Re: Pine Beetle Ties?

Pine ties were regularly creosoted and used on Colorado railroads. There was a large tie plant in Salida for years, and Koppers, Inc. still has a treating plant in Denver. Pine ties are quite suitable for branchline and light duty trackage. Heavy oak ties are generally reserved for mainline use. As to using beetle-killed timber as a feedstock for treating ties, I don't know, but I suspect it would be OK if the wood was treated within a short timeframe after the tree dies. Oh, and if you've ever horsed "green" (recently creosoted) ties around by hand, you can absolutely tell the difference between a pine or oak tie--huge weight difference.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2008 12:58PM by Wade Hall.