Weed spray and de-vegetation options

[NW Mailing List]

I have enjoyed the discussion of right-of-way vegetation.

One other factor is that "back in the good old days," railroads had section
crews, and one of their jobs was to keep the vegetation trimmed.  By and
large, the section crews kept the river banks "cut back."  Why would they
do this...?  It was because hot boxes were a major problem back in the days
before roller bearings, and crew members from both ends of the train had to
watch for smoke developing along the train.  Why do you think the head end
brakeman rode backwards in the dog house atop the tender?  Why do you think
cabooses had cupolas?

Now here is a story told to me by T.S. (Tom) Kegley, a Radford Division
Engineman who hired September 30, 1907.  (He was one of the great dynasty
of "Pulaski Kegleys.")  Tom said that when he was running over the various
branches off the Radford Division, he always kept the blow down cock
cracked open, so that a small amount of hot water and steam would be
discharged down onto the track, between the rails.  Here is a paraphrase of
what he told me, but it is pretty close to his original words:  "The
section foreman made the section men get down on their hands and knees and
grub out every bit of grass that grew up between the rails.  That hot water
and steam killed a good bit of it.  Those section men were really grateful
for the help."

I am attaching a photo of Tom, taken 9-28-1964, while he was visiting at
his daughter's house in South Roanoke.

-- abram burnett

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