Options..? Tree next to Railway

[Stubby]

We did a similar job once , not as big but I had to be on the track side to recover some branches . We did not tell the rail company and I just wore rail track Orange reflective kit . We got a toot in acknowledgement from a couple of drivers  .  The line was dead strait from were we were working ( Barnham ish ) back to Chichester station .  I would check to see the line was clear but I must admit the time from nothing to a train coming at full chat  was a lot shorter than I first thought . I am not advocating you use this method , just saying we got away with it .

[Guest]

I don't see how railtrack have any say on vehicle movements (crane) outside of railtrack land. Spec an oversize crane and as part of a contract lift to play it safe and speed up the removal.

[LGP Eddie]

5 minutes ago, Calamity Wayne said:

I don't see how railtrack have any say on vehicle movements (crane) outside of railtrack land. Spec an oversize crane and as part of a contract lift to play it safe and speed up the removal.

You’ve already involved them enough in needing to seek permission to undertake the works, almost certainly enough to have them want to know what method you’re proposing to use.

 

I simply said keep the Crane to a radius that can’t encroach on the line to simplify what you’re trying to get approved by them.

 

Anything to do with Rail is more a case of you trying to prove your method is safe, and trust me they don’t take to any methods that aren’t simply 3 men and a Chipper very easily.

Rail and innovation are not something you associate with each other after you’ve done a bit of the dark age stuff they get up to.

 

As others have said, there’s nothing special there that couldn’t be done by hand and Crane it out from a suitable point out of the Garden with absolutely no need to prove anything to the Rail in terms of safe working of machinery adjacent to the line.

 

You may choose to tell them they have no say in what Crane is utilised and crack on, but that’s for a Crane company to decide if they’re up for such a gig?

 

Eddie.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

1 hour ago, Stubby said:

We did a similar job once , not as big but I had to be on the track side to recover some branches . We did not tell the rail company and I just wore rail track Orange reflective kit . We got a toot in acknowledgement from a couple of drivers  .  The line was dead strait from were we were working ( Barnham ish ) back to Chichester station .  I would check to see the line was clear but I must admit the time from nothing to a train coming at full chat  was a lot shorter than I first thought . I am not advocating you use this method , just saying we got away with it .

Sheeeesh.....  They'd have your house, your shoes and your Mrs off you if that went tits up....  I'm scared just reading about it in case 'they' claim I was an accessory after the fact.  

 

The Railways dude I encountered when talking about Mont pine removal near a line was a proper mental case.  Tried to suggest it would be my responsibility if (a) it wasn't taken down and later failed onto the line or (b) if it was taken down without paying the fivehundredty thousand pounds a second required for 'supervision' whilst the job was being done.  He wouldn't / couldn't accept that it was actually FA to do with me until if / after (a) the council approved the TPO and (b) the land owner commissioned me to do the work.  Like talking to a brick wall.  I contacted NetworkSnail so it was all on me.... I laughed, he didn't....

 

I'm just gonna pretend your anecdote relates to a time when trains were fuelled by coal and a man waving a red flag walked in front of them.....  ?

[Stubby]

43 minutes ago, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

Sheeeesh.....  They'd have your house, your shoes and your Mrs off you if that went tits up....  I'm scared just reading about it in case 'they' claim I was an accessory after the fact.  

 

The Railways dude I encountered when talking about Mont pine removal near a line was a proper mental case.  Tried to suggest it would be my responsibility if (a) it wasn't taken down and later failed onto the line or (b) if it was taken down without paying the fivehundredty thousand pounds a second required for 'supervision' whilst the job was being done.  He wouldn't / couldn't accept that it was actually FA to do with me until if / after (a) the council approved the TPO and (b) the land owner commissioned me to do the work.  Like talking to a brick wall.  I contacted NetworkSnail so it was all on me.... I laughed, he didn't....

 

I'm just gonna pretend your anecdote relates to a time when trains were fuelled by coal and a man waving a red flag walked in front of them.....  ?

It was about 15 years ago Kev .

[openspaceman]

Kev it would probably be better for the OP's client if it did have a TPO as then NR would be the only ones who could touch it.

 

It's on SPC5 the St Pancras to Sheffield line, I've no way of checking any more if that line is in line for electrification, if it is then NR will have to side it up.

 

It's difficult to tell from photos but it seems to be over the slow up line. If  there were no immediate danger the old firm would be looking to see if there were to be any possessions in the coming year.

 

Having said that and as the rails are on an embankment  I would say the overhanging branches could be rigged during normal running on a Sunday. Once over your own property and more than 3m from the line  shouldn't be much concern to NR given a sensible working method and risk assessment.

[Mark Bolam]

Can it not be felled across the gardens to the south west Ben?

Obviously that would cause carnage but there would be thousands of pounds in the kitty for reinstatement works.

Remember it will take even longer than you think climbing on 2 ropes....

[benedmonds]

Thanks for the ideas.

I am not sure the crane removal option would work/be affordable.

It would need to be a massive crane..

The tree is 45m from the road, it is  probably 4 or 5m up a bank and  about 25m tall.  

We would need a road closure.

We would need to move residents from their homes.

We would need ground stability testing, we had to cancel a crane job 5 mins away last year as railtrack got in a huff.

I guess it could be done in the 45 min breaks between trains but I would probably need 2 days.

 

Using a smaller crane just to lift the waste over the house might work although there is not a lot of space not covered by tree.

I contemplated felling it into the gardens but it is weighted in such away that I think we would likely flatten half the house (although this still might be a cost effective way forward.)

 

 

Doing without Railtrack permission is not something I would even contemplate.

Potential fines would be astronomical....

[Tommy Hutchinson]

What's wrong with the tree?

[Stubby]

55 minutes ago, Tommy Hutchinson said:

What's wrong with the tree?

OP says currently in good health with no issues . post one .