Can modern railroad ties be made from other materials besides wood?
If railroad tracks could be updated and modernized then what would be the material used for railroad ties?
Wood is the most commonly used material for North American track ties; however, concrete and steel have been used.
Concrete ties have a number of problems not prevalent in wood. They’re best suited for lighter applications (light rail and passenger lines), and don’t hold up well from repeated poundings by heavy, long freight trains. Dragging equipment will also shatter the ties. A loose chain, sagging hose bag, or broken operating lever will scar and scratch wood, but it’ll shatter concrete, and those ties affected will need replacement before the track is safe at anything above slow speed.
Steel ties haven’t caught on in North America. They’re much more expensive than wood or concrete, and when you consider the hundreds of millions of ties a large railway uses annually, it negatively affects the bottom line.
Wood ties stand up remarkably well to heavy trains, high volume of traffic, weather, and will survive a fair bit of damage before warranting replacement. Plus, they’re inexpensive, plentiful, and in wide use across the continent. They’re treated with a preservative (creosote), which really lengthens their usable life span.
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