Everything you need to know about Railway Ties

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Railway ties are rectangular wooden objects that are generally used for preventing the train tracks from falling into the ground. It is commonly used as retaining walls, flower boxes, garden or lawn edging, yard steps and fencing. They are ideal for landscaping projects due to preservatives added in them. They are treated with preservatives like creosote which is a black oily substance. Creosote is made from coal tar and has varying properties. Railway ties are treated with creosote to hold the rail spikes in place. These ties come in different sizes and grades. These are used as per the railroad standards. The standard size of railway tie is nine inches in width and seven inches in height.

There are two main types of railway ties. One is wooden and the other is concrete. Wooden railway ties are made up of huge wood pieces and hardwoods like oak. They are used for the construction of railroad tracks. They last for many years as they are treated with creosote.

Concrete railway ties are generally made up of cast concrete slabs which are internally reinforced by steel wire. These are preferred over wooden railway ties as they have greater strength, low maintenance cost and longer service life. Using concrete ties makes sure that rails do not crack or collapse easily.

 Advantages of using railway ties:

• They can be used for building retaining walls to decorate your backyard. Railway ties are the best material for retaining walls. Since these are made up of evergreen hard wood it is the most preferred choice to build retaining walls.

• They are used for building house walls, floors and ceiling. It can be used for framing walls of the house.

• They can be used for making steps for your garden. Wooden or concrete railway ties are suitable for this purpose.
  

• They can be used as landscape designs for parks and zoos to give a natural look.

• They can be used for furniture and cabinets. For this you can choose ready-made shapes and sizes of railway ties which you can purchase in the market.

While using railway ties you should consider the following safety measures:

• Wear gloves and long sleeves while working with creosote treated wood. Do not work in hot conditions. Make sure that the area is well ventilated.

• Keep away children from playing around the ties which may harm them by getting creosote on their skin and develop irritation and rashes.

• It is advisable not to use ties around the garden where food is grown.

• Wood ties should not be used in the areas where they will come in contact with pets.

• Creosote is toxic as it contains coal tar. It can cause many side-effects so it is best to maintain less contact with creosote treated wood.

Because of these harmful effects it is best to replace railway ties with non toxic alternative. You can use non-resistant woods such as cedar, stone or redwood. The cost of these alternatives may be higher but it ensures safety for human health and the environment.

The Railway Ties

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The rectangular objects that are placed on the railway track in order to support the rails are called the railway ties. In the past time the railway ties were made up of woods in fact this is the traditional form of such ties but nowadays mostly in European and Asian countries pre-stressed concrete railroad ties are used. The railroad ties come in steel and plastic composite ties as well. The steel ties are mainly used in the secondary line of US although none of the steel made or plastic made ties are as popular as the wood or concrete.

Forms of railroad ties:

The railroad ties or railway sleepers are used being shaped in various forms according to convenience. These are like

• Twin tie: In this form of tie two pre- stressed ties are connected with each other by rods of steel. In tracks that have prickly camber or in the tracks that bears the stress of temperature, such twin ties are used.

• Y shaped ties: The Y shaped ties came into existence in the year 1983 and it is a very uncommon form of railroad ties.  The Y shaped ties are characterized with load dispersal facility for which it diminishes the size of weight. The degree of noise is quite high in this type of ties although its resistance is worth admiring.
  
• Wide ties:  In order to rise the on the side conflict of the railway track and on the other side to trim down weight pressure such a railway tie gets used. This very railroad tie is mainly used in Germany.

•  Frame ties:  This very railroad tie is used in Austria. Having this form of tie the railway track gets support in both the tangential and longitudinal angle and it support the middle part as well. The main advantage of such tie is it diminishes the weight strain and raises resistance laterally.

Bi block tie and ladder track are two other types of railway ties that also have a great use.

Types of the railroad ties:

As already said the traditional railroad ties are made up of wood but as the time past the need of some alternative railway ties came into existence for the sake of convenience and safety. At the present times there are several other railway ties made up of different materials are available like stone block, plastic made railroad ties, concrete ties that are pre- stressed steel made and in fact rubber fused railroad ties.

Function of railroad ties:

The railroad ties are placed perpendicularly to the railway track and it helps the rails to stay vertical. It also helps the rails to keep in the proper gauge.  Other than these the railroad ties controls the weight and the resistance of the railway track.

Exceptional uses:

The railroad ties have some exceptional uses other than the railway track. The traditional for of the railroad sleepers that is the wooden sleeper nowadays are used for landscaping purpose, farming issues and even keeping hold of the walls.