From Railways Africa: http://www.railwaysafrica.com/news/weed ... ut-no-line
Weed Killer Train But No Line
26 February 2016
Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) has a designated train which runs through certain branch lines in order to eradicate weeds. As the train drives down the tracks it sprays weed killer from nozzles attached to its side. However, this can only occur when a line exists where the weeds are growing.
TFR branch lines have fallen into disuse, and this, unfortunately includes Wolwehoek on the Free State main-line to Arlington, on the Kroonstad-Bethlehem section.
The Wolwehoek end is long gone, and not much in the way of trains runs from Arlington. It has probably been a good two weeks since the last train ran on the line. This has given ‘entrepreneurs’, with the right gear, plenty of time to help themselves to a kilometre or two of good steel rail near Heilbron, complete with sleepers.
Loco 35 256 and train, due for a spot of weed killing on 18 February, duly ran out of rail, demonstrating convincingly that weed killer trains don’t run well on ballast. Jacque Wepener, who sent us photos, observes that this appears to have involved more than just one guy with a hacksaw blade.