Cutting railway sleepers is a task that even though is straightforward, it does require precision and accuracy. To ensure a successful cut, it is essential to be equipped with the right tools for the job. Here are the tools that we would recommend for cutting sleepers: Circular saw or chainsaw.
You can use a chainsaw, a hand saw, a circular saw, or a reciprocating saw to cut railway sleepers.
Skillsaw works very well for cutting them, just cut from both sides. Can even cut old railway sleepers with it but that's a bit hard on the blade.
Railway sleepers are prone to structural cracking under load and corrosion.
2) You must pre-drill any hardwood railway sleepers that are particularly tough (e.g. Azobe and tropical hardwood) with a 6mm wood drill that will ease the insertion of the screw (you can order one of these on the website), otherwise the screws may get stuck or potentially snap.
When placed in the ground, sleepers are in constant contact with soil, which holds moisture. Without proper protection, this dampness can lead to the wood rotting, especially in areas with heavy rainfall. The UK's unpredictable weather doesn't help either!
Railroad tracks are private property, not public trails. It's illegal to walk on the tracks unless you're at a designated crossing. It's extremely dangerous to walk, run, or drive down the railroad tracks or even alongside them.
As a rule, hardwood oak sleepers tend to last the longest naturally with an expected lifespan of around 100 years. An untreated softwood will last for between three and five years if it sits on the ground, whilst treated softwoods can last between 20 and 30 years if they are maintained correctly.
Dangers of Creosote Treated Sleepers
This treatment, once common for preserving railway sleepers, contains chemicals that can harm humans and animals. People exposed to creosote risk skin irritation or more severe conditions like cancer if they're in contact with the wood frequently.
For the first 100 years railway sleepers were normally made from Wood. Most countries tended to use whatever timber they had lots of. So the UK used Pine, France used Oak, Germany often used Beech, Australia used Jarrah, Africa used Azobe & other tropical hardwoods, and Russia used Pine.
The WoodBlocX modular timber system is a great option for any garden project, and can be used to build raised beds, planters, benches & seats, raised ponds and garden retaining walls and edging. They are cheaper, easier to build with and more flexible than railway sleepers.
Makita 5402NA 16-5/16" Circular Saw
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There are many ways to cut sleepers, but we recommend using a circular saw for accuracy, precision and speed.
The most common tool used for cutting railway sleepers is a chainsaw or a circular saw, although other saws such as reciprocating saws may also be suitable depending on the user's experience level.
Laying sleepers directly on the ground gives way to rising moisture. This can cause further damage if water can't drain from under the wood, causing sleepers to warp or rot.
If you're only creating a structure that's one or two sleepers in height you don't necessarily need foundations, which means you can lay your railway sleepers onto the soil. Though you'll want to make sure you use some kind of waterproof membrane so that sleepers don't soak up water from the soil.
To preserve the sleepers further, we would recommend treating them with an exterior wood oil or decking oil, ideally twice a year in Spring and Autumn. This will help to repel water and prevent water ingress, the main cause of wood rot.
The average sleeper dimensions are 2.6 m × 0.24 m x 0.24 m, and a standard spacing of 0.6 m (Sañudo Ortega et al., 2021; Sañudo et al., 2022) is commonly employed in railway tracks, including in transition zones.
Whether you're using sleepers to form new edging around your landscape or are building a raised planting bed, gravel and sand foundations are certainly worth considering. These materials are great for draining excess water, meaning moisture is less likely to pool around your sleepers, helping to preserve the timber.
Intense dynamic loading and changing weather conditions cause the appearance of cracks leading to sleepers' degradation and weakening. The necessity of monitoring of sleepers' condition for the development of cracks is an actual challenge.
Sleepers sit on the ballast – the stones on the track bed – and support the rail, ensuring the rail stays the correct distance apart. Replacing sleepers when they come to the end of their life is an essential part of our maintenance and renewal work all over the railway.
Though a penny or some other coin is extremely unlikely to derail an entire locomotive, the act of doing so is illegal. In fact, it's illegal to place or throw any small or large object on a railroad track. Small objects that are left on a railroad track can become a “projectile” as the train passes it.
Railroads are private property, and stopping on a crossing to take a photo is considered trespassing. It is illegal to access private railroad property anywhere other than a designated pedestrian or roadway crossing.
Walking or playing on railroad property is trespassing. It is illegal, very dangerous and poses a serious safety and security risk.