What prices Do you other sawyers get for Your untreated Rairoad ties 7x9x8'?

[Precision Wood Products]

I'm pricing ties for a railroad near me. I'm being asked for a price. Any suggestions?

[Ron Wenrich]

Do you have a railroad that's putting in untreated ties?  A bold move on their part.  We're getting about $20 for our oak and that's delivered to the treatment plant.  It follows the 1 Com red oak prices in my area.  When red oak goes up, so do ties.  Mixed hardwoods are $1 less.

[Precision Wood Products]

This is Union Pacific Railroad. They are buying my untreated ties and then shipping them to a treatment plant. I don,t have to pay for shipping and the treatment plant sorts the ties and I get paid for all the good ones.

[Bibbyman]

I'm pricing ties for a railroad near me. I'm being asked for a price. Any suggestions?

We're pretty new to the RR tie business - only been cutting them off and on for 4-5 years and not in much volume.  We've only dealt with Koppers at one location. 

We've never had them to ask me what I wanted for a tie.  They always tell me how much they're paying.  The price tends to vary from time to time – up ¢50-$1.00 one time and down the next.  Last Friday it was $21.50 for 8'-8" and 9'-3".  They pay us to deliver on top of that.

[Banjo picker]

I had a tie buyer call me about 3 weeks ago wanting ties....price was around $21.00 or so...I don't know how he got my number I had never contacted them before.  Looks like the price should ease up a tad if they are fishing for new mills....Tim

[Banjo picker]

I ment to mention something else....You may be on to something new, but I have never been able to sell a 8 ft tie....Buyers around here need at least 8' 6"  ....You get them too short they will cull them and cut your price a bunch....I would verify that length before I cut them off....Tim

[Bibbyman]

Our Koppers buyer was buying some 8-2" ties but the price was really low - something like $14.00 ea.  I think they must have stopped buying them as there are about 10 bundles on their lot that has been there for months.

Funny about the lengths.  Our buyer insists on 8'-8" not a fraction less.  We get in a lot of logs that are 8-6" to 8-7".   :-\

[Ron Wenrich]

I asked my tie buyer about tie length one time.  A lot depends on where the ties are going to.  Here in the east, we can get away with a tie that's a little shorter than 8' 6".  But, anything west of the Mississippi needs something a little longer.  8' ties may be used by local transit systems.  We do throw our shorter ties to the side and get maybe a few ties a week that won't make 8'6".  Its still better than cutting a tie down to pallet stock.