Frequently Asked QuestionsQuestions About the Railway Tie AssociationHow long has RTA been serving the industry?
The Railway Tie Association predecessor organizations date back to the late 1880s. In 1919 RTA was formed as the National Association of Railroad Tie Producers and was renamed the Railway Tie Association in 1932. RTA has been in continuous service to the railroad, timber, and wood preserving industries since then.
Membership in the RTACan I or my organization join RTA? I'm a member, how do I log in? Do you have a chart of the RTA organizational makeup?
StatisticsHow many wood crossties are there per mile in the United States on average? Approximately how many new wood, concrete, steel, and composite ties do the major railroads in the United States use each year? *Note that these statistics are for the major railroads in the United States excluding Canada and Mexico, and exports. These numbers are based on R-1 Reports and survey responses from the Class 1 and Short Line Railroads, and may not accurately represent actual production and purchases of ties. In 2018 the major railroads installed a total of 13,778,638 ties. Smaller railroads installed a total of 2,366,845 ties for a total of 16,145,483 ties used by all US railroads. Of the 13,778,638 ties installed by the major railroads:
In 2018 the Short Line and Regional Railroads reported installing 2,366,845 ties.
For a more complete view and forecast of tie use, see our forecasts page, and the market outlook article in Crossties Magazine. How many railroad ties typically constitute a carload? Gondola cars come in a variety of shapes and sizes but you would be safe using the following averages for 7”x9” x 8’6” Crossties
The AAR loading rules stipulate that nor more than ½ of the thickness of the top layer of ties can stick above the top of the car after loading. Smaller gondolas might be used for 106 LB rail lines If trucks were used instead, the amount would be reduced to 190-200 ties per load depending on size and average used tie weight
See the article about gondola car loading safety in the March/April 2019 issue of Crossties magazine. Where can I find more information and maybe a map of railroads in the US?
SpecificationsWhat is the typical size of mainline railroad ties? Where are details about dimensions of ties? When a grade of a railroad tie is specified, does grade refer to the quality of a tie or its size?
See the comparison of grade and industrial grade (IG) ties here. Types of Wood for Ties What wood species are used for ties and where did that wood come from?
The complete list of allowable species as well as detailed discussions of ties is available in the Tie Guide and the RTA Specifications brochure. Contact end users of the crossties (treating plants and railroads) in your area before sawing to determine their current needs. Get the new App available on iPhone and Android with specifications and photos. MarketWhat percent of the railroad tie market in the United States uses wood ties? How do costs compare between wood and other types of ties? In general, for moderate density tangent track of the order of 25 MGT per year located in a moderate climate zone of the US, wood tie costs ($/mile/MGT) are of the order of 60 to 80% of concrete tie track; 70 to 75% of plastic (composite) ties, and 80 to 85% of steel tie track costs. For moderate density moderate curvature track (25 MGT per year) located in a moderate climate zone of the US, wood tie costs ($/mile/MGT) are of the order of 65 to 85% of concrete tie track; 70 to 80% of plastic (composite) ties, and 80 to 90% of steel tie track costs. For dry climates, the wood tie costs represent a corresponding smaller percentage of the costs of alternate tie types; for wet climates, they represent a correspondingly higher percentage of the costs of alternate tie types. Click here for information on Comparative Crosstie Unit Value & Costs. Do you disclose the companies that you survey for the monthly purchases report? Why did RTA change the way it reports Monthly Purchases? *RTA, as of November 2016 onward, uses a 3-month moving average for reporting on inventory, affecting calculated values of purchases. In this way, any exaggerations that might be manifest in monthly purchases data, due to regular inventory counts by members, are not emphasized. TreatmentTreatment What is the history of treating wood ties? What types of wood preservatives are used to pressure treat wood crossties? What benefits are there to using creosote as a treatment? Generally, CuN is applied with lighter oil carriers than creosote that may not provide the same extent of weather-proofing properties as the heavier creosotes. CuN is applied with oils that have lower flash points than creosote, some typical processing steps used when treating with creosote alone (sterilizing the ties under high heat to condition the wood and eliminate decay fungi that may have begun to grow while the wood is air-drying before processing) cannot be done. It is assumed that CuN would be most effective in hardwood ties when used in high decay hazard areas if the ties were dual-treated with a borate pre-treatment. Mississippi State University has conducted studies on dual treatment with CuN which you can find here. Nisus Corporation has assumed the EPA registration for CuN and built a manufacturing facility in Knoxville, TN, which will fuel more widespread use of CuN. At least five treating companies now offer ties or timbers treated with CuN for railroad use. Borate compounds are now used in dual treatment processes for roughly 7 to 7.5 million of the 22+ million or so ties produced per year. Over the years of testing (50+ documented years now for creosote - see the 1958 cooperative study) creosote has proven to be the most efficacious and cost-effective wood preservative for hardwood ties. It has significant weatherproofing properties and is an excellent preservative for hardwood species. Some wood species are refractory (hard-to-treat) and the heartwoods of those species are almost impenetrable by any wood preservative except borate compounds that diffuse through the wood over time. For these refractory species destined for high decay areas, it has now become relatively common practice to use borates as a pre-treatment to protect the wood before processing with creosote. Borate dual-treatment protects the entire cross-section of the wood tie providing excellent service life even in high biological-hazard service conditions. Each preservative system has its place in the wide variety of railroad applications and weather conditions in North America. RTA is continually researching and testing other systems, but none are currently in use other than those mentioned here. What is RTA doing to research alternate preservatives? How can I contact manufacturers of pressure-treated wood crossties? Do ties need to be treated differently in different areas of the US?
RecyclingRecycling Used Wood Crossties How are wood crossties disposed of after their useful life in track? How do I know if a landfill requires a special permit for used tie disposal? Landfill rules for ties vary from very restrictive to very loose. It is a state-by-state and often a county-by-county determination/rule-making process. Some states are so restrictive that you must perform a TCLP chemical analysis of the ties, plus provide a chain of ownership manifest before landfilling, and in other states/counties ties can be disposed of very easily in non-lined C&D landfills. A few locales require cutting ties to 4’ before accepting them. The only way to know for certain is to contact the landfill in question and ask them their requirements. Please note that if you run across a landfill that says ties are a hazardous material, that is incorrect (although you may have to prove it with a TCLP test). If that specific landfill is in a state that does not require TCLP tests, you may want to alert us so we can provide follow-up. What types of tie data are available for parties interested in using ties for cogeneration facilities? According to a reliable source, here is the story on "average" used ties on an annual basis covering a population of ~6,000,000+ ties
What regulations govern the burning of railroad ties for fuel? in combustion units effective March 9th, 2016. See the complete final rule in the Federal Register here. The rule for creosote/borate and copper naphthenate/borate ties has also been changed and appeared in the Feb 7th, 2018 Is it safe to burn treated ties? Burning creosote wood in EPA approved facilities has been done for many years and is a widely accepted practice. RTA does not have a publication speaking to the details of what requirements there are for specific facilities since the permitting practice varies from state to state, at least in the US. An update on the EPA Solid Waste Rule from 1-13-15 for information only can be found here. How can I contact with organizations that deal with environmentally friendly treated crosstie disposal?
SafetyTie spacing is not amenable to walking, is this intentional to keep people off the tracks? SustainabilityDoes RTA have any information on the sustainability of the wood crosstie? Homeowner & Consumer QuestionsWhat are the nails with letters and numbers on them you can find around railroad tracks and in some ties?
What about white ash that is infested with the Emerald Ash Borer that has spread to OH, IN, IL PA and looks like it will go further? Ash is an appropriate species for railroad ties. However, it seems that the EAB may be with us for some time. The best preventative is to minimize transport distances of the raw logs with bark still intact. To transfer any Ash product (logs, crossties, lumber, chips or bark mulch) out of an infested county, you must have the proper paperwork and inspections from the USDA. It is best to have the raw logs processed into ties or lumber as close to the source as possible. For updated information see the Emerald Ash Borer Information Website.
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