I think I told Ron the story about my wife and I doing some track work about 18 years ago. A friend, Jack Rogers, up by Mt. Ranier had a 2 truck Heisler and most of an oval of track laid.
The water was very low in Alder lake (formed by a dam, and the old Milwaukee roadbed was out of the water. Quite a few sound oak ties were recovered. These had been underwater for 30+ years. If you didn't drill them, a slight miss with the spike maul sent them zinging away just like a bullet off a rock. If one had hit a leg, it probably would have broken it! Even drilled a few inches deep, they were tricky to drive.
Steve