A few years ago in Burnaby I noticed cement ties used at the Willingdon Junction on the line going into the tunnel. Has this been a trend for railways to use cement ties or have wooden ties remained the ones used most?
Here in the bay area, caltrain has been replacing wood ties with cement ties…
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Seems to be a trend for new and high-traffic track. Do a search on “concrete ties” at the bottom of the window. Many threads to explore.
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Concrete ties. Cement is the powder stuff put in a mixer with sand, stones and water to make concrete.
On the BNSF Transcon between Fullerton and Los Angeles the RR is stacking equipment for upgrading the line by adding more tracks. In one location they widened a bridge a short while ago, and another track is being laid down on it now. Individual stockpiled ties are always concrete, while stacks of assembled switches always use wooden ties.
Jack
Why do they do only use wood ties for pre-fab switches?
Concrete ties are not at all flexible. Once the rail anchors are in place they are very rigid. Prefab track has to be moved and sort of squished into place. Concrete ties would fracture.
Thanks.
I’ve noticed that CSX has been placing a lot of cement ties in the Waycross area.
Union Pacific is replacing wood with concrete on their Sunset Route through Arizona and is simultaneously double-tracking nearly all of the route.
There was even a news item a few months ago about a concrete crosstie manufacturing plant being built in Tucson, Arizona to supply the needs of the project.
Although concrete ties last longer, wood ties give a softer, slightly quieter ride.
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There is this little problem called WEIGHT. There also is the dampening effect of wood (how’s your subgrade?), adjustability ( Joe TrackForman can’t build them exactly the same every time), portability (weight again) and maintainability (weight & equipment) . Unless EVERY switch tie has insulated gage plates on top (very expensive) and asphalt paving (9" polymer asphalt at that) on top of the subgrade , I don’t want concrete anywhere near my turnouts.
[banghead][banghead][banghead]