In reply to MG:
I've done quite a bit of this and it sounds like my circumstances closely match yours. Although thankfully I don't have so many nasty previous experiences.
Most of the big points have been covered already so I’ll just add a couple of extra things that spring to mind.
Number 1 is make sure the site is safe from a railway point-of-view (ie take a possession and lock signals, tip out a rail either site of the site, lock level crossing gates or whatever your railway does). Sounds obvious but do make sure no trains are running if you’re rigging from the track – which you may well be given that it makes an excellent anchor. Have someone remain topside to check that no trespassers untie your ropes for fun (in a work capacity this would normally be a competent rope access person).
I rig two 120cm x 25mm sewn slings round the base of two difference chairs - rather than over the rail. Two ropes each attached to both anchors. I use 11mm semi-static (caving) rope for both lines – paid for by the railway of course. One session will return the outlay. They get a lot of hammer so the extra thickness is a requirement, not a nice-to-have. I keep them at my house to make sure they are stored properly and not mis-used by other staff.
From a practical point of view, I favour a 12" bowsaw as they are much more wieldy in use. If you haven't seen one, you'll think it's a child's toy when you first see it compared to a 24" blade but they're reallly worth trying for the convenience. Mine is by Bahco. I tend not to tie things onto me; if something goes wrong I want to be a long way away from the implements, not tied to them. Occasionally I drop a saw or whatever but I just go pick it up. Not suitable for all circumstances of course. You can’t beat a full-size spade for chopping out small roots, brambles and poor mortar from the joints.
To help prevent regrowth, use a glyphosphate weedkiller (roundup is the brand name but active ingredient is same in cheaper versions. We use SBK brushwood killer). Apply as per instructions of course – so liberally coat the cut stump immediately after cutting. This means you need to carry the pot of chemicals with you which I don’t like doing because it inevitably spills which is bad for environment and finances (and possibly ropes etc). So as a compromise I mix the weedkiller and leave at top/bottom of rope, then do a round of cutting (ie one rig) then go back to apply weedkiller. To get a good coating of weedkiller, especially on vertical cut faces, we usually mix wallpaper paste then add the weedkiller to that. This makes tree death paste. Add a drop of red/blue/green food colouring to see which stumps you’ve done and how much you’ve spilt on your trousers.
For serious stumps (ie anything from a good-size bush upwards) EcoPlugs are the thing to have. I believe they are a professional product so find your railway’s competent weedkiller applier / vegetation control expert and ask him to get some. These are plastic plugs with a dose of weedkiller that you hammer into drilled holes round the perimeter of a cut stump. Sounds like a phaff but these are ten times easier and cleaner to use than the household glyphosphate weedkiller. You won’t go back once trying ecoplugs – and they’re dead effective too.
That’s all I can think of for now.
Cheers,
Ian.