# Anyone know why this tie is painted white?



## Hotrainewbie (Feb 14, 2021)

I’ve seen them paint ties yellow for a derail before but not anything out on the mainline like this. It’s next to these guys which I assume are just for the crossing but not sure what the white tie symbolizes.


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

> I have seen entire ties on the CSX painted white and when I asked a M of W guy about it he said it meant that there was a pipe or culvert or something passing underneath the right-of-way at that point.


From the post with date/time stamp 08/31/02 06:50 here... https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,356340


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## Trackjockey05 (Jun 30, 2020)

Hotrainewbie said:


> I’ve seen them paint ties yellow for a derail before but not anything out on the mainline like this. It’s next to these guys which I assume are just for the crossing but not sure what the white tie symbolizes.
> View attachment 586617


How far from the road crossing?


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## Trackjockey05 (Jun 30, 2020)

Could be clearance marker for the crossing, there are different requirements according to what state it is, in Illinois it’s 500’, gives trains a reference point to stop short of a public crossing


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## Hotrainewbie (Feb 14, 2021)

Trackjockey05 said:


> Could be clearance marker for the crossing, there are different requirements according to what state it is, in Illinois it’s 500’, gives trains a reference point to stop short of a public crossing


It was only 100 ft from the crossing, at a crossing on the monon sub in indiana


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## rrman987 (Aug 29, 2021)

I was thinking it had something to do with whatever is in those bungalows, but close look at tie I don't see any wiring or connected devices.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Really lacks enough context to answer. If CSX, it likely is a marking for a culvert or some such. Could also be a clearance or fouling marking of some kind. Is that your own photo? If so, did you take any others of the area that could help us figure it out.


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## Hotrainewbie (Feb 14, 2021)

Sorry, j


CTValleyRR said:


> Really lacks enough context to answer. If CSX, it likely is a marking for a culvert or some such. Could also be a clearance or fouling marking of some kind. Is that your own photo? If so, did you take any others of the area that could help us figure it out.


Sorry it was just a quick post while I waited for Amtrak. It is CSX trackage and didn’t take any other photos. I won’t be able to take any new photos for a week or two since I’m staying in Indianapolis for a little while. Sorry I didn’t provide much context. There were some electronics hooked up to the rail just a few feet after the tie.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Hotrainewbie said:


> I’ve seen them paint ties yellow for a derail before but not anything out on the mainline like this. It’s next to these guys which I assume are just for the crossing but not sure what the white tie symbolizes.
> View attachment 586617


It is the Mason/Dixon line.


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## Hotrainewbie (Feb 14, 2021)

Big Ed said:


> It is the Mason/Dixon line.


No this is the CSX monon sub


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

Some kind of line up guide for the utility sheds. I don't know what any of it is btw .. I know nothing about real trains. Zippo.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Hotrainewbie said:


> No this is the CSX monon sub


I never heard of that submarine? 😁


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## OilValleyRy (Oct 3, 2021)

I would defer to TrackJockey on this. 
But if I was to wager I’d say probably a marker for either physical clearance, or dispatcher clearance. It might be a crew change point?


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## MidwestMikeGT (Jan 4, 2021)

Maybe @DJsTrains might be able to shed some light on this topic. I would love to get his thoughts on this.


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## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

I'm going to guess that it's some kind of indicator as to where a circuit begins/ends or activates/de-activates.

Since it was about 100 feet from a crossing, I'm thinking that it might indicate the following:

where the crossing circuit is RELEASED, after the train has passed over the crossing.
the point at which a train will RE-activate the crossing protection if it has passed over the crossing in one direction, and then changes direction.

Were there any fixed signals near where this was located?
If so, might have something to do with them, as well.
Or... perhaps with PTC...


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Isn’t WAGing fun….?


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

Again...



Tracks, ties and ballast painted white: why? - RAILROAD.NET


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Stumpy said:


> Again...
> 
> 
> 
> Tracks, ties and ballast painted white: why? - RAILROAD.NET


Why again? It's just another fan site, with people speculating about the reasons. We saw it the first time it's hardly definitive answer. They don't know any more than we do.


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

CTValleyRR said:


> Why again?


The person I quoted in post #2 said, "w*hen I asked a M of W guy about it* he said it meant that there was a pipe or culvert or something passing underneath the right-of-way at that point. "

At this point that is the most "definitive" answer I have seen.

"Again" because somebody else said it... again.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

May be marking where the conduit for wires going to/from those shiny boxes to gets to the other side of the rails.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Stumpy said:


> The person I quoted in post #2 said, "w*hen I asked a M of W guy about it* he said it meant that there was a pipe or culvert or something passing underneath the right-of-way at that point. "
> 
> At this point that is the most "definitive" answer I have seen.
> 
> "Again" because somebody else said it... again.


Which presumes that the MOW guy he asked worked on THAT railroad, and was familiar with the exact spot. Different railroads have different practices.

And that said, it's a FOAF response (friend of a friend). It's a HUGE red flag when people respond by quoting someone they asked, or someone they know, etc., because it's a way of implying expertise that may not actually be present. If he had said, "I am a MOW employee for XYZ railroad, I know that spot, and this is what it is", I'd consider it a good answer. Otherwise, it's most likely just someone trying to be a know it all.


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

Never claimed it was an iron-clad conclusion. Could be though.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Coulda, woulda, shoulda….


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

May be, might be, probably not?


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Stumpy said:


> Never claimed it was an iron-clad conclusion. Could be though.


Yet you chose to post it "again", to all appearances strongly implying that it was the last word on the subject, implying that if we had simply read your link, we would have been convinced. 

No one ever said it couldn't be right. It's as likely an answer as any other. But not a definitive answer.


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

You're reading something into it that isn't there CT.

Since you've gone into your typical "gotta have the last word" mode, you can go ahead and post again and I won't reply.


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## StXElectroWiz (6 mo ago)

Howdy everyone! I'm new here and this is my first post. You guys were cracking me up btw, now by no means do I work for the railroad but have done alot of travelling diesel wrench turning all over Texas. I found this post White marking on tracks... (trainorders.com) them boys say it's used for marking either single tie replacement or marking the beginning or end of a stretch of tie replacements. Now when I worked in the oilfield I noticed sometimes near tank batteries where there were a few 5000 gallon holding tanks sometimes on the cement they would paint white lines where two angles intersected to observe for micro-cracking, also this is practice in the spillways for refineries. It very well could be an inspection mark to see how much the rail is shifting on their next pass through, at a closer look at the rail it does show signs of pins missing for sure but if you look real close at the white tie it almost looks as it has shifted to the left and forward, plus the evidence of what appears to be saw dust on top of the white paint probably isn't good either


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Welcome, Wiz!

With modern maintenance equipment and non-destructive, computer-based fault detection, older methods of marking track faults / replacement areas have gone the way of the steam locomotive. In any event, this was most often a less-obvious marking on one or both ends of the tie, not an entire tie painted white (why waste paint if you're just going to rip the tie out) -- just a quick spurt from the spray can. With modern fault detection, they use lasers to measure the track geometry and deformities, so there is no need for a visual reference for such a crude instrument as the human eye to detect it. If this was a rundown branch line, maybe old methods would still be used, but that's modern, well maintained track in the picture.


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## Hotrainewbie (Feb 14, 2021)

I’ve got an answer! It’s to signify a culvert underneath the tracks to let MoW crewmen know not to throw anything into its path!


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

Hotrainewbie said:


> I’ve got an answer! It’s to signify a culvert underneath the tracks to let MoW crewmen know not to throw anything into its path!


I think you just made this thread a lot more interesting.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Hotrainewbie said:


> I’ve got an answer! It’s to signify a culvert underneath the tracks to let MoW crewmen know not to throw anything into its path!


It's certainly possible. How did you suddenly come upon this knowledge?


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

CTValleyRR said:


> It's certainly possible. How did you suddenly come upon this knowledge?


Probably here Tracks, ties and ballast painted white: why? - RAILROAD.NET

In my experience, it is just as Freddy says: "There's a culvert here". Because when your culvert gets clogged up, and the water is flowing OVER the tracks, and you forgot where every one of your culverts is, it's nice to see that big white marker.


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## cfurnari (Aug 2, 2020)

sounds reasonable, and possible


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

Big Ed said:


> Probably here Tracks, ties and ballast painted white: why? - RAILROAD.NET
> 
> In my experience, it is just as Freddy says: "There's a culvert here". Because when your culvert gets clogged up, and the water is flowing OVER the tracks, and you forgot where every one of your culverts is, it's nice to see that big white marker.


That's the link Stumpy posted in #17 and was somewhat questioned in #18.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Gramps said:


> That's the link Stumpy posted in #17 and was somewhat questioned in #18.


It was huh? Sorry 😁 

Some kids painted it so everyone would question as to the why.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

A tie graffiti artist!


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Big Ed said:


> Probably here Tracks, ties and ballast painted white: why? - RAILROAD.NET
> 
> In my experience, it is just as Freddy says: "There's a culvert here". Because when your culvert gets clogged up, and the water is flowing OVER the tracks, and you forgot where every one of your culverts is, it's nice to see that big white marker.


Yep, we've already concluded that, while a plausible and likely correct answer, it's anything but definitive proof.


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## scenicsRme (Aug 19, 2020)

Old_Hobo said:


> A tie graffiti artist!


must be a minimalist or he lacks the imagination of most graffiti artists. Don't stop now, my popcorn just finished popping!


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Don’t forget the salt and butter….


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

Oil Valley RR: 
Yes, deliberately saying something (offensive ) ,then saying you’re sorry for it in almost the same sentence is indeed what society has devolved to.


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## OilValleyRy (Oct 3, 2021)

prrfan said:


> Oil Valley RR:
> Yes, deliberately saying something (offensive ) ,then saying you’re sorry for it in almost the same sentence is indeed what society has devolved to.


Not being able to analyze ourselves in a positive/comical light without offending somebody, then getting cancelled because skin is too thin is indeed going in a bad direction. Especially when a social commentary and satire gets called “political” because somebody is offended. That doesn’t convert it to something else. Everything is offensive to somebody; that’s just life. So everything needs to be cancelled if that’s the preferred solution. And that, is social commentary. Not political. It (the post) was a “slam” on our current societal trends and over-reactions compounding that, making things even worse.
This post, also a social commentary, will probably offend somebody, be wrongly labelled “political,” and get deleted too.

And in keeping with societal trends, I protest the decision that the satirical social commentary on social issues was political in any way. Furthermore; Cancelling everything because somebody somewhere might be offended is a crisis, like everything else these days. Lol


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Still, this is a train forum…..lots of places to make social commentary elsewhere….feel free to explore those places….


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## OilValleyRy (Oct 3, 2021)

Old_Hobo said:


> Still, this is a train forum…..lots of places to make social commentary elsewhere….feel free to explore those places….


I may. I find improving society a worthy cause. Any recommendations on places?


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

OVRR: Your post got deleted because it was reported by more than one member for offensive content. Be clear, I was not one of them. I know you didn’t suggest I was, just clarifying.

The issue really isn’t political, per se, although I guess we could dance around that mulberry bush. That argument is an obfuscation.
The real issue here is being respectful to our fellow forum members. Do we really have to spell this out for you?

You may or not have noticed that we have members of all colors and creeds from not only the USA, but all over the world. In fact you probably have advised some of these newer members. So is this the way you want to represent yourself, and more importantly, the membership as a whole?

We’re all modelers, first and foremost as far as this forum is concerned. Please just let’s keep it that way. Sure, we all joke around occasionally and we definitely know we have political differences across the spectrum. We should also realize that there’s a WHITE LINE,
albeit invisible-a boundary of common decency in fellowship that needs to be considered.
Thanks for listening. I’m done with this and want to focus on trains.
Dan


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Time to close this one. Please don't force me to break out the big hammer.


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