June 2023 Hardwood Matters

WOOD TIE GRADING MINISERIES: FOCAL POINT = RAIL-BEARING AREA

By Nate Irby, Railway Tie Association (RTA)

Wood ties and timbers used on our nation's railroad infrastructure support freight and passenger trains and help us continue to thrive as a country. North America has over 136,000 miles of track (Source, Railway Supply Institute: www.rsiweb.org/data-technical-resources/rail-supply-economic-impact-study/) to maintain. This requires a considerable effort, and annually, wood tie and timber producers bring 18-20 million ties to the marketplace (Source, Railway Tie Association: www.rta.org/why-rta). These ties and timbers are not simply "industrial" products; they are integral pieces of architec-

ture, with strength and structural integrity at the forefront of the procurement process. Railway Tie Association is the membership group representing tie-producing entities to the end-users that run railroads. RTA helps to keep wood tie markets strong and sustainable - and has been doing so since 1919. One of our annual tenants is providing education in our premiere event called the Tie Grading Seminar. This article and the subsequent installments to follow are highlights of that prestigious educational offering, with the foundation of tie grading being the rail-bearing area (RBA.)

Mainline railroad crossties today are generally 7"x9" x 8'6" grade 5, predominately oak and hickory, “sleepers” or pieces of wood utilized to hold up rail, anchor in ballast, and have locomotives and railcars roll over the top of them. When it comes to wood tie grading, RBA is the most critical focal point of a wood tie or timber, i.e., the area just under the rail, perpendicular to the direction of the track, and upholding the highest level of a graders’ scrutiny. Hosts of defects are examined in the RBA, including but not limited to checks, holes/ knots, wane, shake, beetle infestation, decay, etc. Limitations for each are delineated in the AREMA 30 standards (Source, American Railway and Engineering Maintenance-of-way Association: www. arema.org/AREMA_MBRR/Committees/30.aspx) and covered extensively at the RTA annual Tie Grading Seminar.

We offer the annual Tie Grading Seminar in the spring and promote the event as “all-inclusive” as we have students that are tenured in tie grading simply wanting a refresher to students that are new entrants in the industry outside of operations positions (administration, sales, finance.) Beyond the technical information provided on actual tie grading, the course is a great primer for those to learn the full gamut of the wood tie and timber industry. The course also brings meaningful insights to job functions in transforming a tie from mill to track, both upstream and downstream of perhaps one’s current role, which can be invigorating and aid in potential employee promotion/empowerment simply by the exposure gained while taking the course. Please visit rta.org for more information on wood ties and timbers, the Tie Grading Seminar, and other offerings RTA provides to our industry.

EASTERN US

LAKE STATES

Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, N Indiana, N Illinois: Cants and pallets are still dropping - some orders being placed but then no pickup. Wide spread and prolonged flooding due to snow melt. Several mills wanting to get into the tie market that normally would not saw ties due to other markets being down.

ATLANTIC

Virginia: Markets for Pallet and flooring are still down fairly low. Mills are not producing as many ties because the side boards are too cheap. Mills and loggers are having a hard time moving clean chips and round wood.

NEW ENGLAND

New England 1: Log prices are remaining high, as mills try to keep low inventories. Pallet material is not moving. Tie production is still a top priority for most mills. timber mat demand is still fairly strong.

Pennsylvania: Pricing on some markets down. Weather has been wet for logging.

MIDSOUTH

E Texas, NW Louisiana: Pallet is holding steady but it could still improve, the woods is still wet but we're bout to get to the drying stages hopefully and finally is markets would improve so that the mill can run wide open when logs go to moving would be nice.

SOUTHEAST

Mississippi: Logging conditions are poor but should improve over the next month. Most markets are suffering except crossties which still remain in a strong position.

Expected Demand by Color and Type: According to NWFA/Hardwood Floors magazine’s 2023 Industry Outlook, trends for wood flooring products are expected to remain largely the same in 2023, including categories such as wire-brushed, reclaimed flooring, unfinished, and solid flooring. Demand for hand-scraped flooring and gray stains is expected to decrease, while demand for natural wood colors and engineered flooring is expected to increase. Similar to more-recent years, wide planks and longboards continue to be in demand.