A railroad pump car doesn't need regular railroad ties to support it.  We
have two pump cars which are used in part as a part of a traveling outreach
program.  We use very light railroad rail (25 lbs per yard) sitting on
2x4's with a routed notch to hold them in correct gauge.  gravity does the
rest.  We have 70' of track, and in an appropriate venue offer public
rides.  The ties were stained a dark brown to give them the appearance of
railroad ties.  If you wanted to keep the proportions correct you could use
2x8's in place of the 2x4's (railroad ties are typically 8x8 or 6x8)

Modern railroad ties don't use creosote.  

Randy Hees
Patterson House at Ardenwood Farm
Fremont, California


> [Original Message]
> From: Timothy McShane <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 1/21/2005 12:12:28 PM
> Subject: Exhibiting railway ties
>
> Well, this is a new one to me....
>
> We're getting a new building that's due to open this fall, so we're
> preparing to move our collections and for the installation of a new
> permanent gallery.  As part of the new perm. exhibit, we're installing a
> railway hand-car in the gallery--this piece had previously been
> displayed outside.  The car, with the rails and ties it was displayed on
> in its original location, was moved earlier this week, and placed in the
> still-incomplete gallery.  However, it had to be moved outside again, as
> the creosote odours coming from the ties were over-powering.
>
> I know creosote is nasty stuff--we can't have that off-gassing in our
> gallery for any number of reasons.  The track section of the display is
> not an artefact, it's just to set the scene.  Any thoughts on how we can
> address this?  Is there some way to seal the ties against so noxious an
> agent as creosote, while retaining the look of railway ties?  Anyone
> ever rip up a railway before, and can give us some tips on replacing the
> ties?  What about a source of un-creosoted railway ties?
>
> Thanks!
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> Tim McShane, Assistant--Cultural History
> Medicine Hat Museum and Art Gallery
> 1302 Bomford Crescent S.W.
> Medicine Hat, AB   T1A 5E6
> (403) 502-8587
> [log in to unmask]
>

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