In the aftermath of some of this summer’s severe storms, one Union Pacific Railroad employee is taking a creative approach to sustainably repurposing debris left behind by Mother Nature.
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Tod Spradley, track supervisor, cleverly turned tornado aftermath in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, into an opportunity for renewal by processing downed trees into rail tie-ready logs for local mills.
“I hated to see all of those trees go to waste,” said Spradley, who independently collected oak, hickory and gum logs on his and a neighboring property.
He cut more than 40 logs into tie length – typically 8 feet, 6 inches – before using an excavator and tractor with a grapple to load them into his large dump trailer.
“Mills usually get logs from professional loggers,” Spradley said. “They cut them into various tie sizes and lumber before shipping them to treatment plants.”
Spradley said his lumber was “graciously accepted” by sawmills in the Neelyville and Doniphan areas of Missouri, where it will be treated and sold as ties to Union Pacific. He estimates there are 40 to 60 logs to collect on his 42-acre property.
In 2024, Union Pacific will invest $1.9 billion in infrastructure replacement, furthering its commitment to the safety and integrity of critical assets like rail ties. Last year, Engineering team members replaced more than 3 million ties throughout the railroad’s 23-state system.
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