Repairing a Small Retaining Wall

My 35 year old house has reached the age where unexpected things are starting to wear out.  For instance, I had to replace my bathtub drain lever a month or so ago.

One of the many other items starting to show its age is the retaining wall separating my front yard from the road.  It's very small, only about a foot high, but it's starting to become unsightly, particularly the part near my mailbox.  The main reason:  people continue to run into it while backing out of the driveway.

The wall is made out of railroad ties two pieces high. The bottom railroad tie is okay, but the top railroad tie is starting to decompose.  I need to replace it.

I couldn't find much on the internet about this job, but it seemed pretty straightforward. The most challenging part of this was actually finding somebody to sell me a railroad tie.  None of the big box hardware stores (Lowes, Home Depot, Ace, etc) have them in stock.  I finally found somebody in Raleigh/ Cary, Family Home and Garden, that sold them (only $15 each!).  Note:  Railroad ties are pretty heavy.   Although Family Home and Garden will help you get them in your automobile/ trailer, you'll probably want somebody to help you unload them. 

Because people loved driving their cars into the railroad tie near the mailbox, I also wanted to make sure it stayed put when pushed with a lot of force.  I found these three foot solid metal spikes for about $4 each next to the rebar (my initial choice) at Home Depot.

These should be easier to contend with than rebar due to their pointy ends.  I bought four of them.  

In regards to tools, an engineering hammer (2 lbs), wheelbarrow, reciprocating saw (with a decent blade - I used the ones rated for demolition), drill (powerful one with some pretty sizable bits), transfer shovel, trowel, and crowbar were all employed for this task.  YMMV, however, depending on your circumstances.

First up, removing the current, unsightly railroad tie. I live in the woods, so I beat on the old railroad tie for a minute or two to give any current tenants (mice, snakes, etc) an eviction notice.  I next used a crowbar to pry off the old railroad tie.  It was fastened previously with long nails, which I also removed from the top and bottom railroad tie.  

I next prepared the spot for the new railroad tie.  I used a transfer shovel to scrape off all the dirt, rotten wood and other yard gunk.  Using a trowel, I also removed some of the earth being retained behind the wall.  The purpose was so I could set the railroad tie back a couple of extra inches and prevent it from jutting out.  

Then, the new railroad tie tried out its new home.  Make sure you like the way it looks in its spot.  It might not hurt to try flipping it over and comparing other positions.  Mine was a little warped and looked better when rotated.  I also took a little more dirt out  so I could wedge it in better and make it more flush with the retained dirt wall. 

After getting everything situated, it's time to drill.  This took forever since my drill is pretty old and weak. Here's a picture of it.  It was a hand-me-down from my father.

I used a 1" bit and slowly made a hole through the middle of one of the ends of the tie (about a foot from the edge).  Be careful.  My piece was pretty dense and had a few rocks in it.  

I then drove my spike through the drilled hole and the bottom railroad tie with a two pound engineering hammer.

After that, I repeated the drilling and hammering process three more times, once on the other end and twice more closer to the middle.  The new railroad tie is in place!

What about the old rotting one?  I cut it up with a reciprocating saw and hauled it off to the dump.

Overall, this was a pretty easy project.  I probably invested a couple of hours completing it (not counting the time spent hunting down the replacement railroad tie).

Here's the end product.  You can get an idea of the condition of the other railroad ties by comparing the end of the older one next to the new one.  I'll replace the others as time permits.