Western Railroad Discussion > A mountain of ties

While returning from our Thanksgiving feast I came upon this pile of old RR ties at Gazelle Ca. along the CORP with Mt Shasta peeking over the top.

Robert Morris Photography

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Reminded me of a situation a few months ago.  My son sent me a text asking if I knew where to get a few ties.  He was going to use them as a bullet stop.  I happened to be a few blocks away from a pile similar to the pile in your picture.  I took a picture and sent it to him and ask if that was enough?  They had signs on the pile that they belonged to some recycling company.  I found a dozen at another location a few weeks later.  I made him help me load and unload them.

John

Good eye Bob, nice shot.  Thanks for sharing.

Kent in CArmel Valley

That angle also highlights the difference between the peak of Mt Shasta and peak of Shastina. Also interesting to see Diller Canyon from this angle, not to mention the recent snows at higher altitudes.

Oh and those ties, nice catch. Theres also a moster pile of ties near the wye in downtown Weed.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/15 18:36 by TCnR.

Bob,
When I hired out we used to have Friday as employee day  on the Coast when the tie gang went through.. You would have to drive where they were working and you could load up as many as you could haul. They also had "Farmer" day where anyone owning property next to the right of way could ask for them and M of W would toss them over. 

One day coming back on a lite helper I happened upon a crew replacing bridge ties over Monterrey St. in SLO. When I tied up,I took my truck up there and they put 4 in the back. It was a 3/4 ton but it was almost dragging.

As you say, its all turned to @&%$ since then.


Nudge



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/15 18:39 by spnudge.

spnudge Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Bob,
> When I hired out we used to have Friday as
> employee day  on the Coast when the tie gang went
> through.. You would have to drive where they were
> working and you could load up as many as you could
> haul. They also had "Farmer" day where anyone
> owning property next to the right of way could ask
> for them and M of W would toss them over. 
>
> One day coming back on a lite helper I happened
> upon a crew replacing bridge ties over Monterrey
> St. in SLO. When I tied up,I took my truck up
> there and they put 4 in the back. It was a 3/4 ton
> but it was almost dragging.
>
> As you say, its all turned to @&%$ since then.
>
>
> Nudge

Used ties and poles are now considered "Hazardous Waste" by the State of California because of the creosote.
They're okay to use in the garden and as fence posts, but don't burn them.
One of the combustion by-products of creosote is arsenic. So you don't want to breathe the smoke!

There's a mountain of work behind that tie pile. Enough to keep that little tamper busy for a long, long time.

Chris

trying to keep up to PhotoBob - here is my Nov 2015 shot of a stack of ties, at Montague,CA north of Gazelle,CA............hopefully we'll
see some rail action in this area soon. Having moved back to Redding 2 months ago on a work transfer - I hope to
be out along the tracks in this area when the trains are rolling again,,,,and maybe I'll run into photoBob in Dunsmuir
again...........!!

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