Are you looking for railway sleepers? Welcome to our website! Here you will find high-quality railway sleepers, oak wood sleepers, and other masterfully crafted timber products. For more details, please contact us at contact@silvarisgrup.ro.
In a railway system, sleepers act much like the vertebrae in a human spine. What would our body be without vertebrae? How would our lungs and other vital organs be supported without them?
Similarly, in a railway network, sleepers represent the structural support that carries the heavy load. If the sleepers are compromised, there is a high risk of the rails spreading (loss of gauge) and, inevitably, the deterioration of the track bed.
Have you ever been on a train and felt as if it were hitting “potholes”? It’s the same sensation as hitting a hole with a car wheel. It is worth knowing that the main culprit is usually not the engine driver or old rails, but the sleepers.
If water has accumulated under the sleeper or if the ballast is crushed, the sleeper loses its stability. This creates an unpleasant sensation, both tactile and auditory.
Before we dive into the first chapter, here is an interesting fact…
At the joint where two rails meet, there must be either two closely spaced sleepers or a wider “joint sleeper” to support both ends. If these sleepers are degraded, the rail ends fall out of alignment – leading to that famous rhythmic “clacking” sound we all know when traveling by train.
Our job is to provide superior quality sleepers! Our expertise in the wood processing industry is reflected in every single product we deliver.
Romania is in a full process of development, and its railway system must be upgraded with high-level solutions. Wooden sleepers remain a premium solution worthy of consideration for any railway network!
We have already touched upon some of their functions. However, it is worth noting that sleepers are not only used in the railway industry, even though the term seems “umbilically” linked to it.
Beyond railways, sleepers are used in the mining and forestry industries (for transport lines), in civil engineering and bridges, shipyards, or ports. Last but not least, sleepers are widely used in gardening and landscaping.
Thus, sleepers cover multiple fields where they can be used with great success. In which field do you use them? Do you run a construction business? Do you work in the railway industry?
Whatever your need, our sleepers are more than just components—they are true structural solutions!
The main function of a sleeper is to uniformly distribute dynamic loads. As in our “pothole” example, sleepers take the weight of the train and convert the pressure.
How many tons does an electric locomotive weigh? Let’s say 100 tons (some even more). All that weight presses down on the rails. If the rail sat directly on the ground, it would sink like a knife through butter.
The role of the sleepers is to take that massive pressure from the rails and discharge it into the ballast (the stone bed underneath).
Let’s look at some basic calculations to understand how it works…
What is the size of a standard sleeper? Between 2.4 and 2.6 meters. We focus on the 2.6-meter standard because it offers better stability.
How many sleepers are laid per kilometer of track? There are strict regulations from the Ministry of Transport regarding the number of sleepers per kilometer, depending on alignment and curves. For our example, let’s use a fixed number: 1,500 sleepers per kilometer.
At 1,000 meters (1 km) with 1,500 sleepers, we get a distance of 0.66 meters (66 cm) between sleepers. This means that every 66 cm, there is an oak sleeper ready to take the load.
If we place a 100-ton locomotive on the rails, the math gets interesting: the weight is divided among 4 axles, resulting in 25 tons per axle, or 12.5 tons per wheel.
Therefore, the density of oak wood is not a luxury—it is a necessity to keep the ballast and the rail in perfect condition for as long as possible.
Wooden railway sleepers are not “old-fashioned,” even if they might seem so next to concrete, steel, or polymer alternatives. Wood is in high demand and is considered unparalleled in certain cases due to its unique properties:
Elasticity: wood absorbs shocks and vibrations better than concrete.
Low Weight: it is much easier to handle a wooden sleeper than a concrete or steel one.
Electrical Insulation: wood is a natural insulator (it also offers the best sound insulation among all types of sleepers).
Adaptability: they can be cut to bespoke sizes for switches (turnouts) or bridges.
Resistance: especially in curves, where the train exerts immense lateral force.
At Silvaris, our sleepers are made of Oak, which is considered a premium material.
Oak sleepers have a major advantage due to their high density, pressure resistance (essential for railways), and excellent Janka hardness.
Have you heard of Janka hardness? If you are a wood connoisseur or work with timber, you certainly have. The Janka hardness test is the standard parameter that measures a wood species’ resistance to wear, denting, and crushing—all of which are vital for a railway.
Oak wood has a Janka hardness between 6,000 and 6,500 N (Newtons), which is excellent. The higher the Janka rating, the denser the wood and the harder it is for it to be drilled or crushed by a train.
Furthermore, oak has a natural durability, making it ideal for railway switches, bridges, and tight curves where centrifugal force tends to widen the gauge.
Should we stop here or continue with some “insider” facts? Let’s continue…
Solid oak sleepers are fire-resistant. You read that correctly. Unlike metal sleepers that bend under heat or concrete sleepers that can “explode” under pressure, oak maintains its structural integrity.
And one more bit of general knowledge: oak has a unique chemical property—it contains tannic acid. Why is this important? Because of a “self-sealing” phenomenon. When iron screws (sleeper screws/bolts) come into contact with the tannin in damp oak, it creates a chemical barrier that prevents water from penetrating deeper into the “wound” made by the screw.
For more details regarding our oak railway sleepers, please contact us.
Our headquarters are located in Lipova, Arad County, but we proudly deliver to Timiș, Bihor, Hunedoara, Alba, Cluj, Sibiu, Brașov, Iași, Brăila, Constanța, and internationally (Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark, UK, USA, South America, Australia, etc.). In short, we deliver wherever we are needed!
Are you interested in collaborating, have questions, or need assistance with something specific?
Don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
