Surplus railroad ties

[Anonymous]

Will the railroads sell used RR ties to the public? Or is that generally considered more trouble than it's worth?

If they will, who or what office is the proper way to make first contact?

I am looking for about 50, in territory that is decidedly Norfolk Southern (if either makes any difference in the answer)....

[edblysard]

Down here, we sell them to a landscape company...provided they haul them away.
Because of the liability issue, we dont allow the general public on property to haul them away, and its easier to just sell them in one big bunch to the landscaper.


Ed

[Anonymous]

Ed is correct. RRs generally keep any ties that are good enough to relay or sell them to another RR. Those not good enough are divided into landscape ties (decent but not relay for any one of several reasons) and scrap ties that are worthless, but must be disposed of properly as the creosote renders them hazmat. Sometimes Class 1s will contract take up jobs to a contractor who will bid on the entire track and sell off the material.

LC

[rrnut282]

Your second question is probably the answer to your question.
So far I've only seen NS selling them in bulk to scrappers or surplus dealers. There is a place (J&R, IIRC) on N Clinton (Leo Rd) that sells used ties. They might get you a better price over a landscaper since they deal in bulk. Bear in mind, that the better the condition, the more the asking price. If a tie has any useful life left, the railroad will hold onto it for possible reuse in a yard somewhere, otherwise they get rid of it as cheaply as possible.

[Anonymous]

Thanks to everyone who replied. And especially to you rrnut....

I bought a dozen earlier in the year from a fencer/landscaper....think I paid about $12.50 apiece if I remember right...Which isn't all that bad a price..

But, seeing some sizeable piles around several locations, I just wondered if I was being stupid for not considering the RR direct... Given the size of my need, I'd kick myself to find out later they had a "disposal" depot, or some such...

Thanks again.

[jeaton]

TAG

I have seen a large rail and tie yard (I mean really large) in Gary on the Indiana Tollway just west of I-65. Seems to be storage for salvage rail and ties. I don't know the owner of the operation, but I thought I saw a Used ties for sale sign with a phone number. You might try yellow pages for Gary area, or I will try to get the number on my way past that area Sunday.

Jay

[Anonymous]

ROADMASTERS OFFICE!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton

TAG

I have seen a large rail and tie yard (I mean really large) in Gary on the Indiana Tollway just west of I-65. Seems to be storage for salvage rail and ties. I don't know the owner of the operation, but I thought I saw a Used ties for sale sign with a phone number. You might try yellow pages for Gary area, or I will try to get the number on my way past that area Sunday.

Jay

Hey, that would be great, the buddy who's truck I was planning to borrow drives to Chicago all the time, and If it worked out,...I could just ride along with him on his next trip...

thanks

If you think to get the #....it would be appreciated

[nslakediv]

here on the B&O thru Ohio CSX sold them to a recycler, as for what they do with them I dont know. Does anyone know?

[Clutch Cargo]

Lotts of Ties here.
http://www.theindependent.com/stories/110504/new_fire05.shtml

Kurt

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by csx-ydm-gr

ROADMASTERS OFFICE!

Thanks, I'll give that a try,...all he can say is "yes or no",...right? Even if he says no, it will still be worth the call

[jchnhtfd]

They do make good landscape timbers, don't they? Just keep in mind that if there is any significant amount of creosote left in them, as someone noted above... ah Limitedclear... they are a hazardous material, so far as disposal is concerned.

[Allen Jenkins]

No! Railroad crossties DO NOT make good landscaping timbers!
Think about it. Railroad crossties are set in two grades of granite ballast.
The purpose of the ballast, between the roadbed subgrade, and the rails, is to drain water away from the ties. This is why railroads frequently sift the ballast, to remove dirt, cinder, railgrime, grease, roadkill, and such, to prevent dry rot of the ties.
The average tie, has more than 28 pounds of creosote, a coal tar dirivative.
The 9"x9"x8' oak timber treated, weights 250lbs.
This tie, lasts about twenty-five years, and then you get about two years life out of it, because you place it in and environment, to which it is not designed to exist.
Four of these, will load a light pickup truck, (capy-half ton).
It takes two people to man handle one tie, anyone who says he can pick-up and carry one tie, is a fool, and should be watched.
I regularly quize landscapers on this matter, and they have every one agreed, to the two year service life, of rr crossties. They are high maintence items.
Stick with pressure treated lanscape timbers. When is the last time you saw a rotten landscape timber? ACJ

[MP57313]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Allen Jenkins

No! Railroad crossties DO NOT make good landscaping timbers!
<snip> you get about two years life out of it

Actually I have seen several that have lasted well beyond 2 years. It likely depends on the weather/moisture conditions where you use the ties. Three blocks from my home, a resident uses them for borders along a brick pathway. They've been there for well over five years. In south-central Pennsylvania I saw some used as fence posts along an abandoned right of way.
Just the same, your point about using landscape timbers instead is well taken.

[jeaton]

The Anti Gates

I'm neutral on the question of ties for landscape timbers. However, when my father bought our farm in 1946, we took ties off the abandoned (1943) MILW ROW and spaced them out on the ground that was the floor of the hay shed. The shed and the cow barn are long gone and so are the ties, but I think there was still pieces of tie about the place after 40 years.

So the number for the rail and tie salvage place in Gary is 219-882-1414. The sign does say "Ties for Sale". Obviously nothing on price or any minimum quantities.

Jay

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton

The Anti Gates

I'm neutral on the question of ties for landscape timbers. However, when my father bought our farm in 1946, we took ties off the abandoned (1943) MILW ROW and spaced them out on the ground that was the floor of the hay shed. The shed and the cow barn are long gone and so are the ties, but I think there was still pieces of tie about the place after 40 years.

So the number for the rail and tie salvage place in Gary is 219-882-1414. The sign does say "Ties for Sale". Obviously nothing on price or any minimum quantities.

Jay

Thanks Jay,...As for whether or not they make great landscaping timbers of not, (heh) I guess nobody bothered to ask if *that* was what I had in mind...[%-)][%-)]

Maybe I've just decided to take my interest in railroads on a very "warped" tangent, being the obsessive type I am[?]

That said,...there is an abandoned stretch of former NYC near town where there hasn't been a train on them for over 20 years, with the ties sitting directly on dirt, and they look pretty solid. Of course, they are far too sun bleached for my purposes...

Got a 45 year old telephone pole in the back yard that should be rotting off at the ground by some peoples accounts, too.

[jeaton]

Well, let see, 50 ties on 18 inch spacing-maybe not enough for a Big Boy and tender, but, still should work for a decent specimen of the genre.

Jay

[miniwyo]

We have many ties at our house here (surrounding out garden believe it or not) And they have been sitting outside for about 10 years before we even go your hands on them, (that was 4 years ago) you would think that we wouldnt be able to grow anything with all the creosote oil on them but we get good vegitables out of it.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton

Well, let see, 50 ties on 18 inch spacing-maybe not enough for a Big Boy and tender, but, still should work for a decent specimen of the genre.

Jay

heh heh,...I appreciate Allen's efforts to be helpful,...but when I read the part where he says "I regularly quiz landscapers..." It caused me to wonder.....If you already know the answer, why continue to ask? [8] Are we expecting the answer to change? Or do we simply get our jollies annoying landscapers? [:D] (picture it : "FOR THE FIVE THOUSANDTH TIME ALLEN, NO WE DO NOT USE RAILROAD TIES IN OUR LANDSCAPING!!) Bet the landscapers luv to see him coming. [;)]

I better stop,....just having fun [:)]

[Allen Jenkins]

I wi***o inquire, how the landscapers are treating the locals, for a return call on replacing the work they were paid to do.
Like, Who did you rip-off lately?
I can appreciate the five year deal, and like I said, pour Diesel fuel on 'em, and they will just last, and last, and....so....
Bust your *** handling timber you'll replace in five years, maybe take on a back injury, for life.
It's not about the past, forgotten, you have to explain, it's about History, you need to teach.
Thanks, for your opinon.
Enjoy Your Hobby!
ACJ.

[Allen Jenkins]

Power Poles,
I've seen Georgia Power Poles, set by mules, in the fourties, when it was Tennessee Valley Authority line.
Those polls were contracted out to inspection, treatment, and also replacement.
Want to bury a lanscape made of crossties, use a french drain.
Six or eight feet between the bank, and ties, place a gravel reinforcement, to drain the water away from the timber.
Is that not the original point?

[Anonymous]

I was just teasing Allen,...no offense intended...it just tickled me the way you said "quiz them regularly" ...gave me a visual of landscapers lamenting "Oh, here comes that guy again, lets run the other way"...[:o)]

Actually, your recommendation for gravel is a good one, that I will probably follow.

The actual end use is, I recently leveled off a portion of my back lot, running along a 4' high, but gradually sloped embankment, leaving an 18" high ridge at the bottom of the slope. Since I have a bunch of spare 1" galvanized steel solid bar, the plan is to lay a course 2 ties high along the entire ridge, and spike them down with 5' lengths of the bar, on 4' centers. Just to stop errosion, and avoid having to level the same area out again, every other year...

Pressure treated landscape timbers are smaller, requiring 3 courses (high) and are individually twice the cost of used ties.

Following your suggestion, it makes sense to throw a barrier of gravel between the ties and the slope...so...thanks! [:)]

[gabe]

About 10-15 years ago, when the Norfolk Southern pulled out the second main from the old Wabash Decatur - St. Louis line, some nut bought a good 30 miles worth of ties and stacked them in a pile. The pile was mountanous. Unfortunately, so was the fire when he decided he didn't want them any more and the quickest way to get rid of them was to set a match to them.

You could litterally see the fire from 70 miles away. I think there were people from the EPA who actually cried.

Gabe