Help Using Railway Sleepers

An easyway to join new hardwood, softwood and second hand railway sleepers is to use landscape screws. Purchase with your sleepers.

Railway sleepers stood on their edge will form the wall of the raised bed. The railway sleepers can be fixed at the corners using landscape screws.

When creating steps in the garden railway sleepers may be used to create the riser. Soil or gravel may then be filled in behind to create the tread.

Because of their strength and excellent treatment, railway sleepers perform very well for this job. There are several methods that can be employed. Sleepers may be set vertically into the ground being set 2.6m apart to support horizontal sleepers, which are built into the main retaining wall. Railway sleepers may be set between steel RSJ’s or Universal steel columns which can be covered in timber to improve appearance. Railway sleepers may also be used vertically and set side by side. However, this method has several disadvantages and it is more labour intensive.

Driveways and flowerbeds may be edged with sleepers. Railway sleepers are robust enough to act as a kerb for vehicle wheels and to roll tarmac up to.

Railway sleepers may be used in bridges large or small. Just one or two sleepers can be laid across a small ditch or stream to form a pedestrian bridge. Larger bridges can be constructed using steel girders and the railway sleepers can be used as the decking.