West Somerset Rly..Unsprayed weeds / vegetation in track.

[Amlag]

Anyone who has visited the WSR this Summer will have noticed, particularly in most stations, weeds growing profusely in much of the main running line ( and sdgs) and the poor impression given of the standard of track maintenance.
Weedspraying seems belatedly to have been organised and carried out very recently and today some workmen (hopefully not costly Contractors) were seen strimming off and scattering the dead vegetation at Minehead stn…this dead vegetation can of course be a fire hazard as well as clogging up the ballast and impairing track drainage.

 

[james_the_xv]

Times are hard for a lot of heritage railways both on the money and volunteer side, so it's only natural some jobs are neglected. Not sure what your point is though, when I was there recently it didn't seem too bad, certainly no worse than some other heritage railways.

 

[robert thomas]

Times are hard for a lot of heritage railways both on the money and volunteer side, so it's only natural some jobs are neglected. Not sure what your point is though, when I was there recently it didn't seem too bad, certainly no worse than some other heritage railways.

It's certainly no worse than the South Wales main line in my area

 

[47434]

Cost for spraying that length of line is likely north of 15k if using a contractor. I am guessing there are more pressing needs for the cash.

 

[yorksrob]

Tomato plants on the track would be quite authentic !

 

[railfan99]

It seems bad at Watchet station, where it's just a single track (no loops).

Some other areas from what one can see on videos are OK. Crowcombe Heathfield's two platform tracks look pristine.

WSR had had volunteers cutting back vegetation.

 

[Train Maniac]

How much would it cost to hire out a Network Rail MPV for the day...?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Or the "Dragon Tank" used in the 1962 Bond film 'Dr No'?!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

How much would it cost to hire out a Network Rail MPV for the day...?

There's a thought - they could offer the use of the line for training crews on the MPVs in spraying mode - free use of the line, if NR in turn don't charge for the spraying...?

 

[william.martin]

I happened to make my first ever WSR journey yesterday and imbetween Crowcombe Heathfield and Bishops Lydeard we whistled for and passed a P-Way worker who was spraying the tracks and trackside with what looked like weedkiller.