Burr,
Don't be too upset with George, er PRSL, actually he was quite tactful with you based on a few of his past postings. PRSL has a long (50+?) railroad management career background. His knowledge of railroad infrastructure is extensive. He dosen't really have a 'soft' side, just matter-of fact, period. I am glad he offered the info on tie treatment, as I was looking for an 'expert' to weigh in with the answer.
One other tidbit here concerning the tie length. There are still ties on the line that are SG length some still from the D&RGW days. These long-ties raise hell with the Jordan spreader. The spreader caught on more than one of them the last time it was used. The D&RGW began using SG ties when 1) they firmly planned to abandon the NG lines, and 2) a MOW super declared that the Jordan not be used because he thought that using off rail vehicles to reditch the NG ROW was more economical even after it was proven that the Jordan could do it faster, and better. Duh, some management just shouldn't be.
Even though the Jordan is currently undergoing restoration, the Friends plan to restore/repair it to full operational capability so tie-length is still a mjor concern. How do I know this? I am a part-time member of the Friends Jordan spreader restoration crew and had conversations with the C&TS workers who were on the spreader runs.
As to the other comments, I am not in a position to comment on them one way or the other.