Question - Wooden Sleepers As A Base

[DCB]

Thinking of using some 'wooden sleepers', you know the sort of thing used to make raised beds etc, as the base for an extension to my current railway. I previously had gravel board planks on top of wooden posts but this didn't look too good even when the area underneath was planted and in full bloom. I'm thinking of using the sleepers for a long straight section that may well have a small halt with a passing loop and a head shunt off the loop.

Anyone used these 'wooden sleepers' and if so, how did you go about installing them? Wondered about a moisture barrier membrane underneath to extend life, but, not too sure how I'll do it. Might even just bed them down on cement

Any thoughts ?

 

[garrymartin]

I would check out where they came from , a lot of ex Eastern European ones that are on the market these days were soaked in a dubious chemical that was the Warsaw Pact's equivalent of Agent Orange and are not good for garden use. I wouldn't have thought that degradation of the sleepers would be an issue.

 

[DCB]

Looking at new timbers, sold as sleepers, but are not actually 'proper' sleepers which will have been creosote impregnated and whatever else landed on them

The ones I,m looking at are sold as new timber for garden landscaping and only treated with a modern, probably water based treatment.

 

[dunnyrail]

I would be tempted to lay them on Breeze Blocks Cemented in the Ground. Say 2 or 3 to each Sleeper with the Sleepers overlapping the End Blocks. This would keep them off the Soil which will cause them to Rot in a pretty short time. I know that all the Garden Makeover Programs use these, but you never see the Garden 10 years on.
JonD

 

[CoggesRailway]

Those not-sleeper-sleepers could get expensive depending on length of extension?

 

[spoz]

Looking at new timbers, sold as sleepers, but are not actually 'proper' sleepers which will have been creosote impregnated and whatever else landed on them

The ones I,m looking at are sold as new timber for garden landscaping and only treated with a modern, probably water based treatment.

I'm not sure if what you get in the UK are the same as the ones we get here - but I've used them on many occasions in gardens for a variety of purposes but not for train base. Ours are pressure treated green; and therefore while they will survive in the ground for long periods of time they have a tendency to warp quite badly. I'm nor sure of the wood but it looks like a softwood. I'm no expert but that would seem to make sense because the pressure treating system would need the looser cell arrangement of softwood I would think; whereas real wooden rail sleepers in this country are either red gum or jarrah, both hard woods and resistant to both degredation in the ground, essentially without needing treatment, and to warping. However, they are very heavy (and very expensive!) and, although I've used them with success for a garden bed, I wouldn't bother again, the treated softwood ones are good enough for that purpose. But I would certainly not use either version to lay track on; for that I use (pressure treated) sawn lumber which has been kiln (or preferrably air) dried.


Steve