The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-02
nhnWAra
re uesRea Adopted in the Southwest - Get
MIA OF tie Trsubiesome Growth.

Frop, the Railroad Gazette. 4
In the Southwest tho railroads have \ large!
itom Of expense which finds no place on the
books OF Eastern companies. this being for The
removal of weeds which grow rank and luxuri.
antly between tho tracks. seriously impeding
rapid running. being crushed under the wheels
and making tho tracks greasy and slippery.
Various methods have been proposed and tried
to destroy these weeds, but that finally adopted
by tho Atchison. Topeka and Santa Fe road is to
burn them by means OF an oil flame. (
This burner destroys the vegetation between 9
the rails and over a space Of twenty.four to
thirty inches outside Of them. Tho OUTFIT
consists of a car made Of iron. Of iron
tween the trucks, an, oil-tank car having
a capacity Of 4,bOO gallons and a smaller oil
S MitSs 81 sSo g pGess Sqe"S OF se ssr1fg F po%nds %
square inch. This tank Is filled from the tank
car to and ssS s' sa nF 4 TIC X sn aa9. %hi tG1 & ,0r sinig.S Il:
trusscs at each side and has a cab shoaths9
car is intended to be pullcd over the road by S(
locomotive. The shield beneath tho car Is thirty-N
the heat and to prevent, side, winds carrying tho
flame to one side of tho shield. The forward
ened to the bottom of'the lower arch bars. when
the Are is started the shield is lowered, to within
bridee sine the Shields 81 ds0 ARG sr Tilted clear Sa0S Of tho fhe' rails
| INGlNC W UIltOu lHtntb ny llthno VI iii DTtbbuE
from a reservoir acting through q train OF chains
and p%ulleys., The oil supply is also cut Of
in crossing bridges, and the moment tho oil
1t is as readily renewed when the oil valves are
inclined under surface of the shield, which ro-
tains sufficient heat to ignite the oil, even after
small culverts and cattle guards the closing OF
the valve, is unnecessary. as the lifting Of the
s sens an Mi ff es1Fy Of the the ta%s high enough to pre-
The compressed air for forcing the. oil through
the burners and for lifting the shield Is supplied
by two Westinghouse air pumps. these being
sufficient to maintain an air pressure of seventy
pounds with four burners in use. The amount
Of oil required for each burner Is about eight
gallons per mile. A light crude oil is preferred.
~fective heat after reaching the place where
the work is to be done. and after the
first few minutes, no difficulty is experienced
making them greasy. A gang Of four men
follow close to tho car to put out all ties nreds
but 1t is the intention soon to- use steam 5eto
The speed with which the chr travels depends
upon the. kind of vegetation to be scorched,
Early In the season. when weeds are tender and
miles an hour 10 practicable, whereas IL the
track Is thickly covered and matted with heavy,
coarse grass the speed muat be reduced to two
Of grass are consumed. the greater part being
scorched. and while many stalks appear quite
green after the fame passes over them, in n few
days they too, Wit and die ir0d ,.o, which In,
also been observed in connection with forest
fires is that a new kind Of vegetation appears
after each burning, Tho cost Of operating The
ering thirty miles a day the average cost pc
mile Is 81. SO. 1t is claimed tho oil consumed II
q comparatively small item in the total charge
tho transfer from one part of the road to another
and the use Of a locomotive bringing 1t up n
the sum named.