Since the 1800’s, railroad ties have been used in helping to secure over 200,000 miles of track in the United States.
How much do railroad ties weigh?
There is no set official weight for a tie. However, the majority of railroad ties weigh around 200 pounds (90 kg).
You’ll find some will weigh around 150 pounds, while others may weigh upwards of 250 to 300 pounds. It will depend mainly on their size, type of wood and specifications.
A railroad tie measures 9 inches wide, 7 inches tall and 8.5 or 9 feet long.
Each tie is spaced 19.5 inches apart on-center, which means there are about 3,249 ties per mile of track.
It is estimated that there are 700 to 800 million railroad ties in use today on U.S. railways. That’s a huge number to be sure.
~ Fun Fact ~
Railroad ties will last between 33-42 years in track before needing to be replaced. According to figures in 2016, the railroads installed a total of 20,796,130 ties!
Resources:
https://www.akrailroad.com/faq-page