Railroad Tie Ideas

[super55]

I used to work landscaping and used RR ties a few times. Some of the things we used them for was use it as a form for making steps or walkways and then fill the center with dirt or gravel or set flagstone inside. Used them for making raised flower beds and also retaining walls. All we ever did to fasten them was drill a hole and pound rebar used for concrete and they seemed to hold up fine. Get ready for some back breaking work though. RR ties are heavy. Also a chainsaw works good for cutting them to length.

 

[El Wood]

Super,

Thanks for the ideas. I may try making some steps out of them. I did hear they were heavy, 200 lbs I think I read. I was thinking about trying to use my FEL and some straps to set them into place. I'll also use my chainsaw to cut them. Thanks again

 

[grnspot110]

Just keep in mind, even though the ties are treated, they will rot out over time & termites will eat the older ones that are in contact with the ground. That said, I do use them as a short retaining wall (2-high) for one of my gardens & under the runners of my metal carport. They just have to be replaced occasionally! ~~ grnspot

 

[pat32rf]

In our last house we used old ties to build a terraced tomato bed and a raised bed beside the house. Since the house bed was beside the walkway I clad the ties with regular lumber to protect our clothes. Total job used 100 ties and took me all summer, doing everything by hand after work. (after dark I would sharpen my chainsaw blades) Ten years later we ripped the terraced tomato area out to install a pool....

 

[dustinfox]

Exactly where did you folks get the toxic idea, been to California lately or something. Creosote and its active ingredients have been used for centuries for medicinal purposes. IT is still used today in cough syrup expectorants. The latest study done in 2005 with creosote plant workers determined that they exhibited no more dangers from cancer or other diseases than any one not associated with the material.
Yes it will blister you if you get the fresh material on you and not removed. By repeatedly dosing a rat daily for weeks in the same spot it produced lesions which is where the "holy crap lets ban that product police" got their info from. There is absolutely no reason to fear contamination of vegetables from creosote as it is almost completely insoluable in water (it is afterall a TAR which is solid at room temps) as compared to the chemicals used to treat lumber to prevent rot which are water soluable as that is what they are mixed with to inject into the lumber. Anything that is water soluable will leach from the product that it is on. Used crosss ties have most of the surface creosote worn off from years of weathering so there is not much chance of even getting any blistering on you skin from handling them without gloves but good leather gloves might help keep the black soot off and keep splinters out of your hands.

Some of you guys need to do a little more thorough research before you make statements as fact, based on hearsay from some other poster who did the same thing. If creosote was so toxic I am sure the FDA would have banned it long ago from Liquid Smoke for meat, cough syrup and even some disinfectants use creosote as an ingredient.

I think they did ban it, at least for us stupid consumers who aren't smart enough to make our own choices. It's what my dad always used but you can't buy it anymore. DDT was banned too, even though there was no evidence it ever harmed anyone.

 

[Looking4new]

Super,

Thanks for the ideas. I may try making some steps out of them. I did hear they were heavy, 200 lbs I think I read. I was thinking about trying to use my FEL and some straps to set them into place. I'll also use my chainsaw to cut them. Thanks again

If you get your mail via rural route, then you could sharpen one end and drive it into the ground beside the lane for a mail/newspaper delivery box to set on.

 

[forgeblast]

We had some rot and bees made a nest in them that was a fun surprise.
We had them down the length of our driveway but when I had to have AAA out to the house to get my wife towed off them more then once they went away.
I like the look of them with the stone in there for steps, I am hopfuly going to do that with some 6x6's this summer.

 

[adjusterr]

I have used RR ties for my large raised garden, for 15 plus years. As the RR does, you must place the ties on a bed of gravel or they will rot in a few years, water must drain away from the ties. RR ties are not very good for burying in the ground as fence or mailbox posts, they rot off surprisingly fast. As far as being a health risk, used ties have been subjected to weathering for many years and any leaching of creosote would be minimal, I'd be more concerned about following some smoking diesel vehicle. BE VERY CAREFUL cutting ties with any saw. Some ties have a S shaped steel band driven in the end to prevent splitting, others have broken RR spikes where the rails were mounted.