Wooden Railway Sleepers

Wooden Railway Sleepers have since the mid 1990's grown in poularity, especially in respect of garden and landscaping projects, with this popular end use the traditional Railway Sleeper of approximately 250mm (10") x 150mm (6") x 2.6m (8' 6") has been adapted to 'new' smaller, easy to handle alternatives but just as effective and indeed more usefull in these projects. Traditional Reclaimed or Used Railway Sleepers are now very much secondary to the New alternatives which dominate the market and provide its users with a far more adaptable and easy to handle Sleeper.

Treated New Softwood Railway Sleepers - More often than not these pressure treated Sleepers are of European origin (Home grown or Baltics) and are sawn to suit the garden and landscaping market, common sizes of Wooden Sleepers here are:-

200mm x 100mm x 2.4m - Approximate weight 35kg (may vary depending on water content)

250mm x 125mm x 2.4m - Approximate weight 55kg (may vary depending on water content)

New Softwood Treated Railway Sleepers are also available in many other sizes and lengths from 2.4m - 6.0m.

Advantages in using these Softwood Sleepers are that they are easy to handle, square and uniform, lighter than Oak / Hardwood and easier to cut / saw. Indeed some Timber Merchants will saw / cut these Sleepers for you. Time will weather the Sleeper turning it a grey colour with splits and cracks appearing but the pressure treatment should protect the Sleeper from rot and decay for some 15 - 20 years.

New Oak Railway Sleepers - Generally imported in the Uk from France or Eastern Europe and again sawn to various sizes to suit the landcscaping / gardening end use that most of these Sleepers are used for. Oak like Softwood will weather to a silvery / grey colour, splits and cracks tending to be more prevalent in Oak. Oak is highly durable and should last 25 years + so ideal for external use. Common sizes of Sleeper in Oak are:-

200mm x 100mm x 2.4m - Approximate weight 50kg (may vary depending on water content)

250mm x 125mm x 2.4m - Approximate weight 80kg (may vary depending on water content)

Advantages of using Oak is of course durability, also the natural rustic beautyof Green Oak.

Wooden Sleeper Ideas

• Raised garden beds
• Retaining walls
• Compost bin walls / sides
• Garden and landscaping steps
• Edging of borders, pathways and grass edges
• Pond edging
• Deck areas as bearers and deck surfaces
• Posts
• Garden benches and furntiture
• Fences

You can buy Railway Sleepers in Yorkshire here at Sleepers Yorkshire, please visit our store to see our great range of Sleepers.