Ask Ducksouth - Abandoned Railroad Ties?

[booger]

With my job comes a bit of travel. I pass by three locations that have a huge pile of old "abandoned" railroad cross ties. I say abandoned because they are used, and have been there for years, and since I can see them piled up between the railroad tracks and the road, so has everyone else has too. But they never seem to get pilfered, which surprises me, as I could have 101 uses for old railroad ties, so I figure so does everyone else, right?

Ask Ducksouth: Why does no one steal them? Is the penalty for stealing old railroad ties that severe? Why doesn't the railroad haul 'em off? Or are they trying to give them away with no takers? Can you buy them?

Inquiring minds, I gots to know.

[DoublePslayer]

I looked into getting some that had been replaced a few years ago when they were swapping out a bunch near my father in laws house. My wifes best friends dad worked for CN for years, and he told me that the ones that get left are usually so split and busted up that they aren't good for very much. The ones that can be salvaged are already contracted out before they get pulled up. There is a guy that follows the RR crew around that has a couple of RR cars attached together and a mini-excavator riding in it. He will follow them around and load up what they take out and then sort the best ones out at a crossing that he can get a semi truck into. The ones that are decent get hauled off and sold to Home Depot and the like, and the busted ones get left. They are swapping out a bunch on the line that runs through Philipp on Hwy 8 right now if you want to go see it in person.

[novacaine]

Because they are heavy, nasty, and usually covered up ant piles, wasps, and snakes.
My opinion.

[booger]

That makes sense, most of the ones I'm seeing are a little rough, but they've been piled up there for over two years.

Maybe I'll take one a day until I get pinched, surely a there's a good attorney on board here.

[teul2]

I could sure use 2 good ones for beams, and about 10 crap ones for a road bed in some crappy spots at camp.

[DoublePslayer]

I could sure use 2 good ones for beams, and about 10 crap ones for a road bed in some crappy spots at camp.

You're going to have a hard time finding a couple that would work for beams. The ones that you get from the box stores are usually the ones that have been pulled up. You may find a couple at a feed store or a lumber store. (not Lowes or Home Depot) I can usually got through a stack and pick our enough to use for fencing, but they usually have a split of some type to them.

[donia]

^^^this. saw a few bundles at tractor supply the other day that were in really good condition (most of them still had defined corners, surprisingly). didn't see a price on them (or the bundle), though.