Hi

Just wondered if somebody could tell me whats best to do for prep of railway sleepers, I will be using as retaining walls, I was going to do the same as if going to build a wall by laying a foundation of concrete but then somebody said I didnt need to do that? Anybody any experience?

What is best to use to cut them a Chainsaw will that work???

I was going to drill holes through and put them over metal rod which would be concreted into foundatation.

I have seen metal girders used but prefer not to use.

I will need at least 40 which should I use, children to play in area so I suppose new treated but not the old reclaimed creasote ones?

Anybody know if I can get bulk cheaper somewhere please.

Don' know of a supplier, but beware of old used ones as there are some environmental issues concerning creosote.
Also, if using a mechanical saw (chainsaw) watch out for embedded metalwork like nails & bolts as these could sever the chain & have someones eye out - or worse :(

Actually, looking at ebay there's a supplier in Folkstone (http://search.ebay.co.uk/search/search.dll?from=R40&satitle=railway+sleepers) but you'd have to contact them regarding delivery.

Have you tried Ron Hull of Rotherham (http://www.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=ron+hull&near=Rotherham&sa=X&oi=local&ct=title), they do recycled timber - I'd have no idea if they do railway sleepers though :thumbsup:

Don't use recycled ones - besides the creosote, do you know how train toilets flush? :gag:

When purchasing, consider that the hardwood ones would last longer, but are more expensive

there's a place at woodhouse mill, just past the traffic lights if you're heading out of town, that sells them - they can deliver too I think £16 each if I remember correctly

Used sleepers have become harder to come by since a contract was awarded to incinerate them for power (or something constructive ;) )

Thanks for your comments I found some info on foundation required concrete from a website that seems very useful for all sorts of building/diy tips called wwwpavingexpert.com

I have been to a few places today it seems I can get them for £18 each including delivery because I need about 40 although the new ones seem to be softwood. I can either get them from a supplier opposite sitwell arms at eckington or quarry top garden centre at eckington either way both same price. Found some other places but more expensive.

Spoke with a bloke who can chainsaw them into sizes I want, but I have to decide if I hire one myself or buy a petrol one.

Hi,
We've built retaining walls with new and reclaimed sleepers. If children will play or sil on them definately do not use reclaimed. The creosote is toxic and they have a tendancy to seep tar when it it hot.
Using a chainsaw on new sleepers is fine they're about £50 a day to hire. plus large deposit, chain oil etc. If you can get someone to cut them for you for this sort of price, I'd advise it.
Rather than drilling a hole through the sleepers, try this: Using long peices of re-bar (steel re-inforcement bar). Once your sleepers are in place, using big club hammer, drive into ground (at least a third of total height of wall) directly behind the sleepers so the bar will sit flush to the stack of sleepers and will be also firmly in the ground. Use 6' nails to secure the bar to the sleepers, by bending the nails back on themselves around the bar.
New sleepers are very flat, so shouldn't wobble anyway, but this will stop them moving. Also once back-filled with soil, will be very sturdy.
If the wall is 4' or more, I'd recommend you don;t use sleepers as it will be very expensive and not that attractive. It would be worth getting a builder in to give you a quote for a brick/stone wall.
If under 4' you won';t need footings unless your soil is loose.
Hope this helps, if you need more advice let me know.

There's a place on the main rd at Renishaw, nr the Sitwell arms that has both old and new sleepers.

Hi,
We've built retaining walls with new and reclaimed sleepers. If children will play or sil on them definately do not use reclaimed. The creosote is toxic and they have a tendancy to seep tar when it it hot.
Using a chainsaw on new sleepers is fine they're about £50 a day to hire. plus large deposit, chain oil etc. If you can get someone to cut them for you for this sort of price, I'd advise it.
Rather than drilling a hole through the sleepers, try this: Using long peices of re-bar (steel re-inforcement bar). Once your sleepers are in place, using big club hammer, drive into ground (at least a third of total height of wall) directly behind the sleepers so the bar will sit flush to the stack of sleepers and will be also firmly in the ground. Use 6' nails to secure the bar to the sleepers, by bending the nails back on themselves around the bar.
New sleepers are very flat, so shouldn't wobble anyway, but this will stop them moving. Also once back-filled with soil, will be very sturdy.
If the wall is 4' or more, I'd recommend you don;t use sleepers as it will be very expensive and not that attractive. It would be worth getting a builder in to give you a quote for a brick/stone wall.
If under 4' you won';t need footings unless your soil is loose.
Hope this helps, if you need more advice let me know.

Thanks Outsmart, really useful advice. My OH suggested using them for retaining walls, but I think we might use something else now.

anyone know a place to get big planters made from new railway sleepers?

I don't have any soil or beds, just lots of pots in large cobbled yard, which is labour intensive to water in summer.

I've had 3 big green planters made at WORK on ringinglow Rd, which are great but rather than have more of the same I would like something heftier and chunkier, in natural wood colour.

Hi

You can make your own planters from railway sleepers either old or new ones I bought mine from mtrack and got some screws from ebay. I can send you his contact details if you want.
I used a circular saw to cut through it took two cuts one on one side then turn over and cut again, I only cut new ones though not sure about old ones you dont know if any metal or anything in them. I spent hours looking at the pictures on this website for ideas but I didnt buy from them as more expensive.
http://www.railwaysleeper.com/Customers%20ideas,%20photos%20and%20projects.htm

hope it helps

thanks very much - is this the place you bought from?
http://www.m-track.co.uk/tanalised.php

great ideas on the projects page too.

I've been advised against old sleepers due top tar and general contamination.

yes thats the company didnt realise they had a website.

I bought new ones that were treated not like the old style which shouldnt be used in kids areas.

I think I padi £20 each I know I got them a couple of pound cheaper each because I had about 40.

Reclaimed Softwood treated sleepers in stock, available for collection (stocksbridge) £15 each

welcome to view before any purchase

s-l-d@tiscali.co.uk

Hi

I spent hours looking at the pictures on this website for ideas but I didnt buy from them as more expensive.
http://www.railwaysleeper.com/Customers%20ideas,%20photos%20and%20projects.htm

wow, what a fantastic site. I think that ha helped me to decide that sleepers are what I need for my yard transformation. Thanks for posting the link

I have put some pictures of what my garden before and after so you can see how I used them. I used old and new ones

Before
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s150/oggyngolly/P4190006.jpg

After
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s150/oggyngolly/P5190003.jpg

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s150/oggyngolly/P5190004.jpg

We get our sleepers on Saturday(well the first 10) they are the Jarrah Hardwood ones, a nice redish color, this will be used to level part of our garden and retain the other part, we will be standing them up though the wall will range from 1ft to 3ft maximum high. I will post some piccys when done(might take a few months though).

i used sleepers to form some steps, set the bottom one on a concrete bed and put loads of 6" nails underneath and pushed it into the wet concrete, hasnt moved 2 years on!!

ive seen some on ebay for 2 quid each!

i have 50 new sleepers for sale near scunthorpe

2 places I have used for sleepers are Kayser at Doncaster 0870 777 4497 and Hingley & Son at Belper 01773 550055. Both places supplied softwood pressure treated sleepers 245mm x 120mm x 2600mm for £17.50 delivered. I have had about 50 altogether. The size is important as smaller sleepers are available at lower prices.

I went through the same learning process when starting out on my project and eventually decided to go with upright sleepers set in concrete to use as giant posts, then screw horizontal sleepers to the front using 200mm long TimberFix sleepers screws. It works brilliantly and is far more secure than hammering steel rods into the ground, however it is far more expensive this way, but it all depends on how long you want it to last.
My farther-in-law is a structural engineer and he agreed that the method I have used would be more than sufficient to retain the land, so I'm happy my wall is here to stay.

Regarding cutting sleepers, I bought a sliding mitre saw off ebay for £40, it has a 305mm blade and cuts through the softwood sleepers like a hot knife through butter. A friend of mine has a bosch saw of the same size but a different design and his cuts straight through them in one go (even angled cuts), however his cost 10 times the price. Don't use a chainsaw unless you are a very experienced woodsman. I tried cutting sleepers with my dads chainsaw (brand new stihl) although it cuts them, it doesn't cut them as cleanly and also the boom tends to wonder like a hand saw does. Use a sliding mitre saw, you will get a much better finish.

I have loads of pictures of my project from start to current (not yet finished), see www.dkplumb.co.uk/garden.htm

If you would like to see the sleepers and construction method for yourself, let me know and I'll PM my number so we can arrange a time.

We're going to make a raised bed with sleepers, only about 2 sleepers high. Anyone know where to get the reinforcing bars from round Sheffield?

Thanks

i have 50 new sleepers for sale near scunthorpe

Hi
Just wanted to know if you still had the 50 sleepers for sale .
If so could you give me a ring on 07707160274 with a price for all of them.
Thanks
Reny

m track sleepers yell.com

We're going to make a raised bed with sleepers, only about 2 sleepers high. Anyone know where to get the reinforcing bars from round Sheffield?

Thanks
I think the steel reinforcement that will suffice is "Rebar" and can be found at any good builders merchants-It's used for reinforcing concrete

Hi

Just wondered if somebody could tell me whats best to do for prep of railway sleepers, I will be using as retaining walls, I was going to do the same as if going to build a wall by laying a foundation of concrete but then somebody said I didnt need to do that? Anybody any experience?

What is best to use to cut them a Chainsaw will that work???

I was going to drill holes through and put them over metal rod which would be concreted into foundatation.

I have seen metal girders used but prefer not to use.

I will need at least 40 which should I use, children to play in area so I suppose new treated but not the old reclaimed creasote ones?

Anybody know if I can get bulk cheaper somewhere please.
I have a brother who works in Doncaster at a well established company called "Hird rail services" 01302 831339 They have new sleepers which are tannellised as opposed to creosoted and they are at a good price . Talk to my brother Ian for more info

Another vote for M-track these are the ones I used for my garden:http://www.m-track.co.uk/untreated.php there untreated and being a hardwood will out last any of the treated new sleepers and look great.

Another vote for M-track these are the ones I used for my garden:http://www.m-track.co.uk/untreated.php there untreated and being a hardwood will out last any of the treated new sleepers and look great.

How much were they?

How much were they?


I think they were £16 a sleeper, they are very heavy though 100+ kgs each. They also do delivery for £10.

These prices were last Januarys.

We had some delivered at the weekend from M-Track. Good quality and they delivered promptly, I'd recommend them! :thumbsup:

I think it worked out at about £20 each, including VAT and delivery.

I have just oredered 15 sleepers (new tanalized ones) from M track and wondered what I should use to stain them? can i just use Ronseal fence stain?

some on ebay (sheffield area) here :-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230660766787&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Sleepers & timber for sale here - http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Palace-Mall-Stocksbridge/186939588017678#!/pages/SL-Dimmock-Sleepers/123059144444537?sk=wall

There used to be somewhere that sold used wooden railway sleepers at Armthorpe near Doncaster. They were still open about three years ago when I last went by the place.

We can supply and deliver new sleepers in the Sheffield area.

I usedRoseal decking oil as I found that fence paint just sat on top of the sleepers and covered them up, where as oil soaked in and made them look great :)

If anyone is using sleepers for their various projects and require them cutting, get in contact....