5 ft. tall.
Paul_D_North_JrMy point was mainly that doing the tree-trimming from a hy-rail bucket truck is most likely just more efficient, smoother, and productive than from off-track
Absolutely. further: your link to the Sky Trim 75G2 shows it reaching up into what appears to be a southern pine. I can not see anyway that the work can be done except from either a wide cleared area or an on track vehicle.
Southern pines grow up with very few limbs towards open areas at a much greater angle than other trees so the trunks when cut will always foul the track unless some kind of clamping machine can lower it to the ground. That's why when an ice storm (freezing rain) loads up a tree it starts leaning more until it breaks and sounds like an 88 going off. Scared the **** out of me the first time I heard one outside my window in another home. So ROW will foul very easily.
n
Paul_D_North_Jr You'd like my homstead, then - 2-1/2 acres of native Pennsylvania mixed hardwoods, and only a single white pine that's about 5 ft. tall.
Hope to see it soon
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