After a long, cold Canadian winter, folks in the Great White North usually look forward to spring. We’ll put away our snow shovels and turn to gardening tools. Trees sprout leaves, flowers bloom, and of course, the grass must be cut.
In warm climates such as in the Southern U.S., snow is usually not a problem (though freak snowstorms have been occurring in places you wouldn’t expect, due to climate change), and of right-of-way maintenance can take place year-round. However, in Canada, snow and frozen ground make the task to maintain the roadbed extremely difficult. As soon as Spring hits, maintenance-of-way trains fan out in all directions to blitz the right-of-way to keep the roadbed in prime, safe operating condition.
Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) has several distinct programs to maintain its northern-most rights-of-way, some of which are deployed across most of the network beginning as soon as the snow starts to melt. In March, just as the snow began to melt, CPKC sent rail trains to set out CWR (continuous welded rail) sections along several main lines across the network. Not long after the rails were placed, track gangs installed CWR, wasting no time putting the investment to work.
Tie trains are also deployed to exchange worn ties for new ones. Following changeout, the tie trains, filled with old ties, are sent to environmentally friendly disposal sites.
From mid-April to mid-July, CPKC sends vegetation management train across the network. Crewed by Davey Tree Expert Co. of Canada Ltd., the equipment sprays a mixture of herbicides (Esplanade, Navius Flex, Vision Max, Arsenal Powerline, Milestone, Telar XP) to give a broad spectrum of protection against multiple types of vegetation that can grow in the right-of-way, and to reduce the likelihood of herbicide resistance. Rights-of-way that in years past would have weeds growing are now free of vegetation. “Yearly herbicide treatment of the ballast facilitates required track inspections, decreases the likelihood of wildfires and promotes a safe walking area for our employees while inspecting trains,” CPKC explains. ”Mechanical cutting of trees, shrubs and brush ensures train crews can see railway signals and reduces the risk of trees and limbs falling onto railway or neighboring property. Mechanical vegetation management also includes removal of vegetation around public and private crossings to allow motorists and pedestrians to see approaching trains.” CPKC notifies local communities as required by law and posts a schedule for the Provinces of Ontario and British Columbia on the CPKC website.
Finally, once the right-of-way has been treated and new rails and ties have been installed, ballast trains operate with fresh rock to top up the roadbed. CPKC employs Herzog’s high-speed GPS Ballast Train, the PLUS (Programmable Linear Unloading System). Fully automating the ballast dumping process, a Herzog GPS Ballast Train can operate up to 20 mph without stopping, automatically dumping ballast in locations identified and programmed by m/w supervisors well in advance of the train’s departure. The PLUS system is managed by a single Herzog employee. Up to 20 miles of track can be ballasted in as little as one hour, where previously, ballast trains would be operated for several days just to cover the same amount of territory.
