A railroad tie or crosstie or railway sleeper is a rectangular support for the rails in railroad tracks. Many are lifted every year to be replaced (often by concrete versions) leaving a surplus of well-worn timber thoroughly soaked in various treatments to slow them rotting. Despite this treatment, they can have many, many uses in the garden which pose no risk. (I wouldn't advise growing veg etc. in a raised bed made from sleepers for example, nor should they be burned in an indoor open fire or wood burning stove).
After searching for some time we have managed to source a supplier so these are now available from our Garden & Salvage yard behind our Narberth Vintage Warehouse. We deliberately don't stock the perfect, grade A sleepers - we are Bazaar and specialise in the old and well-worn after all! Instead we have those that clearly show their age and heavy use. The raised grain on some of these is just stunning!
We've created a section on our Garden & Salvage Pinterest Board here to show you the many ways in which these old pieces of our transport heritage can be reused (each image has the source details). Of course, you can go out and buy new 'sleepers' but they certainly won't have the character of these and buying new when old is also available just doesn't seem very planet friendly...
- Sleepers standing upright, buried straight into the ground or concreted into place, create a fence with gorgeous character and strength.
- We love this combination of old red brick and sleepers used to create a simply beautiful garden path. ( I have just the perfect place to create this in our garden!)
- Sleeper sections embedded in a gravel path add interest and look fabulous!
- Sleepers are used here to create a simple raised bed by sitting them on the grass. Lift them into place, fasten together with long screws at the edges where required, tip in bags of compost or topsoil and plant away. A quick, easy and beautiful way to create a focal point in a lawn.
- Use sleepers to create a lovely 'bridge' over a dry river bed.
- Here the sleepers create steps that sit perfectly within the natural woodland setting.