rail ties from concrete?

Concrete ties are used worldwide for high speed trains.

 

I know they use concrete ties for light rail systems.

 

That's insane

 

Australia uses them exclusively. They are more expensive than wood and have to have a better road bed to prevent movement. Some of Australias tracks aren't high speed in the east or west. The longest stretch of dead straight rail is in AUS at just short of 300 miles. Trains are limited to 68 MPH.

 

Probably thinking ahead. Might wake up one day and EPA says all creosote ties must be replaced with 'green' ties.

 

Found on a lot of passenger lines. Hauled them before. Surprised you're going any real distance with a load of them. We hauled them about 10-miles from the precast company to the jobsite.

if you're going to a jobsite do not get out of that truck without steel toes, safety vest, hard-hat, and safety glasses on. Railroads are amazingly anal about safety clothes. You'll get an ### chewing for it before five steps from the truck.

 

They were installing these to replace wooden ties at a derailment site I was hauling wrecked tubs out of in Nebraska last year. The train derailed at 70mph, so there were mountains of wreckage even when I got there weeks later. When I went to the third wrong loading site ("left at the grain silo and across the tracks" is a very vague set of directions in Nebraska) I got sick waiting for a passing train and had a chat with some of the curve crew. They said they hold up a bit better under high speeds, but cracks in them make inspectors very nervous. I doubt they'll have the same salvage resale value as wooden cross ties that makes for some lucky high dollar turn arounds in the middle of nowhere.