That's true. Although the spacing is uniform for the most part, the sleepers are slightly closer together in the region of the fishplates in order to give extra support to the most vulnerable part of the rail.

Sleeper spacings
Bullhead used to be commonly laid at 24 per 60ft length or about 750mm.
Closer together over the 4 sleepers at each end of the panel.
On CWR track minimum spacing is 26 / length or 700mm.
General relays now are at 650mm or 28 / L
Heavy traffic routes and steel sleepers are laid at 30 / L or 600mm spacing

Exactly where are steel sleepers used does anybody know?

Anywhere Network Rail feels like putting them.
They are used to my knowledge on all areas except those with 3rd rail.
Overhead electrification does not pose a problem.
Not normally used on the high speed main lines but are found on the slow lines alongside.
Many branches in the North West and North East have had many miles of them installed.
I was involved in laying about 25 miles of them on the Hull _ Seamer line over about 4 years.

Thanks Bryan - is that the new direction for railway building in the future (I expect they are cheap from India?) I shall keep my eyes open and see if I can spot any in situ.
Are they flat or ribbed and does fettling getting more difficult?

Sleepers used to be imported from US but more recently have been produced in UK by CORUS.
Steels are flat across between the rails then curve down into the ballast about a foot outside the rails.
Once the hollow of the underside (Its shaped like a flat topped U section but upside down) is bedded into the ballast they don't need much attention.

As I understand it steels are used where the traffic is light and the under surface is sound so they then can be laid without redoing the ballast.

I have got in my garden 4 railway sleepers, old wooden ones and the fishplate marks are still on them you can clearly make out how they were placed for the rails.
But I tried moving one a few weeks ago.....not a good idea, they "aint half" heavy, my pacemaker worked overtime (keep going you fool:D).
I dont know what to do with them, they are stacked neatly though, my son in law and his mate stacked them for me and they made them sweat.

48111

I know blokes who can lift them on their own - but it should take 4 men (H&S) using steel grips which are equally heavy. Trouble is there are hardwood and softwood sleepers. The softwood rot easily and can be very light, the hardwood are solid and extremely heavy and its impossible to tell which is which until you lift one. These sound like hardwood so could be worth selling on if you dont need them. If you do then they will last forever!!

There is another problem with hardwood sleepers: drilling the holes in them. We have to double drill them and it is still hard work hammering in the spikes! We also get through a lot of drill bits!

Best wishes,

John H-T.