Railroad Tie Support Weight

[RalphVa]

Someone know what weight railroad ties will support? Probably weight vs. span.

Wondering whether they'll support my 2,000 # tractor over about 6 ft span.

Have researched how to replace my tractor crossing that is giving us trouble in keeping the PVC pipes underneath working. Figuring on railroad ties at same location or maybe another place downstream where I can pretty much lay them flat on both sides of the very skinny stream at that point.

Ralph

 

[Streetcar]

Ralph
Capacity of the beam is based on type of wood ,size of member and its condition. Those can vary tremendous from species to species

 

[Billrog]

2000# is not very heavy my only concern would be keeping the ties anchored at each end so they couldn't twist or move .

 

[MossRoad]

I wouldn't use a RR tie to support weight on a span. I'd use 2x10's or 2x12's on edge and sandwiched together 3 or 4 thick instead.

 

[4570Man]

I wouldn't use a RR tie to support weight on a span. I'd use 2x10's or 2x12's on edge and sandwiched together 3 or 4 thick instead.

Agreed unless you’re dealing with new railroad tires.

 

[bunyip]

Pre stressed concrete?
No rot or insect infestation.
Not sure what gauge you use but they are readily available here about 6'+ which is obviously wider than the gauge, downside they cost more than the timber ones.

 

[tjkubota93]

Ties are hard to work with too. They will mess up a chainsaw chain fast. Alot of embedded grit.

 

[Diggin It]

If you're talking about used ties, remember that they were removed for a reason.

 

[ZTMAN]

Are you able to get a hold of some 18" drain pipe. Around our area they go for about $150 for a 20' pipe. Throw a section in the creek, cover with dirt, put some stone on the inlet and call it done.

 

[RalphVa]

You guys convinced me. Think I'll go with 2 pairs of 2x12s joined together and put on edge. Sit them on edge on 6x6s at the ends. Put posts at the corners sunk into concrete into holes at the corners. Cover with 2x6s on top bolted to the 2x6s. Hopefully, the concrete will keep the mess from being lifted out. Think we'll get 1 or 2 contractors who deal in this for propositions though.

This little stream gets a tremendous amount of silt coming down from the overflows of a pond about 100' elevation above. It's also in the flood zone of the creek that it empties into. On May 30 this year, that whole area got flooded 10-12' deep and again a couple months later about 6'. Think it'll just tear apart any culvert system. Too much mud for a ford.

The present crossing is mostly concrete on top of six 6" PVC pipes. The concrete keeps getting torn up from the submergences and over topping. The pipes keep getting silted both upstream and downstream. Big headache this year shoveling out the muck. Do that and a couple pipes take the stream level down upstream of the crossing. Normal flow is probably 1 pipe's worth.

Downstream, the stream goes through like a long trench for about 500 feet that's only about 3' wide but is very deep. At this crossing, it's only 2'. Toyed with moving the crossing downstream, but mucking with the thick-grass-stabilized sides to put this kind of crossing in could create a weak point for the floods to lift the mess out.

Only had a big flood in 2003 with Isabel and this year starting with the 1st one on May30. Mucho rain all year, near a record. Before this year, it was manageable.

Ralph

 

[CADplans]

Railroad track would be a lot stronger than a railroad tie,,,:thumbsup:

 

[4570Man]

I doubt that. Railroad track is pretty floppy.

 

[CADplans]

I doubt that. Railroad track is pretty floppy.

the gap is only 6 feet,, people build woodsplitters out of rr track,, they are not the best, but, they are WAY more than 2,000 pounds,,,

 

[4570Man]

There’s a big difference a load bearing joist and the force involved in a wood splitter. And yea it’s probably strong enough to span 6’ but so is a lot of other easier obtained stuff.

 

[CADplans]

Hey, Ralph, buy these,, I will ride with you to pick them up,,

Concrete pipe for sale - heavy equipment - by owner - sale

Can we use the Corolla with a U-Haul rental trailer to bring them back?? :confused2:

 

[Tractor Seabee]

I built a 12' span bridge with 15" switch ties #3 grade. Set 3 stringers on 12' ties parallel to the bank embedded in compacted crushed gravel. Anchored the stringers to the sills with 12" steel form pins. Ties are set on edge versus flat. Decked it over with 2" rough-cut fir planks nailed down w/6" spikes. Drove my 1 ton dully with 5000# of gravel over it for a test. Never moved or bowed. whole project cost less than $400.

#3s are 3 good sides and not rotted. I buy at a RR salvage place and get to select the ones I want. Most of their stuff comes from abandoned lines, realignments, and repairs. Once they have been in service they are never re-used. Stay away from the ones at the big box stores, lumber yards, and landscape places. They buy the culls of the used market.

Where the OP lives there should be a similar place to buy. There are a lot of railroads still operating back there. Heard that they are starting to use composite material from recycled plastic for ties now; also piling. No rotting or borer problems. I have used piling for retaining walls in days gone by.

Ron

 

[bcp]

Railroad track would be a lot stronger than a railroad tie,,,:thumbsup:

I doubt that. Railroad track is pretty floppy.

Rails are made to span about 16-18 inches, between ties.

Bruce

 

[goeduck]

I have two bridges on one of my properties made of old railroad trestle timbers that easily support 10,000 lbs. Yet I still cross most of the time at a Ford. The creek has a hard bottom, is about 30 feet wide at that spot and about 12 inches deep.

 

[oosik]

Ralph - if you are talking about a true, big, 'ol greasy, gooey rr tie. Good Lord, yes. They will most certainly support a 2000 pound load across a six foot span. I have eight of the "real things". Randomly spaced on my mile and a half fence line. They are all ten feet long and would weigh in the neighborhood of 400# to 450#.

I would not even have second thoughts about putting a 2000# load on one railroad tie. Yes, they are from differing type trees but I'm talking about a timber that is 8" x 10" x 10' long. Not some wimpy, wanna-be, that you can buy at the local lumber yard.

 

[Diggin It]

^^ The #2 ties at the big box store for $15 or so are the real thing, but they're past life for the RRs. They have spike holes, they're split, partially rotted and full of gravel who knows what else. I use them for a few things as long as they're flat on the ground. I don't think I'd try to use them to support a vehicle over any kind of span.