The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-14
WEDDING RAILWAYS.
The Method Adopted in the South
west to Get Rid of the Trouble
some Growth.
From the Railroad Gazette.


some Growth.
From the Railroad Gazette.
In the southwest the railroads have a
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 max
ing the tracks greasy and slippery. Va
rious methods have been proposed and
tried to destroy these weeds, but that
finally adopted by the Atchison, Topeka
and Santa Fe railroad is to burn them
by means of an oil flame.
This burner destroys the vegetation be-
tween the rails and over a space of twen-
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 4,500 gallons and a
smaller oil tank Of 800 gallons capacity,
strong enough to withstand pressure of
seventy pounds a square inch. This tank
is filed from the tank car and air pres
sure is supplied for forcing the oil to the
burners. The car, which is siXty-f1ve feet
long, is strengthened by connecting trusses
at each side, and has a cab sheathed
with corrugated iron at one end. The car
is intended to be pulled over the road by
a locomotive The shield beneath the car
is thirty-two feet long, with aprons at
each side to retain the heat and to pre-
vent side winds carrying the flame to one
side of the shield. The forward truck is
protected by an auxiliary shield fastened
to the bottom of the lower arch bars.
When the fire is started the shield is
lowered to within three or four inches of
the rail, and the aprons then slide on the
ground. When crossing bridges the shields
are lifted clear of the rails twelve to fif-
teen inches by means of air pressure from
a reservoir acting through a train of
chains and pulleys The oil supply Is
also cut off in crossing bridges, ana the
moment the oil valves are closed the
flame is eXtinguished and it is as readily
renewed when the oils valves are again
opened. The oil is directed against the
inclined under surface on the shield, which
retains sufficient heat to ignite the Oil,
even after it has been shut off for half an
hour. In crossing small culverts and
cattle guards the closing of the valve is
unnecessary, as the lifting of the shield
will carry the flame high enough to pre-
vent any uInlS OIL the IlfnDeTS.
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 main
tain 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 pre-
ferred. Only a few minutes are required
to get an effective heat after reaching the
where work
after the first few minutes no difficulty
is experienced from the oil dropping ON
the rails and making them greasy.
gang of four men follow close to the car
to put out all ties fired, but 1t is the in
tention soon to use steam jets from the To-
connective in extinguishing fired ties. The
speed with which the car travels depends
upon the kind of vegetation to be scorch>
ed. Early in the season, when weeds are
tender and not over five or six inches high
a speed of four miles an hour is practical
BILE, whereas If the track is thickly COW
cred and matted with heavy, coarse grass
the speed must be reduced to two and
a half miles an hour. Only the light blades
of grass are consumed, the greater part
being scorched, and while many stalks ap-
pear quite green after the flame passed
over them, in 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-
ton appears after each burning The cost
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 COM
paratively small item in the total charge,
the transfer from one part of the road
to another and the use of a locomotive
bringing 1t up to the sum named.