Who will take old railroad ties?

[Anonymous]

We just ripped out a lot of old railroad ties with stakes sticking out of them. Fairfax County trash doesn’t take them. I’ve contacted junk hauling companies, but they are too expensive. Who takes old railroad ties? Would a tree or landscaping service do it, especially if I get some other tree or landscaping done at the same time?

[Anonymous]

Craigslist. A gardener will take them.

[Anonymous]

Aren't those full of cancer chemicals? I thought they are not safe to be used in landscaping any longer.

[Anonymous]

How much did the hauling company ask?

[Anonymous]

Are they actual railroad ties, or just heavy duty landscape timbers? There's a big difference between creosote coated railroad ties and pressure treated lumber.

Having said that, if they're old, most of the leeching out of chemicals has already taken place. I'd use them in my garden.

[Anonymous]

Post on Freecycle. I'd gladly use them for non-edible beds.

[Anonymous]

Or even on Nextdoor.

[Anonymous]

A second for Craigs List or Freecylce or whatever. I haven't had railroad ties, but I've posted a lot of random things on Craigs List for free, and someone always wants them. And you save them from the dump.

[Anonymous]

Op here. These are really old ties so the leeching is done, but most are literally falling apart and they have huge spikes still in them. I don’t think any gardener could use them! Any other ideas? I asked DH to try sawing them into more manageable pieces but they are weirdly hard for ties that are falling apart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much did the hauling company ask?

Around $400

[Anonymous]

Where did you rip them from? Did tracks used to run through your property?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where did you rip them from? Did tracks used to run through your property?

Um they were part of an old retaining wall.

[Anonymous]

Can you just take them to the dump and dispose of them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you just take them to the dump and dispose of them?

I would, but they are probably 6+ feet long and really really heavy. No way DH and I could load them from backyard to car, especially with giant sharp spikes sticking out from them. And they wouldn’t fit in the car.

I am cheap so I was actually pushing for the option of renting a truck and driving it to the waste station in Fairfax, but DH is adamant that we can’t do it. He is the one who ripped the ties out so I believe him.

[Anonymous]

I cut my heavy duty landscape lumber into 3 foot pieces. I worked on it over the winter in manageable increments so it was somewhat enjoyable.

I bundled the wood in sets of 2-3 pieces and the trash people picked it up on lawn waste days. I never put out more than 2-3 pieces so it took several weeks for the pile to disappear.