Solid Wood Products 2673 



Table 22-21 — Causes leading to removal of treated mainline crossties during 1955 and 

 1956, related to wood species (Data from Bescher 1977, based on those of C. J. Code) 



Sweetgum and Mixed Weighted 

 Reason for removal Oak sp.' Pine sp." tupelo sp/^ hardwoods^ average^ 



Percent 



Split 66.6 5.2 38.9 47.1 36.8 



Decay 12.2 16.9 38.2 19.3 18.2 



Plate cut 9.4 21.9 .8 26.2 15.2 



Crushed or shattered 4.1 33.5 4.5 .2 13.6 



Spike killed 7.8 5.6 7.2 5.5 6.6 



Natural defects .6 12.4 .6 — 4.6 



Derailment or dragging 



equipment 1.6 1.9 6.4 1.2 2.2 



Tamp killed^ 3.2 .5 .9 .5 1.6 



Broken .4 .2 .7 — .3 



Other J_ 1.9 L8_ — .9_ 



Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 



'2,504 crossties from five railroads inspected; age of the youngest tie removed was 5 years, the 

 oldest 33 years. 



^2,270 crossties from three railroads inspected; age of the youngest tie removed was 9 years, the 

 oldest 35 years. 



^846 crossties from three railroads inspected; age of youngest tie removed was 7 years, the oldest 

 34 years. 



"^1,029 crossties from two railroads inspected; age of youngest tie removed was 10 years, the 

 oldest 29 years. 



^6,649 crossties from five railroads inspected; age of youngest tie removed was 5 years, the oldest 

 34 years. 



^A tamp-killed crosstie has worn, rounded bottom comers; such a round-bottom crosstie will not 

 restrain steel rails against expansion forces. 



Table 22-22 — Installed cost of treated wood and concrete mainline crossties (Data from 



Josephson 1977) 



Item of cost 



Wood ties Concrete ties 



19- '/2-inch spacing 24-inch spacing 

 3,250 per mile 2,640 per mile 



Ties 



Hardware 



Freight to site 



Installation 



Total 34.00^ 



'Assumes reuse of two-thirds of the tie plates when relaying the line. 

 ^Corresponds to $110,500 per mile. 

 ^Corresponds to $159,720 per mile. 



60.50-^ 



