Tie Replacement
November 1, 2010

The Island Pond Railroad is now over 7 years old (not really very old)
and tie replacement has started.

So here's a report on what ties are doing what.

1. White pine with Copper Napthanate - Replaced about a dozen ties.
2. The OLD deck lumber (CCA) - No changes observed.
3. The NEW deck lumber (ACQ) - No changes observed.
4. Canadian Hemlock with no preservative - Still OK.
5. White pine with Behr deck stain - Replaced about a dozen ties.

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You can tell which ties are replacements because they still have color. The originals are grey. The replacements came from a section that became the switch for the driveway spur. So these ties are as old as any. Because they are CCA, they are still good.
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This is the underside of what is left of five failed ties.
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Many napthanate and Behr stained ties are now less than half their original thickness. But as long as they hold gauge I will leave them there. Most of the ties that are failing are in a poor drainage area. But some are not.
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Most of the ties is this section need to be replaced. I am only changing those that are physically broken or at a rail joint. The stringers in this area are practically gone.


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Note: All CCA in-ground stringers are as good as original.
But that won't be so in the next update.
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The tie replaced in this photo is in a completely different section than all the others. We noticed it was a different color from the rest. On inspection it disintegrated. The stringers in this section are still very much intact. I had to break off the screws coming up and holding the old tie in place.

October 1, 2015 Update

The Island Pond Railroad is now over 13 years old and tie replacement continues. 


So here's a report on what ties are doing what.

1. White pine with Copper Napthanate - Replaced several hundred.
2. The OLD deck lumber (CCA) - Replaced some (20-30).
3. The NEW deck lumber (ACQ) - Replaced some (20-30).
4. Canadian Hemlock with no preservative - Replaced about 60% (guess).
5. White pine with Behr deck stain - Replaced almost all.

Nails or Screws?

There's a popular rumor that you must use screws because nails will pull out. In reality, nails work fine. Notice in all of these photos, the original nails still holding the rails in place. Even in ties that have rotted almost completely, the nails are still faithfully doing their job.


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A short video on how to replace a tie.


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The 2010 season is coming to a close. How many days do we have left to do trackwork? We don't know. Every year is different. The moral of the story is, if you live in a wet climate, use commercial pressure treated lumber.

On to Winter Rain essay
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