Raised beds: railway sleepers, crossing timber
 

Hi.

I am considering to persuade my husband that we should have raised beds
(about 10 different sizes) in our veggie garden. I had heard that railway
sleepers without being treated by chemical can be a good option. However, I
found that the cheapest one would be ¢G22.0 each (not included VAT and
delivery). In the same website, crossing timber is mentioned, only ¢G3.50
each. Would anyone tell me the difference between them?

With regards,
CK
(Please reply to the group only)

In article , CK
writes
Hi.

I am considering to persuade my husband that we should have raised beds
(about 10 different sizes) in our veggie garden. I had heard that railway
sleepers without being treated by chemical can be a good option. However, I
found that the cheapest one would be ¢G22.0 each (not included VAT and
delivery). In the same website, crossing timber is mentioned, only ¢G3.50
each. Would anyone tell me the difference between them?

With regards,
CK
(Please reply to the group only)




I used scaffolding planks. They are 12 foot long so I used two and one
cut up for each of my beds. I treated them with the special tinted wood
treatment. Worked fine and they aren't as heavy as sleepers.

janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

Hi Janet,

Thank you for your suggestion. Would you explain a bit more about 'special
tinted wood treatment'?

With regards,
CK from Aberystwyth, Wales

CK wrote:

Hi.

I am considering to persuade my husband that we should have raised beds
(about 10 different sizes) in our veggie garden. I had heard that railway
sleepers without being treated by chemical can be a good option. However, I
found that the cheapest one would be ¢G22.0 each (not included VAT and
delivery). In the same website, crossing timber is mentioned, only ¢G3.50
each. Would anyone tell me the difference between them?

With regards,
CK
(Please reply to the group only)


Is that 3.50 each or 3.50 per metre? Thats how they are often sold

Paul

In message ,
writes
On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 08:32:48 +0000, Paul wrote:

CK wrote:

Hi.

I am considering to persuade my husband that we should have raised beds
(about 10 different sizes) in our veggie garden. I had heard that railway
sleepers without being treated by chemical can be a good option.

Do such things exist and are they genuine railways sleepers?


Yes. If you do a search on the internet for railway sleepers, you will
find them. Alternatively, there may be a supplier in your area. I have
pressure treated sleepers, creosote is dangerous.
--
June Hughes

In article , CK
writes
Hi Janet,

Thank you for your suggestion. Would you explain a bit more about 'special
tinted wood treatment'?

With regards,
CK from Aberystwyth, Wales


Oh ah she mumbled............... it's the standard wood treatment found
at the garden centre's it's a stain rather than paint and protects the
wood. I'll see if I have the can I the shed somewhere.
Don't do what I did the first time though, I didn't stir it up nearly
half as well as I should and the last few planks were decidedly greener
than the first :)

janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In message ,
writes
On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 10:25:48 +0000, June Hughes
wrote:

In message ,
writes
On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 08:32:48 +0000, Paul wrote:

CK wrote:

Hi.

I am considering to persuade my husband that we should have raised beds
(about 10 different sizes) in our veggie garden. I had heard that railway
sleepers without being treated by chemical can be a good option.

Do such things exist and are they genuine railways sleepers?


Yes. If you do a search on the internet for railway sleepers, you will
find them. Alternatively, there may be a supplier in your area. I have
pressure treated sleepers, creosote is dangerous.

I think real creosote has been banned for some time.

I think you are correct. Do you remember the lovely smell?
--
June Hughes

In message ,
writes
On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 12:12:40 +0000, June Hughes
wrote:

In message ,
writes
On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 10:25:48 +0000, June Hughes
wrote:

In message ,
writes
On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 08:32:48 +0000, Paul wrote:

CK wrote:

Hi.

I am considering to persuade my husband that we should have raised beds
(about 10 different sizes) in our veggie garden. I had heard
railway
sleepers without being treated by chemical can be a good option.

Do such things exist and are they genuine railways sleepers?


Yes. If you do a search on the internet for railway sleepers, you will
find them. Alternatively, there may be a supplier in your area. I have
pressure treated sleepers, creosote is dangerous.

I think real creosote has been banned for some time.

I think you are correct. Do you remember the lovely smell?

It didn't kill you yet? :-)
I don't think so.
--
June Hughes

Hi Paul,

In the price table, the dimension of different sleepers/crossing timbers are
given. I think it means a log, some can be 1375m - 2.75m.

I can't find other good UK link via google except the following one. Any
other website I can visit?
http://www.railwaysleeper.com/railwa...on%20table.htm

With regards,
CK

"Paul" wrote in message
...
Is that 3.50 each or 3.50 per metre? Thats how they are often sold

Paul

CK wrote:
Hi Paul,

In the price table, the dimension of different sleepers/crossing
timbers are given. I think it means a log, some can be 1375m -
2.75m.

I can't find other good UK link via google except the following
one.
Any other website I can visit?

http://www.railwaysleeper.com/railwa...on%20table.htm

With regards,
CK

"Paul" wrote in message
...
Is that 3.50 each or 3.50 per metre? Thats how they are often sold

My experience is that the price charged for sleepers depends on the
quality: they vary from tidy to very battered. If crossing timbers
are cheaper, it'll be because they've had a lot of vehicles running
over them. You may find that battered ones work as well, and look ok,
especially if they have a good side: you aren't building a silage
clamp or a bridge, so structural strength doesn't matter much. Splits
won't hurt.

I imagine you're already intending to work out the cost relative to
new treated timber, or other kinds of used timber (such as old
factory flooring or roof timbers) including transport, which depends
on distance and can be high unless you've got the use of a trailer.
You may also need to build in the cost of preservative: but of course
you won't be able to do a proper job of preservative treatment at
home. Sometimes cheap concrete building blocks might turn out to be
the best option.

Since the foot and mouth debacle, I believe most railway timbers are
imported from eastern Europe, where they're being replaced with
concrete.

Mike.

In article , Mike Lyle mike_lyle_uk@REM
OVETHISyahoo.co.uk writes

Since the foot and mouth debacle, I believe most railway timbers are
imported from eastern Europe, where they're being replaced with
concrete.

Most new sleepers being installed now in UK also are concrete.

Ex-BR (etc.) wooden sleepers will almost certainly have been treated
with creosote and will probably be tainted with effluent from railway
loo discharges. Some railway disposal companies such as Grant Lyon Eagre
can supply accredited safe sleepers - at a price.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

pk muttered:

Uk sleepers agr generally treated softwood. some sleepers imported fro the
ffar east are untreated hardwood and avoid ALL the problems of tar/chemical
leaching. Plus, cross cut into slices they make a great paving feature.

But create a lot of problems for endangered species like Urangutans, tigers
and the like when their forest is cut down... make sure it's from managed
plantations only.

Alan Gould wrote:
In article , Mike Lyle
mike_lyle_uk@REM OVETHISyahoo.co.uk writes

Since the foot and mouth debacle, I believe most railway timbers
are
imported from eastern Europe, where they're being replaced with
concrete.

Most new sleepers being installed now in UK also are concrete.

Ex-BR (etc.) wooden sleepers will almost certainly have been
treated
with creosote and will probably be tainted with effluent from
railway
loo discharges. Some railway disposal companies such as Grant Lyon
Eagre can supply accredited safe sleepers - at a price.

....and a price not worth paying: gardening is built on shit and
corruption. If anybody doesn't like that idea, they'd better swallow
the cyanide now, and save trouble later on! But maybe a good idea not
to lick the sleepers too often, I suppose.

Mike.

CK wrote:

Hi Paul,

In the price table, the dimension of different sleepers/crossing timbers are
given. I think it means a log, some can be 1375m - 2.75m.

I can't find other good UK link via google except the following one. Any
other website I can visit?
http://www.railwaysleeper.com/railwa...on%20table.htm

With regards,
CK

"Paul" wrote in message
...

Is that 3.50 each or 3.50 per metre? Thats how they are often sold

Paul



Try http://www.sleeper-supplies.co.uk/

or there many be a handyman in the local paper who can get them. By the
look of your email address your in wales so trying to find a local
supplier will be cheapest.

Hope this helps

Paul