LMS Route: Stratford Midland Junction - The Shakespeare Route

Binton Station: smjb107

A reverse angle view along the still used but overgrown single line towards Stratford upon Avon with the disused station on the left. The shine on the rails indicates that the track was being used on a regular basis despite the weeds growing through the ballast. The railways had to contend with weeds growing in the ballast along the line which interfere with drainage and could make the track unstable. In the early years the gangers walking the line were expected to deal with the weeds but by the mid 1930s weed-killer trains were being operated by the larger companies. Weeds are difficult to kill however and on branch lines and 'light railways' there were often weeds growing along the track. Early weed killing trains initially consisted of a short rake of redundant locomotive tenders filled with the weed killing solution.

The tenders were connected together with fairly large pipes (about four or five inches and the locomotive provided steam which was used to force the solution out of a series of spray rails on the rear of the last tender. By the 1940s these trains were made up of three or four old loco tenders to carry the water, a tank wagon to carry the liquid weed killer, a pump or spray vehicle (often a converted long wheelbase or bogie van), a stores/mess van (usually a converted coach) and a brake van or two. Having a van at each end made it easier for the locomotive to run-round the train for the return journey. By the 1950s there were usually four or six tank wagons or redundant six wheeled locomotive tenders (or a mixture of both) carrying a ready mixed solution of weed killer, pump van, mess van and brake van(s).

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