The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-04

Method Adopted in the Southwest
Get Rid of the Troublesome Growth

Method Adopted in the Southwest to
Get Rid of the Troublesome Growth.
Railroad Gazette.
In the Southwest the railroads have
large item of expense which finds no place
on the books of Eastern companies, this
BEING for the removal of weeds which grow
rank and luxuriantly between the tracks,
seriously impeding rapid running, being
crushed under the wheels and making the
tracks greasy and slippery. Various meth
DDS have been proposed and tried to destroy
these weeds, but that finally adopted by
the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe road is
to burn them by means of an oil flame.
This burner destroys the vegetation be-
tween the rails and over space of TWEEN
ty-four to thirty inches outside of them.
The outfit consists of a car made of iron.
Of iron shields suspended under the car and
between the trucks. an oil tank car having
a capacity of 4,5Q0 gallons and smaller
oil tank of 500 gallons capacity, strong
enough to Withstand pressure of seventy
pounds a square inch. This tank is filled
from the tank car and air pressure is sup
piled for forcing the oil to the burners. The
car, which is siXty-five feet long, Is
strengthened by connecting trusses at each
side and has a cab sheathed with CORFU
gated iron at one end. The car is intended
TO be pulled over the road by locomotive
The shield beneath the car is thirty-two
feet long. with aprons at each side to re-
tain the heat and to prevent side winds
carrying the flame to one side of the shield.
The forward truck is protected by an aQxil-
larry shield fastened to the bottom of the
the shield is lowered to within three or four
Inches or the rail, and the aprons then slide
on the ground When crossing bridges the
shields are lifted by means of air pressure
from reservoir acting through train of
chains and pulleys The oil supply is also
cut on In crossing bridges, and the moment
the oil valves are closed the flame is ex-
tinguished and 1t is as readily renewed
when the oil valves are again opened. The
oil Is directed against the inclined under
surface of the shield which retains suffi-
cient heat to ignite the OIL even after 1t
has been shut off for half an hour In cross
ing small culverts and cattle guards the
closing or the valve is unnecessary as the
lifting of the shield will carry the flame
high enough to prevent any firing of the
timbers.
The compressed air for forcing the oil
through the burners and for lifting the
shield is supplied by two Westinghouse air
pumps, those being sufficient to maintain
burners in use. The amount of oil re-
CURED for each burner is about eight gal
Ions per mile. light crude oil is preferred.
Only few minutes are required to get
an effective heat after reaching the place
where the work is to be DONE and after
the first few minutes no difficulty is expe-
rienced from the oil dropping on the rails
and making them greasy. A gang of four
men follow close to the car 70 put out all
ties fired. but it is the intention soon to
use steam Jets from the locomotive in ex-
tinguishing fired ties The speed with
which the travels depends upon the
kind OF vegetation to be scorched. Early
in the season. when weeds are tender and
not over five or six inches high. a speed of
four miles an hour is practicable, whereas
If the track is thickly covered and matted
with heavy coarse grass the speed must
be reduced TO two and half miles an hour.
Only the light blades of grass are con-
sumed. the greater part being scorched.
and while many stalks appear quite green
after the flame passes over them. in a few
days they, too, wilt and die.
One curious and unexplained fact which
has also been observed in connection with
forest fires is that a new kind of vegeta-
t1.r,.s
of operating the car for a day of twelve
hours is $50, so that covering thirty miles
a day the average cost per mile is 81 &C. 1t
is claimed the oil consumed is a compare
lively small item In the total charge the
transfer from one part of the road to an
other and the use OF a locomotive bringing
1t up to the sum named.