Mad Canadians

[Lenny53]

I'm not seeing a sight line issue for trees that far below road bed level. 

You do not know how tall the trees were, from the before photo they were well above rail height.

[Maletrain]

You do not know how tall the trees were, from the before photo they were well aboue rail height.

My point was that they could have just "topped" them to rail height and left a lot of the trees standing, because the ground is so much below rail height at the edge of the property.  That tree "mower" would seem to be a good tool for doing that.  And, probably a lot cheaper than getting a crew in there with chain saws.

Now, when the government plants trees right on the edge of its property, the railroad will at best be able to only cut off limbs that extend over the property line.  Maybe they will use the mower for that.

This just looks like a case where somebody wasn't willing to look at the actual need and the options to meet it.  Now, as the thread title says, there are "mad Canadians" to deal with.  I don't think the railroads really need that.  Especially not in Canada, where they just suffered wide ranging, long lasting blockages by activists who were mad about a pipe line.  Now, they are making themselves the targets of activists who care about trees.

Railroads are in enough trouble already - they don't need to make any more enemies unnecessarily.

[davefoxx]

Meanwhile, railfans are like, "Yay!  I can see the whole train!" 

DFF

[Missaberoad]

One other point I feel I should make and then I'll be quiet. 

CP isn't clear cutting their entire right of way, only locations near crossings and where pedestrians (i.e. tresspassers) often cross... most of the railroad has trees right up to the tracks...

[nkalanaga]

The problem with the "tree mower" is that it makes such a mess of the tree that many of them end up diseased, or dead, and became even more hazardous.  In the long run, the state would be better off going back to chainsaws, and just neatly cutting the trees down.

Besides that, on a highway ROW, I would think that they'd want it to look a little neater, since Kentucky for years has been pushing tourism.

[Lenny53]

My point was that they could have just "topped" them to rail height and left a lot of the trees standing,

If they used the mower to remove only the tops it would be exceedling difficult to pick up the cuttings and shred them leaving a fire hazard when they dry out.

[nkalanaga]

And the tops of the trees would be so ugly the neighbors would probably demand they be cut, which puts CP right back where they are now.

If the neighbors want trees there, maybe they should have the city make a deal with CP, and then pay city taxes to maintain the trees.

[delamaize]

Reading that whole article, this is all I was thinking....

[dougnelson]

Amtrak did the same thing in Astoria, Queens and riled up the natives. Made them stop. People in adjacent apartment buildings wanted to see trees instead of trains.

[Doug G.]

Maybe they could glue the trees back onto the stumps.



Doug

[davefoxx]

Maybe they could glue the trees back onto the stumps.



Doug

A tree every night.

DFF