Weedkiller Trains

[yorksrob]

When I was a youngster, I used to see pictures of the Chipmans Weedkilling train, which typically had living and sleeping accommodation in the form of an old buffet car and sleeper carriage for its employees and used to travel around the country presumably parking up in a siding for the night.

This has always struck me as quite a nice way of living, travelling the byways of Britain. Does such a train still exist or has it been replaced by a more "efficient" but less interesting way of spreading weedkiller. Also, would you have one train working its way around the whole network, or were there separate trains for different regions ?

Incidentally, I remember seeing such a train at the Chart Leacon open day in 1992 where various people attempted to climb the staircase into the exhibit, only to be shoed out by a rather flustered looking technician with nothing but a towel around his waste saying "this is somebody's home y'know"

 

[9K43]

I have worked these trains under BR and also with private contractors.
The private contractors had a problem with who was in charge of the train.
We stopped for an hour till we found out that the guard was in charge of the train, eg me
After that I got some dog looks from the operators, but the Rule book rules.
This was in the 1980's.

 

[Manchester77]

LU use some 1938 stock units for weed killing units

 

[yorksrob]

Cheers for the answers !

I have worked these trains under BR and also with private contractors.
The private contractors had a problem with who was in charge of the train.
We stopped for an hour till we found out that the guard was in charge of the train, eg me
After that I got some dog looks from the operators, but the Rule book rules.
This was in the 1980's.

I'm surprised they weren't aware that the guard was in charge (isn't that that point of having a guard !) Out of interest, what sort of area did the train cover and how long were they on it for ?

 

[sprinterguy]

Network Rail typically use their Windhoff MPV master and slave sets for the majority of weedkilling duties these days, with the appropriate modules mounted on their flatbed bodies. There are several such duties.

The Nomix-Chipman weed killing train was run by Hunslet Barclay during the early nineties, and I remember that during the spring and summer all the Railway magazines of the time reported on it's activities as a single train that went on tour across the country throughout the weedkilling season: Although with the six class 20/9s available just for these duties, working top and tail, I'm not sure whether there might have been more than one weedkilling rake in use at any one time.

 

[yorksrob]

Network Rail typically use their Windhoff MPV master and slave sets for the majority of weedkilling duties these days, with the appropriate modules mounted on their flatbed bodies. There are several such duties.

The Nomix-Chipman weed killing train was run by Hunslet Barclay during the early nineties, and I remember that during the spring and summer all the Railway magazines of the time reported on it's activities as a single train that went on tour across the country throughout the weedkilling season: Although with the six class 20/9s available just for these duties, working top and tail, I'm not sure whether there might have been more than one weedkilling rake in use at any one time.

I wouldn't have minded working on that train. Would have been a good way to see the country.

 

[9K43]

Cheers for the answers !



I'm surprised they weren't aware that the guard was in charge (isn't that that point of having a guard !) Out of interest, what sort of area did the train cover and how long were they on it for ?

The date was 14/15th of June 1988. the train was on Holbeck Shed, t and t then with Class 20,s
We sprayed all the roads to Skipton, up the Rylstone Branch, back down again to Skipton, round the angle at Shipley, Bradford Foster Square, then upto Ilkley, via Dockfield Junction down to Engine Shed Junction, reversed the train back onto the LNW, through Morley , Batley, Dewsbury, Thornhill LNW Jct up to Huddersfield(Stopped for a brew.) then onto Springwood Junction to Clayton West Jct and single line to Penistone, then down to Barnsley Junction to Barnsley Station reverse again.This time through Darton, Wooley tunnel to Horbury Junction reverse again up to the Mill and stable inside at Rail Car Services.
I was up front with the driver, and we worked to the Weed killing Diagram, with a few alteration round Shipley.
The next day the train went from the The Mill to Halifax Grimethorpe Pit and then on Knottigley and relieved and taxi back to The Mill.
If you want a scan of my diary for this job, I'll see if I can do it.
I also worked a Viaduct inspection train on Lockwood Viaduct on the Penistone Line, the engine was Class31 31281. This was on Monday, 20th june 1988. Sign on at 21:50hrs to 06:50hrs

 

[yorksrob]

The date was 14/15th of June 1988. the train was on Holbeck Shed, t and t then with Class 20,s
We sprayed all the roads to Skipton, up the Rylstone Branch, back down again to Skipton, round the angle at Shipley, Bradford Foster Square, then upto Ilkley, via Dockfield Junction down to Engine Shed Junction, reversed the train back onto the LNW, through Morley , Batley, Dewsbury, Thornhill LNW Jct up to Huddersfield(Stopped for a brew.) then onto Springwood Junction to Clayton West Jct and single line to Penistone, then down to Barnsley Junction to Barnsley Station reverse again.This time through Darton, Wooley tunnel to Horbury Junction reverse again up to the Mill and stable inside at Rail Car Services.
I was up front with the driver, and we worked to the Weed killing Diagram, with a few alteration round Shipley.
The next day the train went from the The Mill to Halifax Grimethorpe Pit and then on Knottigley and relieved and taxi back to The Mill.
If you want a scan of my diary for this job, I'll see if I can do it.
I also worked a Viaduct inspection train on Lockwood Viaduct on the Penistone Line, the engine was Class31 31281. This was on Monday, 20th june 1988. Sign on at 21:50hrs to 06:50hrs

Cheers for that. It does illustrate that it could get around a fair bit of territory in two days. I'm guessing you'd see a decent amount of the country over a whole summer.

I wonder if any track bashers ever infiltrated the team

 

[Dstock7080]

LU use some 1938 stock units for weed killing units

Regretfully LU no longer use them.