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Railroad ties for corners
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Indiana Smith
Posted 9/24/2025 14:17 (#11377484)
Subject: Railroad ties for corners


I've been using used railroad ties for corners for at least 10 years and they have held up well. I need some more. Local guy has used for $20 or new for 30. Which is the better deal?
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Moose333
Posted 9/24/2025 14:41 (#11377510 - in reply to #11377484)
Subject: RE: Railroad ties for corners


NW Wisconsin
Suprised you use them for corners. Here they are about worthless put them in the ground 4+ feet doesnt give you much to work with on the top side. Also used can be of inconsistant quality. New would be the way to go if you absolutely want RR ties. I use 7"x9' posts and havent looked back.
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littlejo
Posted 9/24/2025 15:27 (#11377547 - in reply to #11377510)
Subject: RE: Railroad ties for corners


Big Sky Country
I’d go new—used like to rot off @spike holes—-think they’re 8’6”—-
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Moose333
Posted 9/24/2025 15:49 (#11377558 - in reply to #11377547)
Subject: RE: Railroad ties for corners


NW Wisconsin
Seemed like I always would get a few that were split to a spike hole so they were never usable to 8'6
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Indiana Smith
Posted 9/24/2025 15:40 (#11377553 - in reply to #11377510)
Subject: RE: Railroad ties for corners


They are 8.5 feet long. Put 3.5 feet in ground and they are rock solid without any bracing.
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oldtiger
Posted 9/24/2025 19:22 (#11377718 - in reply to #11377553)
Subject: RE: Railroad ties for corners


NEMO
I've never seen a corner post that is rock solid without a brace, much less a used railroad tie. If you think they are
"rock solid", report back in in a few years with a pic that shows the top over about a foot, and the fence loose...if you can be honest about it
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Direct Injected
Posted 9/24/2025 19:29 (#11377729 - in reply to #11377718)
Subject: RE: Railroad ties for corners


SW, Missouri
We do live in the "show me" state!! Not much worse thing to use as a corner post than a tie imo.
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oldtiger
Posted 9/24/2025 20:44 (#11377819 - in reply to #11377729)
Subject: RE: Railroad ties for corners


NEMO
We picked up lots of used ties when I was a boy because we lived near a track. What was worse yet was, the brace that Dad used between ties was old metal boiler pipe that rotted from the inside out. Dad thought he was doing good and saving money, he was wrong
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MiradaAcres
Posted 9/25/2025 09:08 (#11378330 - in reply to #11377510)
Subject: RE: Railroad ties for corners



scmn

It might work better with switch ties that are 17' long.  We hung several gates on good sized used power poles.  Put them in the ground 6-7ft and pack with crushed rock; most of the sag in a 20ft gate comes from hinge wear.  I would far sooner drop a 12" power pole in the ground 7ft for a corner post before installing a railroad tie for a corner post.

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Rod@night
Posted 9/24/2025 21:33 (#11377887 - in reply to #11377484)
Subject: RE: Railroad ties for corners


Replacing the RR corners I put in 25/ years ago….No more RR ties here.
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wbstofer
Posted 9/25/2025 04:56 (#11378032 - in reply to #11377887)
Subject: RE: Railroad ties for corners


North Central IN
Rod@night - 9/24/2025 22:33

Replacing the RR corners I put in 25/ years ago….No more RR ties here.


Not sure why RR ties are not NAT approved, I’ve had decent luck with them. We always braced them, and preferred new. Have many that have been in the ground 25 years plus.

Might be an Indiana thing…
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SteveMn
Posted 9/25/2025 06:50 (#11378110 - in reply to #11377887)
Subject: RE: Railroad ties for corners


Just guessing average guy farms for 50 years, Do something twice sounds good to me
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Nathan (SD)
Posted 9/25/2025 07:15 (#11378151 - in reply to #11377484)
Subject: RE: Railroad ties for corners


Day Co. SD
New ties will outlive you by a long shot. Used ties is code for “ life used up”

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olivetroad
Posted 9/25/2025 08:39 (#11378288 - in reply to #11377484)
Subject: RE: Railroad ties for corners


Kingdom of Callaway - Fulton, Mo 65251

Life is too short to use any railroad ties for fencing, or any wood posts for that matter.  I built a lot of fence in 2000 with them and they are all being replaced.  Waste of time and money.  Cedar or hedge lasts longer.

Spend $21.00 on a 9ft piece of 2 7/8 used pipe for a post, and your grandchildren will thank you.

Buy a little Miller Bobcat portable welder to weld your braces together, and you also have a generator when the power goes out.  Amazing how quickly you can build a better fence.

Buy a Danuser post driver to drive the pipe in the ground - no more tamping, no more post hole digging.  Dont use concrete, dont weld a cap on the top.  Just keep driving posts.

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IADAVE
Posted 9/25/2025 09:22 (#11378351 - in reply to #11378288)
Subject: RE: Railroad ties for corners


50 years ago we used 2nd hand ties.
They were full of creosote. Sorted out the cracked ones and dealt with the creosote burns. I think they will last forever as fence.
Newer ones without so much creosote may not last as long.
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DougG
Posted 9/25/2025 18:56 (#11378906 - in reply to #11378351)
Subject: RE: Railroad ties for corners


MO
Menards and Rural King has them at a decent price,, who put a cornor post 4 ft deep??? Here in Mo, 2.5 is great!!
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WCWI
Posted 9/25/2025 19:52 (#11378968 - in reply to #11378906)
Subject: RE: Railroad ties for corners


u\Up here at 2.5 feet you are only half done digging your post hole.
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MDF
Posted 9/25/2025 20:30 (#11379040 - in reply to #11378968)
Subject: RE: Railroad ties for corners


SEMO
Here in Missouri depending where you are if you can get 2.5 it's pretty deep depending on the rocks
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Cobb
Posted 9/25/2025 20:05 (#11378991 - in reply to #11377484)
Subject: RE: Railroad ties for corners


NE Oklahoma
2 "7/8 pipe here ,2 '1/2 - 3' drove into the ground, we weld some cleats on the very corner pipe to help from pulling up. A double H corner if pulling over 300'
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HuskerJ
Posted 9/26/2025 05:53 (#11379345 - in reply to #11377484)
Subject: RE: Railroad ties for corners



East of Broken Bow
I have gone to concrete RR ties for corners. Yes, they take a loader to put in, but they should outlast my kids. Along a RR right of way they used concrete posts, some of which have '1909' stamped into them, and they are still holding.
I paid $10-$12 each for mine, loaded on my trailer. Don't expect to haul too many at once, they are heavy - the lighter ones I got weigh about 500# and have 12 rebars inside, the heavy ones weigh over 600# and have 21.
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