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Chapter 22 



Figure 22-60A. — Equipment for placing concrete crossties in the Northeast Corridor 

 mainline track of AMTRAK. (Photo from U.S. Department of Transportation.) 



placed in the Northeast Corridor mainline track between Washington and Bos- 

 ton. These concrete crossties (fig. 22-60AB) weigh about 780 pounds each and 

 in 1978 cost about $38 each, FOB manufacturing plant, including fastener 

 components. Opinions regarding annual cost of wood versus concrete crossties 

 vary; one economist believes that installed cost and annual cost of wood ties are 

 both significandy less than those for concrete ties (tables 22-22 and 22-23). 

 Service life for concrete crossties has not yet been established, but may be 40 to 

 50 years. To adequately support concrete crossties, a very hard ballast — e.g., 

 trap rock from the Northeast with specific gravity of about 2.8 — is commonly 

 used; ballast depth must be 8 inches or more. 



For further discussion of wood versus concrete crossties see: Mechanical 

 Engineering. 1984. The track structure, an interview. Mechan. Engrg. 106(1): 

 44-47. 



Landscape ties. — Landscape architects have found that treated crossties re- 

 tired from rail lines make good retaining walls in gardens and terraces. Their use 

 has become so widespread that there is a brisk market for timbers sawn particu- 

 larly for this purpose. Because the landscape tie need measure only about 6 feet 

 long and perhaps 6 by 6 inches in cross section, it can be sawn readily from small 

 pine-site hardwoods. Treatment to inhibit decay is less critical for such timbers 

 than for railroad crossties, and the selling price per cubic foot is frequently 

 significantly higher. 



