Is there such a thing as buying new ones? You used to be able to buy switch or siding ties, but I've not seen those in some time. Lumberyard ties in bunks are $23 apiece, and about 1/2 aren't worth hauling home - I salvaged better looking stuff off jobs the last year or two.
Don't know if I would want to irrigate crops with RR Ties given what they are treated with. It may leach out into the water.
A&K Materials has yards around the US, new and a couple grades of used. There's others as well. Google RR ties
Many dozens of tie headgates and diversions in place in this valley since forever, no adverse conditions that I've ever noticed. Reed canary grass, bunch grasses/forbs, coyote willow, wild rose, barberry etc. all grow right up to and in some cases in cracked tie wood. All ties get mossy after about 5 years so I can't imagine much of the treat is migrating out. Most of the ditches run around 50 to 200 miner's inches of water, that roughly translates to somewhere between 675,000 - 2,880,000 gallons flowed every 24 hours. I confess I don't know how much leached creosote it would take to contaminate 2 1/2 million gallons of water a day to the point it would kill a barley or hay crop. Water health is excellent, thriving trout/aquatic insect/bird populations in the canals and adjoining streams. Thanks..I did do some checking last summer, and there are suppliers but I have to buy at least a truckload quantity, which is a minimum of 250 ties. They'd guarantee to have #2s, which would certainly be better than whatever grade the lumberyards are selling. 250 would last me until the end of time, I have 3 to do next year, so would be sitting on about 200 ties in the interim, several thousand $$ with the trucking charges clear here. Hoping for a little better option.
Environment here would fine you a kajillion dollars for using creosote ties any where near water now. Mind you the railway still hasn't replaced them all yet, same as power poles.
The railroad and the power company has the $$ to pay the politicians to be exempt from those regulations.
Years ago a study was done on treated piles. They drove 3 different 6 pile dolphins in a Sooke Harbor on the west coast of the Island. 1 was untreated timber,one green treated ACZA and one Creosote. The Creosote supported the most prolific growth under water. Contamination was negligible. There was along and reasonable explanation of the results.
If you only need 50 or so, you will need to sort thru the ones at lumber yards and leave the junk. A couple years ago, the local Home Depot had 2 bundles that looked almost brand new.
I never thought of looking in the big box stores, will do that this weekend..thanks!
It's hard to find find good used ties here too, there's one or two places that have bunch but a lot are real rough, sometimes good ones can be scored after a siding demo. We're pretty much 100% concrete, plastic pipe and hot dipped steel on any open irrigation or other open channel projects now though.
I’ve purchased many used ties from this place. https://mtrrservices.com/ If you buy bundles you will end up with some rotten ties. They frown upon sorting through them.
They just tore out the last operating logging railway here on the island. There was thousands of yellow cedar ties coming out of there and being sold locally.They would be good for uses like yours. https://www.flickr.com/photos/chris_city/albums/72157668843872224/