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March 2022
Compiled by Michael Popke
The Asplundh Railroad Division offers a range of on-track mechanical and herbicide vegetation management services.
The company’s core railroad services include on- and off-track spraying, tree and brush cutting and emergency storm response. Asplundh’s specialized equipment resources — from hi-rail aerial lifts, canopy cutters and chippers to high-capacity spray trains — are designed to maximize efficiency and help railroads keep their budgets on track, company officials said in an email.
In addition, Asplundh can provide solutions from its other divisions. Asplundh Brush Control offers an array of services, from large-scale erosion-control projects to the installation of gateways and culverts. Asplundh Engineering Services provides such services as engineering design, support of land-use permitting, a National State of Good Repair Assessment, traction and signal infrastructure design and renewable energy infrastructure installation. Meanwhile, ArborMetrics offers environmental assessments for new and existing rail lines, and Rotor Blade, a service that uses helicopters for aerial tree removal and trimming, line inspection and emergency storm and wildfire response.
Corteva Agriscience has been active in the vegetation management industry for more than 50 years. The company offers herbicide products to help railroad vegetation managers control problematic plant species throughout a variety of application sites — including rail crossings, ballast zones, right-of-way corridors and off-track areas.
The company works to deliver herbicide products that provide “long-lasting control of incompatible vegetation” to help railroads meet sustainability, safety and operational goals, Corteva officials said. The company is committed to providing bare-ground solutions designed to minimize environmental hazards and threats to railroad infrastructure, including poor drainage, rail-car slippage, compromised railroad mechanics, line-of-sight issues and fire hazards.
Corteva vegetation management specialists also provide product recommendations and tank-mixing guidance to help conquer herbicide-resistant weeds.
K.W. Reese Inc. offers a range of railroad vegetation management services, including tree trimming and removals, brush cutting and herbicide applications. The company specializes in challenging tree removals, emergency callouts and site preparation for new construction or upgrades. Crews are available 24/7 to assist railroads in storm restoration or during scheduled work windows, K.W. Reese officials said.
Recently, the company increased its mechanized fleet, adding Jarraff telescopic trimmers and Fecon-equipped skid steer mowers. When performing a project by hand is the only option, the company’s experienced tree trimmers can remove any tree safely and efficiently, K.W. Reese officials added.
A full fleet of hi-rail equipment is available to finish a job, with woodchippers, dump trucks and log trucks available to remove and dispose of cut material.
Lanracorp Inc. specializes in right-of-way clearing “because we know the harm uncontrolled railroad vegetation can cause,” company officials said. Tracks and equipment damaged by railroad vegetation can cause scheduling delays and be expensive to repair.
Accordingly, Lanracorp offers a range of services, including brush control, crossing clearing mowing, tree cutting and clearing, and vegetation spraying.
The company’s crews “are trained, skilled and safe,” Lanracorp officials said.
Loftness recently introduced the H Series to its line of Battle Ax™ mulching attachments. Designed for high-flow skid steers and compact track loaders with 33 to 62.9 GPM and 50 to 150 hydraulic horsepower, the model “adds another level of performance to the Battle Ax design,” company officials said.
Available with an 88-inch cutting width, the H Series is powered by a V-Drive variable-displacement piston motor, which automatically shifts the rotor’s RPMs from the highest speed to a lower range for increased torque, as needed. The piston motor results in less stalling and a shorter recovery time, company officials said.
Similar to other Battle Ax models, the H Series features a rotor with built-in depth gauges, which function similarly to raker teeth on chainsaws to prevent the attachment from engaging too much material at one time.
Progress Rail manufactures a range of heavy-duty Kershaw® equipment for vegetation management. Kershaw machines are designed to enable railroads to perform brush clearing, tree trimming and general vegetation control so crews can access track or rights of way more quickly and easily.
Kershaw offers the SkyTrim 75G3 Hi-Rail for specialized vegetation control, the SkyTrim 75HRT for rail applications, the Klearway 500HD industrial brush cutter for overgrowth and the Model 60 on-track brush cutter.
The Kershaw SkyTrim 75HRT is an insulated telescopic tree trimmer featuring a hydraulic-driven 24-inch rotary-saw blade with 75-foot reach mounted on a hi-rail-equipped, 58,000-pound GVW commercial truck chassis. The trimmer features an independent air-conditioned cab with joystick controls that operate the chassis and the trimmer while on rail. The HRT can propel down the track in a matter of minutes to clear limbs and overgrown brush, and then legally self-transport on public highways to the next job site — negating the need for trailer transport, company officials said.
Meanwhile, Progress Rail’s Kershaw® Model 60 is a multipurpose machine platform that can be transformed from a heavy-duty Snow Fighter into a ballast regulator for roadway ballast profiling or heavy-duty on-track brush cutting. For adaptability and controlling vegetation, the Model 60 is available with different styles of cutter heads.
Unlike traditional, dedicated on-track brush cutters, RCE Equipment Solutions’ hi-rail excavators can be used for a wide range of rail maintenance duties, including removing and installing ties, undercutting ballast, laying new rail and performing standard excavating tasks, company officials said. When the hi-rail excavator is equipped with a brush cutter head, “brush management can be achieved in an on-track and off-track mode,” they said.
Over the past couple of years, RCE has expanded its Railavator lineup, which now includes two new models: the 245G and the 250G, company officials said. The company also offers seven John Deere models — 50G, 85G, 135G, 210G, 245G, 250G and 350G — as well as an all-makes rail gear package that can equip Cat, Deere and Komatsu 20-metric-ton excavators with hi-rail.
Vancer offers new, used and rental hi-rail machinery available to manage hazardous vegetation and other maintenance-of-way projects.
The Vancer CHX25 Hi-Rail Excavator is ideal for remote rail areas, company officials said. With multiple tool functionality, it can be paired with various attachments to perform numerous functions. When combined with the brush cutter, the machine can remove large branches and brush. The mower deck handles grass and weeds, while the drum-style mulching heads cut and grind trees and stumps. A chainsaw attachment with a grapple system allows for branch clearance.
The company also offers skid steers and multi-terrain loaders designed for maneuverability and outfitted with tools for removing brush, as well as mowing and mulching. In addition, the Huddig 1260 allows for efficient vegetation management with its articulating center-pivot system and its ability to run multiple attachments, company officials said.
Michael Popke is a Madison, Wisconsin-based freelance writer. Email comments or questions to prograil@tradepress.com.
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