A standard hardwood railroad tie measures 7 inches by 9 inches by 8.5 feet (or sometimes 14 feet for full-length ties) and weighs around 220 pounds. That’s too heavy for most people to carry alone and awkward enough in shape to make even dragging one a challenge. The good news: with the right technique and tools, you can move railroad ties safely, whether you’re repositioning a few for a garden border or clearing a whole stack.
Why Railroad Ties Are Hard to Move
It’s not just the weight. Railroad ties are dense, rough-surfaced hardwood with no convenient handholds. Most are treated with creosote, which makes them oily and slippery in some spots while splintery in others. Their length makes them top-heavy when carried upright and difficult to control when horizontal. A 220-pound tie with a 14-foot span creates serious leverage problems the moment one end dips or catches on something.
Protect Yourself From Creosote
Most railroad ties, especially used ones, are saturated with creosote, a tar-based preservative that irritates skin on contact and can cause chemical burns with prolonged exposure. Wear long sleeves, heavy work pants, and chemical-resistant gloves. The New Jersey Department of Health specifically recommends butyl rubber or Viton gloves as protective materials against creosote. Leather work gloves alone aren’t enough because creosote soaks through them.
Avoid touching your face while handling ties, and wash your hands and forearms thoroughly when you’re done. If it’s a hot day, creosote can soften and become especially sticky, so plan your work for cooler hours when possible.
Moving a Tie by Yourself
Don’t try to deadlift a railroad tie off the ground. Instead, use leverage and rolling to do most of the work.
Start by tilting the tie onto one edge. You can do this by jamming a pry bar, shovel handle, or cant hook under one side and rocking it up. Once the tie is on edge, it’s sitting on a much smaller contact surface, which dramatically reduces the friction holding it in place. From this tilted position, you can walk it forward by alternating the ends, pivoting one end at a time in a “walking” motion. This is slow but requires far less effort than dragging.
For short distances across flat ground, rolling works well. Tip the tie onto its narrow 7-inch face and roll it like a log. On grass or soft ground, lay down a path of scrap plywood or boards first to give it a smooth surface to roll across.
If you need to actually carry a tie solo, professional railroad workers use one-man tie tongs, aluminum-handled tools with sharp replaceable tips that bite into the wood and let you grip the tie from above. These distribute the load through a center handle and keep the tie close to your body. They’re available from railway supply companies and are worth the investment if you’re moving more than a couple of ties.
Moving a Tie With Two People
Two people can carry a railroad tie a reasonable distance with the right coordination. Each person grabs one end, lifting from a squat position with a flat back. Before you lift, agree on which direction you’re heading, who’s walking forward and who’s walking backward, and a signal to set it down. The person walking backward controls the pace.
Two-man log carriers make this significantly easier. These are handles with hooks that clamp onto the timber, giving each person a comfortable grip at waist height instead of forcing you to bear-hug a rough, creosote-coated beam. The key advantage is that the hooks keep the tie stable between you without requiring constant grip strength.
For loading ties onto a truck bed or trailer, don’t try to lift one to waist height. Instead, back the vehicle up to the tie stack and slide them on. If the bed is higher than the stack, lean a pair of sturdy planks against the tailgate as a ramp and slide the ties up. Two people can push a 220-pound tie up a gentle ramp without much trouble.
Using Equipment for Multiple Ties
If you’re moving more than three or four ties, manual carrying gets exhausting fast. A few equipment options make the job dramatically easier.
- Hand truck or furniture dolly: Tip the tie onto edge, roll a heavy-duty hand truck underneath, and wheel it where you need it. Make sure the dolly is rated for at least 300 pounds, since you’ll want margin above the tie’s 220-pound weight.
- Garden tractor or ATV with a chain: Wrap a tow chain around the tie and drag it across the ground. This works well on grass or dirt and lets you move ties hundreds of feet without carrying anything. Use a chain, not a rope, since creosote degrades most synthetic ropes over time.
- Skid steer with grapple attachment: For large-scale jobs, hydraulic grapple attachments can pick up individual ties or entire bundles. Loose tie grapples grab single ties, while bundle grapples handle full stacks. If you’re clearing a retaining wall or moving a pallet of ties across a property, renting a skid steer for a day is faster and safer than any manual method.
- Track dollies: Purpose-built rail dollies feature steel frames with flanged wheels and can handle up to 1,500 pounds. These are designed for moving ties along rail lines, but if you’re working on or near tracks, they’re the standard tool for the job.
Loading Ties Into a Truck
A full-size pickup can typically handle four to six railroad ties safely, depending on the truck’s payload rating. A single 8.5-foot tie fits in a standard 8-foot bed with just a few inches of overhang. Fourteen-foot ties will need the tailgate down and a red flag on the end.
Stack ties flat in the bed rather than on edge, and use ratchet straps to secure them. Creosote makes the wood surface slick, so ties can shift during braking if they aren’t strapped down. Place them centered over the axle rather than pushed all the way to the tailgate, which helps with handling on the road.
Disposal and Reuse Considerations
Creosote-treated railroad ties can’t go in regular curbside waste in most areas. They’re classified under EPA guidelines as non-hazardous secondary materials, but their disposal is still regulated because burning them releases toxic compounds. Never burn railroad ties in a fire pit, fireplace, or open burn pile.
Most municipal landfills accept railroad ties, sometimes for a fee per tie. Landscape supply yards often buy used ties in decent condition. If yours are too deteriorated for reuse, check with your local waste authority about designated drop-off sites for treated wood. Some regions have specific collection events for creosote-treated materials.