Using channel iron for sleepers

Discuss park gauge trains and large scale miniature railways having track gauges from 8" to 24" gauge and designed at scales of 2" to the foot or greater - whether modeled for personal use, or purpose built for amusement park operation or private railroading.

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Springhill-RR
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Using channel iron for sleepers

Post by Springhill-RR »

I am way behind on track work. Instead of using 4x4's and 4x6's treated wood for sleepers I was thinking of 3" channel iron. The treated wood splits, twist and bows. My plan would be to weld the .5 x 1.5 flat bar to the channel iron. Gauge would be maintained and the weight of the iron would help hold the track in place.
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Bill Shields
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Re: Using channel iron for sleepers

Post by Bill Shields »

Gonna be expensive...

Then there is the problem of stability.

You need the ballast to hold the sleepers in place...and channel iron, despite the weight, will wander all over.
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Dick_Morris
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Re: Using channel iron for sleepers

Post by Dick_Morris »

Welded on ties would limit your options if you ever wanted to do any kind of signaling.
malletmogul
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Re: Using channel iron for sleepers

Post by malletmogul »

Do not skimp on trackwork. It will be nothing but a maintenance nightmare in the long term if you do.

Southern yellow pine is cheap. Some people will balk at the suggestion of softwood ties, but there is a secret: Southern yellow pine can take 100% creosote penetration as opposed to hardwoods which can get around 10% on a good day. Creosote is what makes ties last, not the kind of wood they are made out of. Go look at any old hardwood tie that's rotted out in the middle...

Build jigs and develop a system for laying track.. Are you building to Redwood Valley standards? You probably should be unless you want to find yourself a lonely island in the 15" gauge world.

There's always time to do it right the second or third time around...
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Bill Shields
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Re: Using channel iron for sleepers

Post by Bill Shields »

so....where does one get Creosote these days -> and avoid all of the EPA / OSHA regulations regarding use of same???
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Soot n' Cinders
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Re: Using channel iron for sleepers

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

Our ties, though for 7.5in gauge, are southern yellow pine that was pressure treated for below grade use. A local company that builds wooden rollercoasters did this for us, we did have to sign paperwork stating this was for railroad use and not for residential use. Many have been in service for 20 years now and the vast majority are still rock solid. We have a couple hundred rotten ones that have been removed, but theres well over a mile of track on the ground.
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Dick_Morris
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Re: Using channel iron for sleepers

Post by Dick_Morris »

About 25-30 years ago the Alaska Live Steamers went so far as to build a vacuum/pressure treating pot for ties and one of the members even got certified to apply creosote. Then we learned that it was no longer available anywhere in the state and shipping from the lower 48 wasn't practical.

Plastic ties have been a good choice for 7-1/2" gauge. As far as I know they are not available for 15" and I don't know whether it would even be practical or cost effective.
JR May
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Re: Using channel iron for sleepers

Post by JR May »

In the 24” gauge and up world, steel ties are available. Railworks is one of the newer ones I have seen come up with some creative steel replacements for wood ties, but Kimes Steel has the more traditional steel ties with clips to hold the rail in place. I have used these in 3’ gauge. Locally a private 2’ gauge railway is being built using the Kimes type of steel ties, really to avoid the “permanence” you get from the usual wood tie RoW construction. I would avoid welding the rail to the ties as some movement in heat and cold is needed. Too solid is as bad as too flexible. I would tend to make something up like the Kimes steel tie if you wanted to go the steel route.
steel_rail_ties_mine_web_3_1_1_1.png
Springhill-RR
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Re: Using channel iron for sleepers

Post by Springhill-RR »

Thank you for the information. That is a great help.
rkcarguy
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Re: Using channel iron for sleepers

Post by rkcarguy »

Pm’d you with a recipe of available products that makes a good tie stain/treatment.
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