Our Iron Horse reclaimed wall paneling is made of solid hardwood planks salvaged from railroad ties from Thailand. These durable planks are creosote-free, as they did not need preservative treatments like softwood railroad wood from North America. We offer the wall paneling planks in two forms, ‘Ledgewood’ and ‘Stonewood’. Both types are approximately 3/4″ thick, solid hardwood. The Iron Horse reclaimed paneling has no finish as is, but the planks will easily accept a stain or oil finish if a different color or sheen is desired.
‘Ledgewood’ Wall Paneling
Our Ledgewood wall paneling planks are composed of 2″ wide pieces from the outside layer of the railroad tie.
•Dimensions: 8″ wide x 72″ long (6′)
•Area per plank: 4 ft2
•Weight: approximately 3.25 lbs. / ft2
•Rabbeted edges allow smooth joint and complete coverage of wall surface
•Installation: Nail or staple, face screwing, or wall paneling fastener systems
•Samples: available for a small fee (rebated on purchase of 25 ft2 or more)
* Limited Stock*
‘Stonewood’ Wall Paneling
Our Stonewood wall paneling planks are the complete outer slab of the railroad tie.
•Dimensions: 5.5″ wide x 72″ long (6′), allows 25% of 2′ & 4′
•Area per plank: 6′ plank covers 2.75 ft2, 4′ covers 1.83 ft2, and 2′ covers 0.92 ft2.
•Weight: approximately 3.25 lbs. / ft2
•Rabbeted edges allow smooth joint and complete coverage of wall surface
•Installation: Nail or staple, face screwing, or wall paneling fastener systems
•Samples: available for a small fee (rebated on purchase of 25 ft2 or more)
* Limited Stock*
Iron Horse reclaimed wall paneling is salvaged from the railroad ties of the Southern line of the Royal State Railway of Siam, now commonly known as the State Railway of Thailand. This line was opened in 1903, and connected Bangkok down the Southern peninsula to Hat Yai near the border of Malaysia. A 600-mile long route, and thus an enormous undertaking for the period given the primitive conditions at that time.
The railroad ties (or ‘sleepers’) were made from local native hardwoods. Whatever was close by in the jungle during construction was harvested and put to use. This included species like ‘Pradu’, ‘Teng’, ‘Makha’, and ‘Thongdam’. Consider them to be the Asian continent equivalent of our North American hardwoods such as Laurel or Chestnut, only much harder and more durable. No preservative treatments or chemicals (like creosote) were needed; these hardwoods lasted the test of time and harsh use, creating a very unique look…and history!
In 2013, the process began of replacing the hardwood sleepers with concrete ties in order to modernize the rail line. But up until late 2014 all of the hardwood was disposed of by burning to create charcoal. Fortunately, the Thai government had already been looking for a more environmentally friendly way to re-purpose the more than century-old railroad wood.
We are excited to have access to this wonderful resource of reclaimed wood. Our partner factory in Thailand cleans the sleepers, fills the spike holes with epoxy, and then saws off the outer faces to create the paneling. The interior core of the sleeper is being re-sawn into 3mm thick veneers to be used as the appearance wearlayer for engineered flooring (coming early 2016). The whole sleeper tie is reclaimed into new products!
All reclaimed woods have a past. But the Iron Horse Reclaimed Wood™ has a special uniqueness given it’s original purpose and old age. Imagine the millions of lives that have taken passage over these railroad sleepers during their 115 year history, include a World War, add the countless monsoons and scorching midday suns that weathered and worked the wood. Something to think about as the eye traverses over the deep furrows and twisted grain. Beauty for the wall and the mind.
