Michael Hodgson Posted June 26, 2021 Share Posted June 26, 2021 There are a number of threads about historic and current weedkilling trains and models thereof. The spraying vehicles have evolved over the years, but it's not just the rolling stock. It's a rather complex subject, but they all seem to involve spraying rather nasty chemicals onto the track and lineside. Looking at old photos, the same coaches seem to appear in a number of liveries, suggesting it's not just the weeds that need frequent spraying, but the paintwork of the carriages themselves! The global political climate is such that stuff they used to use tends to get banned as damaging to health or the environment, so current practice is bound to change again to meet changing regulatory requirements. The Swiss it seems are experimenting with a few novel approaches such as using hot water. The UK is trying this "Smart Weed", which was apparently due to start last month, with a couple more trains to follow in future years. https://www.railwaygazette.com/uk/smart-weed-system-to-improve-environmental-performance/58464.article https://www.railengineer.co.uk/gbrf-unveil-partnership-to-transform-railways-weed-control-maintenance/ https://www.railtech.com/infrastructure/2021/02/10/uk-rail-partners-battle-too-green-tracks-with-smart-weed-system/ None of the articles above show a great view of the stock/modules involved, and I don't know whether that is merely a poor choice of photos or perhaps the manufacturers trying to protect trade secrets. I seen no reports of such trains being seen in use, although perhaps there has been slippage in the target dates reported in the media. Does anybody know anything about this train or whether it has begun operation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Railfreight1998 Posted June 26, 2021 Share Posted June 26, 2021 (Flickr link) The photo in the articles looks like one of the 80ft container wagons used in mainland europe. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Bendall Posted June 26, 2021 Share Posted June 26, 2021 The first train is currently testing on the Severn Valley, having arrived from Derby ten days ago. It uses three 60ft KFAs (VTG95378-80) with modules on top. Couple of decent vids on YT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89EiznCpwdo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNoeiTZ9iwI 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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