OT-Rail Road Ties

Why Worry · Dec 30, 2014

Hello all,

I have some old rail road ties that have been in use as posts in our hog lot. Two of them have rotted and broken at ground level so I will need to replace them.

What's the best way to extract the broken off pieces from the ground. A friend suggested burning them?

Any ideas???

Billy NY · Dec 30, 2014

Dig around it by hand, far enough to hitch it, and hopefully the stub is intact below grade, hook a choker hitch to it, and lift in a plumb line if you have a loader tractor. I just had to do the same thing and the bottom section was 5' down, it came right out with the loader.

fixerupper · Dec 30, 2014

Regular wood posts i have driven a steel post down into the rotted stub and pulled it out.I've had to split the wood stump to get it off the steel post once it is pulled. I've never tried it with an oak tie.

mab570diesel · Dec 30, 2014

as said dig around it so you can get a chain wrapped around it and if no loader use a bumper jack

Zachary Hoyt · Dec 30, 2014

There were two pole buildings built here in the 90s before we came with red pine poles set in the ground. They rotted off at ground level. One building collapsed, it wasnt' worth trying to save. The other one I jacked up the roof and replaced the poles. The underground part was so rotted it came out in little fragments and crumbled. I could cut through some with a shovel. Ties may behave differently as they are heavily treated, but if they rotted at ground level I would guess they will be rotted below ground too. You may be able to swing a pickax into the side just below grade and use it to lift the end out if they are not too far gone and are not buried too deeply.
Zach

ohiojim · Dec 30, 2014

or drill a hole beside it with post holedigger

Nebraska Cowman · Dec 30, 2014

Exactly. And if they have cement around them it's just all the more fun

showcrop · Dec 30, 2014

I would use my hoe, same as anything else that I need to get out of the ground.

ptfarmer · Dec 30, 2014

I use the post hole digger on my skid steer digging the hole right next to the old post.

David G · Dec 30, 2014

Last thing I would try is burning them, would be easier to work on rotten wood.

ptfarmer · Dec 30, 2014

(quoted from post at 17:55:50 12/30/14) Last thing I would try is burning them, would be easier to work on rotten wood.

X2 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Fred Werring · Dec 30, 2014

Had some rotted off posts on my feeding area, had broken off a couple inches below the top of the concrete.

Got new posts the same size, and drove them through the existing holes, the wood was rotten below ground level, so the posts drove just fine.

Fred

2x4 · Dec 31, 2014

I always had luck with couple of boards & 2 crowbars. Use the boards on the ground to keep the bars from sinking, then get one bar to bite into the stub, then pry up. Get the other bar to pry up & free the first bar. Sort of jacks it up out of the ground. Then re-use the hole. Works good in clay anyway. Your mileage may vary.

OT-Rail Road Ties

Why Worry

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Billy NY

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fixerupper

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mab570diesel

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Zachary Hoyt

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ohiojim

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Nebraska Cowman

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showcrop

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ptfarmer

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David G

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ptfarmer

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Fred Werring

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2x4

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