Time to replace some RR ties

     In 1987, I built a shed into the side of a hill, then covered it with a foot of ground.  I used the shed to store nursery stock while I was waiting to plant it in my nursery, as it stayed cool and damp inside.
     In 1995, I put RR ties in the front of the shed, but after 21 years they were getting quite deteriorated.  So, I decided to replace 22 ties, including the steps leading up to the left.  As I seem to have more brains now than in 1995, when I did all the work alone, I hired two men for ten hours each to remove the old ties and put in the new ones.  The steps I did all alone.  Each tie weighs between 180 and 200 pounds.  However, if they last another 21 years, I dread doing this all over again when I am 94 years old!
     I cut the ties with either of two antique crosscut saws, four or five feet in length.  They give a smoother cut than a chainsaw.  And if I used a chainsaw, the creosote in the ties would dull the blade after only four cuts, as the saw gets so hot.
     The ties are higher-grade ties, more solid and better shaped than most.  I pay $15 for each.