Axe tie
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Axe ties are railway ties (or sleeper)[1] that are hewn by hand, usually with a broadaxe. There are 2,900 ties per mile of track on a first class railroad.[clarification needed] The early railways would not accept ties cut with a saw, as it was claimed that the kerf of the saw splintered the fibres of the wood, leaving them more likely to soak up moisture causing premature rot.