Track maintenance alternatives to herbicides?

[leytongabriel]

Wondering if folk in the preserved railway world have any good alternatives to dousing the trackbed with weedkiller to keep vegetation down.
I'm asking as a committee member an association which runs a velorail (cycling trucks) line in Normandy with the odd railcar special train. The line runs close to a river for much of its length and it seems that chucking Agent Orange ( glycophosphate) type herbicide at it isn't the best thing to do. We've heard of lines using hot steam from steam engines but don't have a steam engine ourselves.
Any suggestions?

 

[Titfield]

Goats!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Flamethrower train?

 

[Flying Phil]

I believe that the West Somerset Railway has been weeding by hand this year, with many groups of volunteers "adopting" a length of track.

 

[AM9]

I believe that the West Somerset Railway has been weeding by hand this year, with many groups of volunteers "adopting" a length of track.

Difficult to organise on a main line.

 

[OneOffDave]

Agent Orange isn't glycophosphate. Agent Orange is a mix of 2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid whereas Glyphosate is N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine

 

[SteelWeelApeal]

I believe there's a bit of line between Kemble and Stroud where they can't use weedkiller because of the local water system, so perhaps it would be worth researching what they do there, although it may be that they just rely on passing trains to keep it down

 

[Flying Phil]

Difficult to organise on a main line.

But the OP did say it was on a Velorail system.....

 

[fireftrm]

For the trackbed we do use herbicides, in some places the type uised is organic rather than glycophospate, though most of the route the running of trains keeps weeds under control. For the linesdie we use flails and also burning during the early spring/late winter

 

[trebor79]

Flamethrower train?

I bought one of those gas powered heat lances for killing weeds. Absolutely useless. Even if you give then a proper roasting until the leaves shrivel and scorch, most of them just repair themselves and carry on growing.
Went back to trusty old glyphosate which does the job with no fuss. It breaks down immediately upon contact with soil so it pretty safe, but I believe it is harmful to aquatic organisms.
I think you can get a gel version for hand application in sensitive areas.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I bought one of those gas powered heat lances for killing weeds. Absolutely useless. Even if you give then a proper roasting until the leaves shrivel and scorch, most of them just repair themselves and carry on growing.

They don't tell you that in the advertising blurb!