In the previous posts in the “how to remove railroad ties without really trying” series, we’ve taken an in-depth look at what is required before we start throwin’ out our backs trying to get those eyesores removed.  Now that we’ve got the right tools for the project, we can start removing the railroad ties with little to no impact or pain.

First, you’ll need to prep your area.  If you have grass, weeds, mulch, excess dirt, you’ll need to remove that so you’ll have easier access to the railroad ties.  To this end, I’ve used my Ryobi weed trimmer/edger with great success.  You’ll want to make sure you have a clear area to work with — it makes things 100 times easier.

Next, take your flat or square head shovel and start to dig a straight line  along the inside of the railroad ties (the side opposite the grass/material the railroad tie was edging).  I’d recommend going down at least 4 to 8 inches, depending on the size of the railroad ties.

Once the area on the inside of the railroad ties is clear, take your prybar or action bar and see if you can raise the railroad tie out of the ground.  In most instances, the railroad ties will have rotted slightly from years of being in wet soil, so you’ll have some mud/dirt that has filled in, making the railroad tie you’re trying to remove a wee-bit heavier.  No matter, this is what the sledgehammer is for!

With your prybar/action bar having successfully propped up the railroad tie, grab your flat or square head shovel and use it to assist the prybar in keeping the railroad tie above ground level.

Finally, the fun part: sledgehammer away.  Very methodically, take your first swing at the exposed end of the railroad tie.  Before you start swinging away, see what happened with your first swing.  Did it move anything else out of place?  Will it drive the railroad tie into your foundation?  Your siding?  Other landscaping?

With all that safety stuff out of the way, take your aggression out with the sledgehammer!  You’re almost done!

With the railroad tie successfully removed, the hardest part of the job is moving the dead weight railroad tie from the jobsite to the proper burial place.  For me, living in the city, it was a Gorilla Cart ride down my alley to the Yard Waste Only dumpster.  For non-city dwellers, you may want to check with your local waste management company to find out how to dispose of the railroad tie properly.

In our final post in this series, my wife will detail what we ended up doing with the cleared area. (Hint: it looks awesome now)