File:Railroad_tieswoodconcrete.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
railroad tie
Sign in to saveAlso known as railway tie, crosstie, railway sleeper, sleeper
support for the rails in railroad tracks
Wikidata facts
- Part of
- permanent way
- Material used
- wood
- Image
- Railroad tieswoodconcrete.jpg
Show 1 more fact
- Commons category
- Railroad ties
via Wikidata · CC0
~21 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Wooden ties are used on many traditional railways. In the background is a track with concrete ties.
A railroad tie, crosstie (American English), railway tie (Canadian English) or railway sleeper (Australian and British English) is a rectangular support for the rails in railroad tracks. Generally laid perpendicular to the rails, ties transfer loads to the track ballast and subgrade, hold the rails upright and keep them spaced to the correct gauge.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “railroad tie” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.