Colour: Medium brown to dark with some silver grey if bleached by sun. Spots of tar on surface sometimes.
Description: used pine. Tar & creosote treated. Square, straight, and lighter than hardwood sleepers.
Comment: The whole of the British railway system was constructed from them, so for years the only sleepers available to farmers and gardeners. Excellent for stacking/ laying side by side, slotting into RSJ's, and non-domestic situations. Unfortunately can badly weap tar in summer so not sensible around children, animals. A nightmare when on clothes. Banned from places of frequent skin contact or possible food contamination. Popular due to sometimes sadly nationalistic reasons. ("I'm not buying a froggy / kraut sleeper")
Weight: Easier to lift. Ranging from 110 - 150lb (50 - 60 kilos) Bear this in mind for carrying sleepers onto site (e.g. the back of a garden). You'll need at least two people. Don't risk your back trying them on your own.
Cutting: Straightforward. You can use a circular saw / chainsaw / or bow saw to cut these railway sleepers.
Attaching / Fixing: Timberlok will screw straight through these without a pilot hole