Plastic rail ties ?

[Badhorse79]

I was just watching a show on The Science Channel and a show called factory made showed a place in Texas that takes garbage and old tires and make plastic rail ties ? Has any one seen these out there anywhere because I only new of wood and concrete wow it is amazing what you can learn huh

[etalcos]

Yep, I've seen samples, but don't recall any in service.  They are supposed to be more durable than the wood, but the cost is greater than the wood.  The other design that I have seen is steel crossties.  CSX uses them in switches in the yards and I know some railroads prefer them in tunnels.

[NSDash9]

The bridge deck at the location of that fatal bridge fire in Alabama that occurred in January 2010 had plastic ties.


Chris