Rairoad Ties For Retaining Wall?

[ning]

Have not read through the thread so this may be a repeat. On the west coast many of the railroad ties are treated with creosote. Depending on age and wear of ties it can smell strong, especially in hot weather, and is not healthy. If you expect to be spending time in the shed ties may not be the best idea or may need to put plastic over front side as well.

It may not be healthy but I love the smell!

Another count against railroad ties - don't plant a food garden near them.

 

[spitter]

I remember when I was a kid some fool had the bright idea of installing a play fort swing set sand box made out of creosote RR ties.:confused2: Needless to say when we all came home all covered in creosote are parents had them put a ban on the play ground and they tore it down after 6 months. When they pulled the rails on the high tracks over here everyone put in free retaining walls that was in the 70's and the creosote RR ties are still holding up. As a carpenter who put up lots of pressure treated 6x6 walls I have seen them rot out in as little as 5 years .My shed was built on PT 6x6 sleepers rotted out in 7 years and that was the good wolmanized not the new stuff that seems to not be fully impregnated. Especially the garbach you get from home cheapo.:thumbdown If you want it to last go the Versa block route. By the time you figure in extra ties in for proper tie backs and everything probally come out close in price.:drink:

 

[sandman2234]

They do make concrete cross-ties...
David from jax

 

[Handloader109]

Dont use rr ties, and forget treated lumber. The newer treatment is still warranted for 20 years, but lasts maybe a decade. Junk in ground contact. Use brick, concrete block, anything but wood......

 

[3Ts]

I had a RR tie retaining wall. Will never have one again! The smell in the summer time coming into the bedroom window was awful! And there was also cresote oozing out of the wood (also in the summertime).

 

[ultrarunner]

I have some of the Green 4x4 fence posts installed in 1983... kept the receipt and warranty tags... 40 warranty.

I'm not a betting person but so far not a single failure out 65...

I really think they will go 40 years and more...

Now... the Green stuff is high regulated and very hard to get

 

[RalphVa]

I saw there is another retaining wall thread and thought of adding there, but the purposes seem too different.

I need a short wall about 3 feet high on one side and close to 20 feet long. The other side would "L" off at 90 degrees and taper from that 3 feet down to nothing. I though about concrete block, but there is a significant cost for a few hundred blocks and mortar and I'm not very good at that kind of masonry. The current wall is just treated 2x8s stacked and held with fence posts. It has done the job for several years but is now leaning and bowing quite a bit as expected. It held lot longer than I thought it would though.

I could re-do that, but the purpose is changing and I want the new wall to help form two sides of a storage shed. So, I thought about railroads ties that I can buy for $10-15 each. I would stack them so the ends are staggered to help interlock them Maybe drill holes and drive re-bar through them. The dirt side would be lined with a couple of layers of 4 or 6 mil plastic. I'd add a few 4x4 posts on the 'inside' which would both reinforce the ties and support the roof section.


Thoughts?

I've built 2 or 3 walls both here in Va in and La with those mortarless brick walls that you can buy at Lowes and Home Depot. I've seen them here nearly 20 ft tall. They use them now around highway over/under passes. Very easy to use, and you can do curves, bends, etc. so easy.

Ralph

 

[Barnbuilder]

I wouldn't use PT posts. That stuff just doesn't last anymore.

 

[Streetcar]

I've built 2 or 3 walls both here in Va in and La with those mortarless brick walls that you can buy at Lowes and Home Depot. I've seen them here nearly 20 ft tall. They use them now around highway over/under passes. Very easy to use, and you can do curves, bends, etc. so easy.

Ralph

typically 4 ft is maximum height without a design

 

[EddieWalker]

How long has this post being here and I just now realized that Railroad is missing a "L" in the title!!!

 

[searcyfarms]

heck with the RR Ties, do this

concrete block blocks landscape decorative interlocking CHEAP - business/commercial - by owner - sale

just helped my neighbor and a friend from church use these for putting in a retaining wall and then for a protective barrier around a business - all you need is an average sized SS or tractor to move them - they are REALLY inexpensive - plants use leftover waste Concrete product to make them as well as they make some extras to sell for projects - they do not rot, they do not move, they lock together, they were TERRIFIC!!!!

Most of the concrete places around here make them - we ended up getting 4'x2'x2' for 20bucks each on the big project and 25 for the smaller project - one place even delivered them for us for a small fee ;-)

 

[searcyfarms]

heck with the RR Ties, do this

concrete block blocks landscape decorative interlocking CHEAP - business/commercial - by owner - sale

just helped my neighbor and a friend from church use these for putting in a retaining wall and then for a protective barrier around a business - all you need is an average sized SS or tractor to move them - they are REALLY inexpensive - plants use leftover waste Concrete product to make them as well as they make some extras to sell for projects - they do not rot, they do not move, they lock together, they were TERRIFIC!!!!

Most of the concrete places around here make them - we ended up getting 4'x2'x2' for 20bucks each on the big project and 25 for the smaller project - one place even delivered them for us for a small fee ;-)

 

[MossRoad]

How long has this post being here and I just now realized that Railroad is missing a "L" in the title!!!

Hahaha! Good catch.

Anyone want it fixed? Or just leave it for posterity?

 

[Diggin It]

^^ Interesting, but even the 10" x 48" x 24" blocks probably weigh more than anything I have to be able to move them could lift and position.

 

[Diggin It]

How long has this post being here and I just now realized that Railroad is missing a "L" in the title!!!

Hahaha! Good catch.

Anyone want it fixed? Or just leave it for posterity?

Don't make me no never mind neither way.

 

[oosik]

Back in the day - 1982 - when we built here a friend put me in touch with a load of real RR ties. Ten feet long, drenched in whatever creosote preservative they use and weighing about 450 pounds each.

I was lucky - he had a big truck and delivered many here to my property. It was the end of July/first of August - hot as it would ever get here. That large pile of ties smelled very strongly of creosote.

I initially moved and re-stacked the pile at a considerable distance from the house. On a good hot summer day you can still smell the RR ties when you get anywhere near them - around and about on my property.

Now - I see that the rail road is using some form of pre-stressed concrete ties.

 

[Diggin It]

Hahaha! Good catch.

Anyone want it fixed? Or just leave it for posterity?

Curious though how many (if any) noticed the error is this thread title? "What Toilet Brand Would Buy??"

 

[standup616]

RR ties, temporary solution for permanant problem! A family friend growing up, im 52 now, was the superintendent for this area of L&N railroad and we had access to really really good ones. Bridge ties, for the elevated tracks over lots of rivers swamps in gulf coast Al, Ms and Florida. 10-15 years rotting out, some lasted longer but we get 60/70 inches or more of rain each year. The railroad would replace them on a schedule and ones we got may have been down 10 20 years already with the creosote leaching out by then and higher restrictions with the PCBs for the new ones that were replacing them. My electrical engineer dad, cutting corners, used them in places he shouldnt have when adding on to his house and building a driveway it cause bigger more expensive problems later. My retaining wall around my pond is built (infested is word I use) with railroad ties, Im debating my next move. In a world where money was no object I would put down the pvc sheet pile but not my post to hijack