G’day from W.A.
When did concrete ties first start to be used in the United States?
I’m modelling a CNW switching yard in the 1950’s - perhaps this is too early for these ties???
Andrew - Western Australia
Concrete ties became common in the 1980’s. They are used on heavy mainlines and would be very uncommon in a yard, even today.
Dave H.
The Southern Railroad pioneered the use of concrete ties, beginning in 1963. http://southern.railfan.net/ties/1968/68-9/timber.html is a discussion about SR’s concrete ties.
Thankyou for your assistance 
Andrew
According to one source i read, the very first concrete ties were used in the 1890s but were failures. The Europeans used concrete ties in quantity before we did, but some of theirs involve concrete blocks under the rails held together with steel rods rather than concrete from end to end which is what we see in the USA.
Concrete ties demand different ballast and road bed to work best.
There are also all-steel ties by the way.
Dave Nelson
look up the 1978 issues of trains, I believe there was a article on them that year. (I think it was 1978.)
also used in areas where surface moisture is always constant. also heard they are now testing ties made out of plastic, kinda like the new deck lumber. I believe up or bnsf is currently testing them.
The Seaboard put a siding in Cherryville NC in 1964. It utilized the concrete ties of which you speak. These have almost all been replaced but some still remain in use. There is a mountain of them stacked up within 200 feet of my residence. There is also a pile of brand new freshly creosoted wooden ties within 200 feet of that pile. I believe CSX is planning to remove the last of the existing concrete ties very soon. They have served their purpose for 40 years and they probably served it well.
The Black Mesa & Lake Powell RR was built in 1972 using all concrete ties. For the first decade they had a lot of problems with cracking and outright breakage of the ties. As time went on the “art” of making concrete ties progressed and, now they will outlast wooden ties. The BNSF through Flagstaff Az. where I live is now running on all concrete tied mainline and the trains pass through about every 12 minutes 24/7/365. Roger Eyrich