If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

Heritage Tools for Trackside Clearance

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by johnofwessex, Oct 3, 2022.

  1. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2015
    Messages:
    9,186
    Likes Received:
    7,226
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Thorn in my managers side
    Location:
    72
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    There is a growing interest in using scythes in farming/land management.

    Do any railways/volunteers use scythes or other traditional tools in trackside vegetation management instead of power tools and if so who and g=how do they find it?
     
  2. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2017
    Messages:
    12,172
    Likes Received:
    11,493
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Brighton&Hove
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Billhooks. No, really ..... a sight more manageable than doing a grim reaper impression in a steep sided cutting.

    These folks will doubtless have some advise and quite likely someone close by with some pearls of wisdom:

    https://www.hedgelaying.org.uk/
     
    Bluenosejohn likes this.
  3. Hampshire Unit

    Hampshire Unit Well-Known Member Friend

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2012
    Messages:
    1,511
    Likes Received:
    2,839
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Carer, Gardener
    Location:
    Alresford
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
  4. brennan

    brennan Member

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2016
    Messages:
    242
    Likes Received:
    294
    Location:
    Gloucester
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer


    Billhooks to doing it this way! Why do you think flails and chainsaws were invented?
     
  5. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2017
    Messages:
    12,172
    Likes Received:
    11,493
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Brighton&Hove
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    He wanted heritage. Flails and chainsaws yes will keep plants clear, but the remaining growth has simply been butchered. The difference between a well laid hedge and something attacked with power tools is stark. Of course, if nobody gives a rats .....
     
    zigzag and Hampshire Unit like this.
  6. Romsey

    Romsey Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Messages:
    3,619
    Likes Received:
    1,637
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired SPM
    Location:
    Close to Spike Island
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Flail mowing, as practiced by Network Rail contractors, leaves all the stumps smashed and ready to start growing again with multiple shoots, not one or two leader shoots.
    It also leaves a lovely mulch of plant material which just encourages further growth.

    Replanting an area with plants to blanket an area can be useful. Gorse is good for wildlife and regrows when flail mown as does broom.

    Cheers, Neil
     
  7. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2017
    Messages:
    12,172
    Likes Received:
    11,493
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Brighton&Hove
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    So more 'high speed pollarding', as it certainly ain't hedge laying (not the cheapest option, I'll grant you). I suppose hedge laying is a bit like PW, in that the bulk of attention comes at the start and end of life. Obviously, with a living system, regularly scheduled laying is way off an exact science, too much depends on both the range of planting and the soil conditions. I've seen plenty of hedges, three decades in, still looking perfectly healthy and providing the sort of protection you'd expecting from a well maintained fence.

    Thing is, once the initial laying has happened, the mechanical trim is rather more effective. It's when that is applied to a hedge with the equivalent of alopecia (i.e. few weak spindly plants which happen to lie in a vague line) it's inappropriate. See just about any country lane you choose for proof!
     
    Hampshire Unit likes this.
  8. 61624

    61624 Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2006
    Messages:
    5,294
    Likes Received:
    3,596
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Was traditional hedge-laying a technique used by railway companies, though? It doesn't seem to obvious in period railway photographs, although I have to confess to not having looked particularly closely.
     
    MellishR, torgormaig and Paulthehitch like this.
  9. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2017
    Messages:
    12,172
    Likes Received:
    11,493
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Brighton&Hove
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Honestly uncertain too. The first time I was aware such a thing existed was courtesy of a photo in Tom Rolt's 'Railway Adventure', where laying was underway near Fach Goch Halt, so clearly in some places. For the rest, depends on where you're talking about, of course. Ffestiniog uses dry stone walling for the most part, the Corris, slate slabs hung on wire, the RH&D a mix of other peoples' rear garden fences and fresh air (more fences than fresh air these days), with post and wire alongside survivingg fields between Burmarsh Road and New Romney. A few rack railways go for the 'sheer drop' option, but that's not open to all.

    Photos of old lines between the bare embankment and cutting sides, just after the contractors have gone and the luxuriant growth once the groundskeeping budget had gone the same way as BR steam will need to be re-perused.

    One thing I have noticed is more pro-active land management generally these days. On both the FfR and VoR, considerable effort has gone into opening up vistas which had been invisible from trains for decades. When I first knew those two lines, the trains ran a fair way through a green tunnel. TBH, it was only seeing the opening credits on the FfR 'Moving Pictures' videos which gives away how close to the top of the ridges separating the line from the old Croesor Tramway actually are.

    I will point out though, that our friends in the waterways movement seem to be a ways ahead of us, when it comes to the environment through which they run (there are a fair few notable exceptions) and in several cases, the likes of hedgelaying teams are one of those things which attracts it's own volunteer base. Just as there'll be those with a penchant for S&T work, who mightn't set foot in a workshop from one decade to the next, it's an area where the potential for wider inclusivity exists.
     
    Bluenosejohn likes this.
  10. kestreleyes

    kestreleyes Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2007
    Messages:
    1,311
    Likes Received:
    935
    Occupation:
    signal engineer
    You called “S&T” here

    speaking of how we do things now as opposed to then, I t3 d to use a forty foot roller pole for painting signals with only the very last bit at the top done by hand, about an hour sees a post done,saves all that faffing about with scaffolding or ladders, you get more done in less time too, good on wooden square or round metal posts either way, also good for painting signalboxes when you know how
     
    weltrol and Wenlock like this.
  11. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,105
    Likes Received:
    57,438
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Like this, you mean? ;)



    Tom
     
    Chris86 and johnofwessex like this.
  12. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2015
    Messages:
    9,186
    Likes Received:
    7,226
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Thorn in my managers side
    Location:
    72
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Thanks

    I will have to see if I can persuade my youngest brother to swap his Gyrocopter for a Helicopter
     
  13. Hurricane

    Hurricane Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2013
    Messages:
    823
    Likes Received:
    307
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    71A
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    That thing is the stuff of nightmares in the wrong hands!
     
  14. Chris86

    Chris86 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 31, 2011
    Messages:
    1,329
    Likes Received:
    1,315
    Occupation:
    Safety, Technical and Offroad Driver Trainer
    Location:
    South Yorkshore
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Ahh, the traditional old helicopter suspended death wazzer..... ;-)
     
  15. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2006
    Messages:
    11,930
    Likes Received:
    10,088
    Occupation:
    Gentleman of leisure, nowadays
    Location:
    Near Leeds
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Perhaps even in the right hands!
     
  16. Ploughman

    Ploughman Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2008
    Messages:
    5,806
    Likes Received:
    2,649
    Occupation:
    Ex a lot of things.
    Location:
    Near where the 3 Ridings meet
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Shades of James Bond.

    Which film was it when they used this?
     
  17. ghost

    ghost Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    May 29, 2006
    Messages:
    3,967
    Likes Received:
    5,064
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    N.Ireland
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    The world is not enough
     

Share This Page