[modeleng] Re: Track protection
- From: Jesse <fernj1@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2012 10:25:18 -0500
Rich, et al,
Slathering creosote or just about anything else on the outside of
sleepers will not offer much protection from rot. Even pressure treated
full size creosoted sleepers will not last forever. The creosote seems
to never get to the centre of the sleepers. At the sawmill, we bought
used sleepers for lumber foundations. These had been treated back in the
1950s but if we cut one in half crossways, the centre of most would not
have any creosote showing. This was despite the fact that the sleepers
had been run through an incisor machine that cut hundreds of slits into
the wood and then put into the heated and pressurized treatment vessels
where the creosote was applied for a day or maybe longer. I say all of
this to show that nothing applied to the surface will ever penetrate the
wood well enough to prevent rot.
When growing up in Jackson, TN, we lived only a half mile or so from a
large creosoting operation where they treated power line poles as well
as sleepers. In later years, I did machine work on some of the
equipment at the works. Since I have moved away from Jackson, the site
which was opened in 1925, has closed down and been designated a
"Superfund Cleanup site". The ground probably has enough creosote in it
that it could be mined and distilled out in sufficient quantity to treat
all the live steam club sleepers in the USA, but there is a 10 foot high
chain link fence around the whole area. I never got any weird diseases
from visiting the works while it was operating, but maybe some of the
workers did.
Jesse in hot dry Troy, TN
> Hi there All,
>
> I'm struggling to find something to protect the wooden longitudinals and
> sleepers of the few feet of test track of have managed to assemble, and
> wonder if anyone has any suggestions.
>
> Whilst I know that the if I mention the banning of 'proper' coal tar
> creasote for all the normal houshold situations, there will be some who
> will say "I've used it for years", the fact that there will be children
> and animals in the vicinity of the track, combined with the evidence
> (which could be read as 'we painted some rats with it and it only took a
> few weeks before they developed skin cancer'), and the fact that there are
> meant to be safer alternatives out there made me want to at least to see
> what I could find.
>
> Noting that I used to be a member of the traditional creasote mixed with
> old engine oil brigade, I was quite pleased when I first built the
> structure and coated it with dark Creacote, it looked and smelled right.
>
> However, having added a few new bits of wood and tried recoating, the new
> wood is taking it well, but the old wood that I treated a year or so ago,
> well 24 hours after coating it, it looks old and washed out again, as if
> we'd forgotten to recoat it.
>
> Any thoughts on what I should be trying instead?
>
> I didn't want to use one of these wax paints that are aimed at fences, as
> to my mind it doesn't look right (though I'm happy with it on fences) and
> also it won't wipe off the rails like the Creacote did and creasote would.
>
> I'm not against, but hesitant about using something which is a 'stain' as
> (a) that won't really preserve the wood, and (b) if you spray, then I've
> noted that some stains suggest ingestion/inhalation can cause permanent
> lung damage...don't mind painting it on, but spraying would be faster
> given the fiddlyness of the sleepers and all the nooks and crannies.
>
> Any advice or views greatfully received.
>
>
> All the best,
>
>
> Rich.
>
>
>
>
>
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