CSX has replaced a whole slew of rail and ties on their East/West line through Sidney, Ohio. They have the ties that are still intact stacked and banded together. Some of the broken ties are in a pile, waiting to be picked up.
What becomes of the old ties? Are they used as fuel for a power plant, burned in an incinerator, buried, or resold as landscaping timbers? What about the broken ties?
Thanks!
I know some get reused as landscape timbers because I have about a dozen in my back yard.
Enjoy
Paul
Apparently CN reuses their broken ties by glueing the broken bits together and than puts them back. Can somebody confirm that because I really hope I am wrong.[V]
Sounds like something CN would do… [}:)]
I know they used to just burn the things on the side of the right-of-way, but that’s really not a good idea with all the chemicals in the ties… seriously doubt that gets done anymore.
Assuming these ties are simply broken and not deteriorated, I wouldn’t necessarily hope you are wrong. Often a glued joint will be stronger than the original wood. If they are using a technique of joining sound & unblemished peices such as is used in finger-joint lumber, it likely would result in ties somewhat stronger than new, solid ties.
Reusing solid pieces of damaged ties also reduces the pollution involved in destroying them and the need for additional preservatives for new ties.
I hope that CN is using some method of recycling ties.
Wayne
Some used ties are burned in power plants. Some of the better ones are reused in yards or secondary tracks. Some may be used for retaining walls, fence posts etc. I doubt that they would be glued together. They don’t usually break until they get old and somewhat rotten. B&O used to put them in a dump along the right of way with all the other railroad debris but that has been closed.
Is that safe? Are they not soaked in nasty chemicals?
On my grandfather’s days on the Milwaukee Road, they would sell them when they replaced them.
And interesting story concerning that; once he sold a few to a farmer who burned them all in the winter for that afore-mentioned chemically enhanced fire. Pretty sure he didn’t care about the enviroment or legal ramifications, but two things remained constant- 1) He stayed warm. 2) You could see the smoke plume for miles, no matter how much snow was falling/blowing. Thick and black.
The magic ingredient was the Creosote- that’s what would make them burn hot, black, and very very dirty.
Railroads can not burn old ties. The Creosote in them present an enviromental hazzard. If they are piled up along abandoned right of way they will be there until they are decomposed. Or until someone removes them.
A number of ties on a local industrial track were replaced by a contractor. When I asked about the possibility of acquiring some, the roads and grounds guy said they now belonged to the contractor, who eventually picked them up and hauled them away. Due to their age, I’d suspect that they are probably at a garden supply center by now (if not in some gardens/yards).
The real estate agent who sold us our house made a ton of money when they pulled up a bunch of ties some time ago in the DC area by selling the old ties to plant nurseries. He did get permission from the railroad and then hired a couple of guys to pull the ties and haul them away.