Ah the clickety clack of the train as it travels down the track. Did you know that noise comes from the gaps in the steel track, not the railway sleepers under it? I didn’t but anyway enough of the romantic daydreaming about a long train trip into the country.
I’d love to travel on the Ghan up into central Australia.
But that is not the purpose of this article.
Up until about 20 years ago, hardwood timber was the product of choice for railway sleepers because it lasted such a long time and was resistant to weather, water and the weight of the trains.
Nowadays you’re more likely to see simply concrete sleepers being used on suburban rail lines, but out in the country you’ll still see a lot of timber.
As these sleepers got replaced, some bright spark got the idea of using them in retaining walls and garden beds and their popularity rose dramatically in the 1970’s. Who hadn’t been to a house with a timber sleeper garden bed at some stage.
But timber eventually does rot, or attract termites, and a few years ago, our expert chemist and production guru came up with the idea of making a wet cast version of the humble timber sleeper. He challenged himself to make it look like the original – and boy did he succeed.
You can stand right on our Timberstone sleepers and look very closely and you may still be fooled.
The molds were taken straight off a real sleeper and then with a bit of colour and formulation magic, we’ve recreated the romantic look of the old timber sleeper with none of the downsides.
Coloured right through, and made of the highest quality wet cast sand, cement and oxides, our Timberstone Sleepers can be used in retaining walls or paving.
Check them out at any one of our three display superstores or online at melbournebrick.com.au