When a railroad tie rots in place over a hundred or so years, does it leave a pit? Or does it leave a mound? Richard Palmer (the railroad author) and I are having a disagreement. He says that the Clifton Iron Company's railroad ties rotted away, leaving holes where the rails were. I say that the ties fed plants, which grew into and around the ties, preserving their shape. I was convinced that I was right, but then I looked at the picture I took (below) of a side view of a pair of ties, it could go either way. Same thing for the picture below it, which shows snow melted off the peaks and remaining in the valleys. I'll have to go back and look again.
posted at: 05:38 | path: /railroads | permanent link to this entry
