Law2 mins ago
Railway Sleepers
20 Answers
hi, I would like to buy some reclaimed railway sleepers but am very confused by the different sizes, wood etc. Has anyone got a good supplier and could help me decide what to get or give any advice
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Traditional used sleepers were usually around 10" x 6" x 8 or 9 feet long.
(250x150x 2.4/2.7m)
They were soaked in creosote to preserve them, but you can get preservative-soaked timber in any size you like now Beds.
You really need to buy locally if you must have the used ones, because of transport cost.
Reclamation yards sometimes have them.
(250x150x 2.4/2.7m)
They were soaked in creosote to preserve them, but you can get preservative-soaked timber in any size you like now Beds.
You really need to buy locally if you must have the used ones, because of transport cost.
Reclamation yards sometimes have them.
if you're going to use reclaimed railway timbers, you need to be aware of this -
http://
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Ok, any normal Builders' Merchants then. They will stock up to 4.8 metres long usually. Although 6 or more metres if specially ordered.
Maybe you should go for 100mm x 225mm (4"x9"), which is a standard size. My local Merchant has them in 2.4 metre lengths (8')
Most do the same, precisely for people who would originally have gone for used sleepers.
Maybe you should go for 100mm x 225mm (4"x9"), which is a standard size. My local Merchant has them in 2.4 metre lengths (8')
Most do the same, precisely for people who would originally have gone for used sleepers.
Most of the original railway sleepers on the UK market are 8'6" x 10" x 6" (2.6m x 250mm x 150mm). This size was used on standard gauge (4'8") lines on normal straight track and there is a plentiful supply of them. Most were made of Australian Jarrah wood, pressure treated with creosote and are virtually indestructible. Most of them spent up to 20 years (or even more) in railway service and will give just as long, if not more, when used in a private garden or similar.
I bought sixteen to provide a base for a garden shed almost twenty years ago. Beware - they weigh about 100kg each. I constructed a custom made trolley to move them as I had to shift them length of my garden. I also had to shorten mine by around a foot. I tried my small petrol chainsaw - not a chance! It wouldn't go near them. I had to engage a tree surgeon who had some big gear. In addition to his fee I also had to pay for two new chains for his saw. One broke entirely (some of them have lumps of ballast buried in the wood so as to be invisible) and the second was all but useless by the time he'd finished. I sold the "knob ends" to a neighbour for the price of a couple of pints. He used them to construct some type of garden sculpture.
My sleepers are still in place and have barely changed since I laid them. I can't say the same for the shed, though!
I bought sixteen to provide a base for a garden shed almost twenty years ago. Beware - they weigh about 100kg each. I constructed a custom made trolley to move them as I had to shift them length of my garden. I also had to shorten mine by around a foot. I tried my small petrol chainsaw - not a chance! It wouldn't go near them. I had to engage a tree surgeon who had some big gear. In addition to his fee I also had to pay for two new chains for his saw. One broke entirely (some of them have lumps of ballast buried in the wood so as to be invisible) and the second was all but useless by the time he'd finished. I sold the "knob ends" to a neighbour for the price of a couple of pints. He used them to construct some type of garden sculpture.
My sleepers are still in place and have barely changed since I laid them. I can't say the same for the shed, though!
Strangely enough I was axked earlier last week if I want 4 landscaping sleepers for free. They are 2400 x150x225
They are tanalised timbers which I can handle and cut down myself.
Don't confuse them with genuine sleepers which you will really struggle to do anything with. They may be as heavy as oak and tarnished with tar or other wastes. Nobody will thank you for asking them to cut down old sleepers.
They may well ruin a chainsaw. You will also need a team of labourers to shift them !
They are tanalised timbers which I can handle and cut down myself.
Don't confuse them with genuine sleepers which you will really struggle to do anything with. They may be as heavy as oak and tarnished with tar or other wastes. Nobody will thank you for asking them to cut down old sleepers.
They may well ruin a chainsaw. You will also need a team of labourers to shift them !
As has been pointed out, reclaimed railway sleepers will be impregnated with creosote. As has also been pointed out (by Mushroom25), the use of such sleepers in gardens is now prohibited. That's confirmed on the RHS website:
"It is no longer permitted to use railway sleepers impregnated with creosote in gardens, due to the risk associated with frequent (daily) skin contact. If you already have raised beds made from old railway sleepers and have this level of contact, then protective clothing (gloves etc.) should be worn. For new beds, use sleepers treated with other preservatives, or untreated hardwood sleepers"
https:/
"It is no longer permitted to use railway sleepers impregnated with creosote in gardens, due to the risk associated with frequent (daily) skin contact. If you already have raised beds made from old railway sleepers and have this level of contact, then protective clothing (gloves etc.) should be worn. For new beds, use sleepers treated with other preservatives, or untreated hardwood sleepers"
https:/
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